In the midst of Beatlemania and a world tour--Ringo Starr collapsed and was hospitalized with a severe case of tonsillitis. Beatles manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin quickly scrambled to find a fill-in drummer and called upon local British drummer Jimmie Nicol. Touring with the group through Denmark, Hong Kong and Australia, Nicol played a total of eight shows over a ten-day time frame before Ringo rejoined the group in Australia on June 14, 1964.Given his extremely short tenure with the band, group signed items from the Beatles featuring Nicol are scarce, with only an estimated few dozen items known to exist.
Offered here is one of those items showcasing the Beatles lineup from that narrow window of time, penned by all four members on a 7.75" x 8.25" toned sheet. Penned in black ink by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, the sheet is capped off with a blue ink signature and inscription from Ringo's replacement, "To Alpa Alamuddin, Best Wishes, Jimmie Nicol."
The consignor notes that the autographs were obtained on June 7th, 1964, when the group's plane stopped in Beirut, Lebanon to refuel. During the approximate hour that the band was in Beirut, they exited the plane for a period of time to meet and greet a hoard of screaming fans and sign some autographs.
The sheet has some minor water exposure in the upper left corner that touches the inscription by Nicol. Some moderate toning as pictured, otherwise fine. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services (BAS).