What Really Happened In John Lennon's 'Lost Weekend'? His Iconic Glasses Headed For USD 400K Auction

Beatles frontman John Lennon’s infamous ‘Lost Weekend’ is back in the spotlight, and this time, it’s because of one of the iconic souvenirs from that wild chapter in his life. Yes, we are talking about his signature tinted glasses, which he wore extensively during his controversial months in Los Angeles during the early 1970s, and are headed for an auction. 

Lennon’s so-called ‘Lost Weekend’ was anything but quiet. The 18 months that the former Beatle spent in LA from 1973 to 1975 were marked by a string of drinking, brawling, and partying his way through the city, often in the company of fellow rock rebels like Harry Nilsson and Alice Cooper.

Today, the glasses hold significance as one of the most iconic relics from that chaotic era and an instantly recognisable part of Lennon’s image. These are the very glasses that he wore (and lost) on the infamous night he was booted from the Troubadour Club after drunkenly heckling the Smothers Brothers.

John Lennon’s ‘Lost Weekend' glasses headed for an auction

Lennon’s iconic ‘Lost Weekend' glasses will be one of the key highlights of Propstore’s Music Memorabilia Live Auction in London, scheduled to be held on October 23, 2025. The trademark round, tinted glasses, which were snatched up during Lennon’s infamous scruffle, have since become a symbol of the former Beatle’s reckless escapades. 

According to expert estimates, the glasses are expected to sell for USD 198,000 to USD 396,000 and could fetch up to around USD 400,000 at the auction, making them one of the most sought-after lots in the rock sale. 

John Lennon’s infamous brawl at the Troubadour, after which he lost these glasses

Lennon’s iconic tinted shades from the ‘Lost Weekend’ era have a dramatic backstory tied to his trail of hard-partying and rebellion, following his divorce from his second wife, Yoko Ono, whom he married in 1969. 

According to Propstore’s Director of Music, Mark Hochman, Lennon lost the spectacles during a notorious night at Los Angeles’ Troubadour Club on March 12, 1974.  He and fellow rocker Harry Nilsson, heavily intoxicated, heckled the Smothers Brothers during their set. Things turned physical, and in the scuffle, Lennon’s glasses ended up in the hands of comedian Tom Smothers’ wife.

Smothers’ wife later hosted a party where she apparently allowed each of her guests to take turns trying on the former Beatles singer’s trademark glasses. Speaking about the fallout and how contemporaries idolised Lennon, Mark Hochman said:

“After the incident, Smothers’ wife collected the glasses, phoned her friends, and hosted a party where, apparently, guests were thrilled to wear John’s trademark glasses – an indication of just how idolised he was by his contemporaries… There’s full photographic documentation that shows Lennon (with Harry Nilsson) entering the Troubadour on March 12th, 1974, enjoying himself inside the club wearing the glasses, and leaving without them.”

Inside John Lennon’s ‘Lost Weekend’

Although they were marred by conspiracies, rebellion and scruffles, those 18 months across LA turned out to be oddly productive for the singer. Not long after his separation from Yoko Ono, Lennon entered into a relationship with his assistant, May Pang, allegedly at Ono’s own suggestion. 

Pang was not just an effective assistant, but an efficient professional. In 1971, she helped organise one of Yoko Ono’s art exhibitions, and the year before, she managed to source hundreds of live flies in the middle of a New York winter for Yoko’s avant-garde film Fly by visiting Chinese restaurants. She also took charge of the wardrobe for Lennon and Ono’s iconic Imagine music video. 

Though often remembered for booze-soaked antics and Hollywood nights with Alice Cooper, Keith Moon, and Nilsson, it was during the ‘Lost Weekend’ that Lennon recorded Walls and Bridges, produced Harry Nilsson’s Pussy Cats, collaborated with David Bowie, and scored his first No.1 solo hit with Whatever Gets You Thru the Night.

The infamous yet oddly productive ‘Lost Weekend’ ended when Lennon reconciled with Ono in 1975, and the couple remained together until his tragic death in 1980. Today, the glasses serve as both a symbol of Lennon’s reckless escapades and his enduring cultural presence.

What other rare memorabilia will be sold in the auction?

Other rare collectables up for grabs in the auction will include Noel Gallagher’s guitar, which was smashed to smithereens by his brother Liam on the night Oasis split. The guitar, according to experts, could fetch around a whopping USD 500,000. In addition, Michael Jackson’s white fedora from his Smooth Criminal music video and Elvis Presley’s original shades will also be up for grabs.

For Beatles fans and collectors alike, these iconic glasses will surely bring back an unfiltered glimpse into one of rock’s most infamous eras.

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