John Lennon Letter to Journalist May Fetch $28,450 in London

John Lennon's letter to a journalist who accused the Beatles of exploiting black American music may raise as much as 15,000 pounds ($28,450) at a London auction on May 24, Bonhams said. High prices for Beatles memorabilia are bringing sellers to the market. One of Lennon's schoolbooks sold for 126,500 pounds at a Cooper Owen Plc sale on April 19. Lennon wrote to the author of a 1971 New York Times article, saying the group may have popularized black music with early 1960s songs like ``Money'' and "You Really Got a Hold On Me.'' "We didn't sing our own songs in the early days -- they weren't good enough -- the one thing we always did was to make it known that there were black originals,'' Bonhams cited him as saying in the letter. "Many kids were turned on to black music by us. It wasn't a rip off, it was a love in.'' The Beatles had 17 U.K. No. 1 singles, second only to Elvis Presley, who had 21. There is a market for rare and well- preserved items that illuminate the Beatles' history, according to dealers. Lennon, born in Liverpool in 1940, was shot dead outside his New York apartment house in 1980. Movie siren Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962, will also be represented at the memorabilia sale, Bonhams said. A white-and- pink bustier that she wore in a bus scene of Billy Wilder's film ``Some Like it Hot'' in 1959 has a top value of 10,000 pounds. It's labeled, ``Property of United Artists'' and ``Size Sm 37.'' Buyers at Bonhams pay a 20 percent commission on the first 70,000 pounds and 12 percent on the rest of the hammer price. Estimates are precommission.
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