$2,110,000
Ringo Starr’s Lugwig Oyster Black Pearl 3-piece drum kit. This 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl Downbeat drum kit, the first Ludwig kit ever owned by Ringo Starr, was used on more than 200 live performances and over 180 studio recordings from May 12, 1963 through February 4, 1964, while becoming a visual trademark as important to The Beatles’ stage show as their hair, suits, boots, guitars and amplifiers. Ringo’s ultimate decision to purchase this very kit lit the fuse for the Ludwig Drum Company, while the actual explosion would take place on Monday, February 10, 1964, the day after The Beatles’ legendary first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. This historic drum kit has not been seen in public since. Click To Request A Condition Report In April of 1963 Starr and The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein went to Drum City Ltd. in London to obtain a new drum kit. His Mahogany Duroplastic 4-piece Premier kit was well used and in need of replacement. Through the years, a number of different versions of what happened next have surfaced. Ringo’s recollection was seeing the Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl drum kit in the shop’s window and saying to Brian “Oh great! Look at this kit!” The two went in and met with Gerry Evans, the store manager, to discuss what drum options Drum City had to offer and other details. But Ringo was hooked. He wanted the American made Ludwig Downbeat kit in Oyster Black Pearl he saw in the window. To complete the sale, Brian wanted to meet with store owner Ivor A
Auctioneer:
Juliens Auctions
Date:
2015-12-03
