Fiona Adams/Redferns
A Grammy Award for Song of the Year that John Lennon won in 1966 for co-writing the Beatles hit “Michelle” that had been put up for bid via an online auction site has been pulled from the sale.
Ed Kosinski, co-owner of the Gotta Have Rock and Roll website, told ABC Radio via email, “we decided it was in the best interest of all parties to withdraw the Grammy at this time.”
The decision to pull the trophy from the auction follows a TMZ report claiming the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, a.k.a. the Recording Academy, moved to block the sale. According to the tabloid website, the Recording Academy has a rule that disallows artists from selling or giving away their Grammy trophies, and if they do, the music organization can repossess them.
However, Gotta Have Rock and Roll had claimed Lennon’s Grammy previously was sold in 2004 at a Christie’s music memorabilia auction. The site had been offering the trophy for a starting price of $40,000.
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