Rare Beatles letter up for auction

A letter which led to the break-up of Beatles is all set for sale.

New York: A legal letter, which reportedly led to the break-up of Fab Four is all set to go under the hammer with an initial price tag of USD 175,000.

The letter, signed by John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, is addressed to Sir Paul McCartney`s lawyer and father-in-law Lee Eastman and fires him as the band`s legal counsel. Dated 18 April, 1969, the letter reads, "you are not authorized (sic) to act or hold yourself out as the attorney (sic) or legal representative of The Beatles." The document also states that all papers related to the band be forwarded to manager Allen Klein, the New York Post reported. Eastman, the father of McCartney`s first wife Linda, managed the musician and acted as the band`s lawyer, but a disagreement between the group members led to his dismissal. The argument is said to have driven a wedge between McCartney and his bandmates, which eventually led to the break-up in 1970. "It`s a million-dollar item. It`s John sending a message to Paul and Lee that he didn`t want Eastman managing the band. So then the Beatles became a divided camp. It was a colossal mistake because Klein ended up taking advantage of the band, and it was dismantled shortly after the letter came out," said Beatles memorabilia dealer Peter Miniaci. The letter has a USD 175,000 price tag and is for sale on curator Gary J Zimet`s website Momentsintime.com. PTI