John Lennon garment leads to legal woes, lyric quoting
By James Lileks
JANUARY 17, 2011
Remember our rule about entertainment writing? Any piece about a musician must include their lyrics in the opening paragraph. We’re proud to present today’s example:
A New York City landlord has a message for the collector who recently sold the suit John Lennon wore on the cover of the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album: You never give me your money.
“Gave” would be more accurate, but that’s not the lyric. Now I defy you to understand this next part:
The seller’s former landlord has sued the gallery that auctioned the late Beatle’s suit for $46,000, trying to get at the proceeds to satisfy a rent debt.
Did the suit sell for $46K, or is that what they’re suing for? I know, I know, who cares. Tiny story, what’s the point? This:
Braswell Galleries was told before the Jan. 1 sale that a court had determined in 2009 that seller Biond Fury — a psychic and memorabilia collector — owed more than $21,000 in rent for his former Manhattan apartment, according to landlord Mark Arrow’s lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a Manhattan state court. Arrow’s lawyers say they told the Norwalk, Conn.-based gallery not to go through with the sale, and that the gallery should now have to fork over at least $21,463.
Biond Fury! More about him in a moment. Here’s a bonus: a source in the story makes a Beatles quote!
Arrow had been unable to collect the rent debt from Fury, but the prospects brightened when he learned of the coming auction from a newspaper report last month, said Arrow lawyer Adam Leitman Bailey.”We’re all coming together over John Lennon,” he said.
At which point the reporter sighed “thank you. Perfect.” As for Mr. Fury: go here, and scroll alllll the way to the right. Yes, to the right. You’ll thank me.