TV show appeals for help to prove Chesney Hawkes’ piano was owned by John Lennon

BBC One show Fake Or Fortune? is appealing for help to prove a piano owned by 1990s pop star Chesney Hawkes once belonged to John Lennon.

In Thursday night’s episode presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate the baby grand piano, which was acquired by Hawkes’ father Len Hawkes, who played in 1960s group The Tremeloes, when he was recording at Tittenhurst Park, a Grade II-listed country house Lennon once owned in the early 1970s.

Lennon and Yoko Ono left the house for New York in 1971 and sold the property and its recording studio to Ringo Starr, who moved in in 1973.

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

During the episode Hawkes explains that his family story goes that the Broadwood piano had been left on the lawn and that “it was John’s and Ringo didn’t want it”, so Starr gave it to his father.

Although the show’s team make a number of discoveries during the episode, they cannot prove it belonged to the Beatles star.

Without provenance it is estimated to be worth a few thousand pounds, but with evidence it was once Lennon’s, the piano could be worth hundreds of thousands.

Hawkes learned to play piano on the instrument and is hoping someone will be able to provide evidence it belonged to Lennon, although he does not plan to sell it.

He said: “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.”

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

Philip Mould

Bruce added: “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 added that the music memorabilia market is “fascinating” but provenance is key.

He said: “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 Lennon used to compose Imagine was sold at auction in 2000 for £1.45 million. It was bought by late pop singer George Michael and is now on display at Liverpool’s Strawberry Field attraction.

Hawkes is best known for his 1991 UK number one single The One And Only. He had six UK hit singles and a top 40 album, Buddy’s Song, a soundtrack to the 1991 film of the same name.