George Harrison's sitar sells at auction for $66,993

30 April 2024, 17:17 | Updated: 30 April 2024, 17:42

The late Beatles icon's sitar has been sold at auction for the impressive amount.

George Harrison's sitar has been sold at auction for $66,993 (£53,520).

The Beatles icon - who died in November 2001, aged 58 - bought the instrument on Oxford Street, London in 1965 and used it during the recording sessions for Norwegian Wood, which featured on the band's Rubber Soul album.

Now, the iconic sitar has sold at Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles for an eye-watering sum of money.

Harrison visited India for the first time in 1966, where he studied the sitar under the tutelage of Ravi Shankar.

The medieval Indian instrument ignited Harrison's lifelong passion for the country's music and culture as well as Hindu spirituality, while encouraging the use of sitars among other Western musicians.

The Beatle subsequently created a series of Indian-style compositions on the likes of Within You Without You and Love You To.

Love You To (Remastered 2009)

• The Beatles' Let It Be film to be released on Disney+
• Ozzy Osbourne reflects on the impact of The Beatles on his generation: "They broke the f***ing doors down"

The instrument is just one in a long line of Beatles memorabilia to go under the gavel of late.

Back in February, John Lennon's copy of the Fab Four's White Album sold for £128,000 at auction.

Most notably, The Pattie Boyd collection sold for an eye-watering £3million last month.

The personal collection of the ex-wife of Eric Clapton and George Harrison - which included artwork, photos, Christmas cards, clothing, handwritten postcards and letters from her famous love triangle with the musicians - sold for a total of £2,818,184 at Christies.

The former fashion model - who has been cited as the inspiration behind the Harrison-penned Beatles' ballad Something, and Clapton's Layla and Wonderful Tonight tracks - said of the sale: "I am completely blown away by the enthusiasm of international bidders for these special treasures that I have always loved."

The Beatles - Something

She added: "I am so happy that new hearts will now enjoy them, as they enter into their next ‘chapters’.

"I am lucky that my life today continues to bring me joy and different adventures – I would encourage people to follow their passions and live their lives with gusto.”

Boyd first met Harrison on the set of the 1964 Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night and they married in 1966.

Harrison was friends with Clapton and he would often spend time at the couple's come in Surrey, where they struck up their own love affair.

Boyd divorced The Beatles guitarist in 1977 and went on to marry Clapton in 1979, although they eventually divorced in 1989.

• What are the Red and Blue Beatles albums?
• Why did The Beatles break up? The true story of who left the band first