Jerry Lee Lewis’s Iconic Baldwin Piano Offered for Sale to Honor Rock & Roll History
San Francisco, CA — Jerry Lee Lewis’s personally commissioned Baldwin grand piano — the instrument he played daily in his home until his passing, and the one he used to record his final signature album Last Man Standing at two famous studios in Memphis, Tenn. (Sun Studios and Sam Phillips Recording Studios) with Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, John Fogerty, Kid Rock, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Don Henley and Kris Kristofferson, is now being offered for sale in a private brokerage, accompanied by rare provenance items not previously available to the public.
The owner of the piano, a longtime close friend of Jerry Lee Lewis, has chosen to honor Jerry’s memory and legacy by ensuring the piano is sold to someone whose plan furthers the history of rock and roll.
The owner of the piano expects it to sell for $3-5 million, because of the private provenance artifacts included and the fact that it was made for Jerry Lee Lewis as a custom order — unlike the standard piano models with Freddie Mercury and John Lennon provenance, which sold for $2.2 million at auction.
This piano is not offered by auction because the sale is not only about price but also about future stewardship. Offers must include not only the offering price but also information about who is buying and what they intend to do with the piano — whether it will be played, placed in a museum, used on stage, etc.
Karen Lile has previously facilitated piano purchases for Julio Iglesias and Larry Ellison, but most of her piano transactions involving celebrity provenance are conducted under strict non-disclosure agreements.Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
The piano, gifted to Jerry Lee Lewis by Baldwin in 2004, was custom-built to his specifications. Unlike standard Baldwin designs, this instrument is taller in height, with extended legs and a light action designed for Jerry’s powerful, fluid playing style. The hammers show distinctive wear marks from Jerry’s signature glissandos, often sweeping from the top of the keyboard down to C below middle C, while the bass hammers — rarely used by Lewis — remain almost untouched.
Jerry Lee Lewis played this piano every day in his home for nearly two decades. It was featured on the cover of his 2005 album Last Man Standing, recorded at Sun Studio, and remained in his home until the day he died — making it the instrument most closely tied to his later career and legacy.
“This piano is not just an artifact — it contains the reflections and marks of the man who was the heart and soul and founder of rock and roll,” said Karen Lile, the owner’s trusted exclusive broker, chosen for her work ensuring legacy instruments find the right custodians. Lile is the niece of Tony Terran, a famed trumpeter of LA session musicians’ Wrecking Crew, who performed with many of the musicians who knew Jerry Lee Lewis, including Elvis Presley. She has produced classical and jazz recordings at Fantasy Studios and Skywalker Sound, and produces the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco.
“I watched the Stones recording with him in the famous studio along with Willie, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Little Richard. The piano is iconic and part of the history of rock and roll, to say the least!” said JW Whiten, Jerry Lee Lewis’s longtime manager.