Imagine losing a tooth, putting it under your pillow for the tooth fairy, and waking up with more than $30,000! So, that’s not exactly how the story goes, but it’s definitely one for the books. Here, you’ll learn the story about how John Lennon’s tooth sold for a crazy amount of money.
“All You Need Is Love”
John Winston Ono Lennon was a famous singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist. You probably know him as one of the talented members of the Beatles, which also included Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The Beatles, a British Invasion rock band, revolutionized the world of music forever with classic songs such as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Hey Jude,” “Come Together,” “Blackbird,” “Penny Lane,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and many more. In 1969, John Lennon left the Beatles and collaborated on music with his wife, Yoko Ono, and others. He was tragically assassinated in New York City by a fan named Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980.
The Tooth
Lennon treated his housekeeper, Dorothy Jarlett, like family. One day, Lennon gave his tooth to Jarlett for her daughter, a big Beatles fan. After many years, the family decided to put it up for auction. The tooth began a bidding war and eventually sold for $31,200 to a Canadian dentist, who hopes to clone the musician. Some questioned the Jarletts for selling the precious memorabilia, but the family stated they had other, more meaningful gifts Lennon had given them over the years. They wanted to sell the tooth before it got lost.
Other Famous Teeth
However, this was not the only incident of a famous person’s teeth being sold for a large sum of money. The dentures of Ty Cobb, an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics, sold for $6,500. Winston Churchill, the knighted man who provided leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II, had dentures that sold for $23,723. Churchill’s dentures were claimed to be the very ones he wore during his military career, earning them the name “the teeth that saved the world”.
Don’t Say Goodbye, We Say Hello!
Your teeth are an important part of your life, and who knows, maybe one day your mouth will literally become a million-dollar smile. If you need “Help!” getting your smile to where you want it to be, even if it’s not for future auctioneering purposes, “We Can Work It Out” at Toothology Dental. Schedule your appointment today!
John Lennon mural image by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Imagine image by Michael Aleo on Unsplash
