TV show appeals for help to prove Chesney Hawkes' piano belonged to John Lennon

Chesney Hawkes and Fiona Bruce at the piano
-Credit: (Image: BBC Studios/Philipp Ebling/PA)


The BBC One programme Fake Or Fortune? is reaching out for assistance in establishing whether a piano once owned by '90s pop sensation Chesney Hawkes was previously the property of the legendary Beatle, John Lennon.

On Thursday evening’s episode, presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould delve into the origins of the baby grand piano, which came into possession of Hawkes’ father, Len Hawkes of '60s fame The Tremeloes, during his time at Tittenhurst Park. This Grade II-listed manor was part of Lennon's estate in the early '70s.

Lennon, along with Yoko Ono, relocated to New York in 1971, selling the abbey and its recording studio to Ringo Starr who settled there in 1973. In this week's show, Hawkes recounts family lore stating that when the Broadwood piano was spotted abandoned on the lawn, "it was John’s and Ringo didn’t want it", leading Starr to pass it onto his father.

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Though the programme’s investigators uncover several facts, they cannot definitively verify the piano’s connection to the famed Beatles member. If confirmed as Lennon’s, the instrument could fetch hundreds of thousands; without proof of lineage, it stands to be worth merely a few thousand pounds.

Hawkes, who learned to tinkle the ivories on the very same piano, holds no intention of selling but hopes someone can confirm it did indeed belong to Lennon. As he states, "My family still has a lot of love for this piano and it will carry on being loved in the Hawkes family for years to come."

Bruce shared her disappointment: "We had such high hopes, it was so exciting, we’ve not looked into something like this before, but we couldn’t just, quite, clinch it."

"If someone’s watching, and you remember John Lennon playing this piano or you’ve got any photographic evidence, get in touch."

Mould further commented on the intriguing nature of the music memorabilia market, stating: "It’s all about provenance – working to prove that a musical demi-god touched and used the musical instrument in question. It often involves rigorous research, but the rewards can be enormous."

The upright Steinway Z piano, famously used by Lennon to compose Imagine, was auctioned off in 2000 for a staggering £1.45 million. The late pop icon George Michael purchased it, and it is now exhibited at Liverpool’s Strawberry Field attraction.

Hawkes is most recognised for his 1991 UK number one single The One And Only. He has six UK hit singles and a top 40 album, Buddy’s Song, which served as the soundtrack to the 1991 film of the same name.