John Lennon to-do list reveals day in the life of a superstar

A to-do list written by John Lennon which is up for auction. Photograph: gottahaverockandroll.com
WhenJohn Lennon put pen to paper, the result was usually inspired and occasionally sublime. But not always. A "to-do" list written by the Beatle and being put up for auction this week shows that he was every bit as capable of mundanity as the rest of us, ruminating exhaustively on the imminent visit of the TV engineer and reminding himself of various household chores that need doing. Scrawled in black pen on the yellowing sheet of paper – which is to go under the hammer from Wednesday with a minimum bid of $3,000 (£1,900) – are 11 tasks for his personal assistant, Fred Seaman, that are weighing on Lennon's mind. "ASK SAM GREEN For THOR HEYERDAHL BOOK (Return)," he writes. Further down, he wonders: "Would it be a good idea to make sure BOTH CARS have full GAS TANKS?.." The hook on the bathroom door is falling off, he remembers. His son Sean's mattress needs to be put back. They need more marmalade. By far the most pressing concern, however, appears to be a visit from the "HBO guy" who is "coming between 3-5: BE THERE". When he arrives, Lennon instructs Seaman, "YOU [UNDERLINED] let him in" and "you [UNDERLINED] tell him what to do [UNDERLINED WHAT TO DO]." There follows a confused paragraph about an offer of an FM radio presumably made previously by HBO. "Find out," he writes. "Maybe we do [UNDERLINED] want it." Eventually, he admits: "I didn't know what he was talking about." Lennon, who was shot dead in New York in 1980, dated the list 22 May, but the year is unknown. Gotta Have Rock and Roll, the website which is putting it up for auction, noted the item's unusual perspective on one of the 20th century's greatest musicians. "An amazing look into the 'everyday-ness' of one of rock'n'roll's most important icons! Very good condition," it wrote. The site, which previously sold Lennon's Talisman necklace for $528,000 and his tooth for $32,000, is offering a lot of other rock'n'roll memorabilia besides the Lennon list. Also due to go under the hammer are a pair of crushed velvet flares worn by Elvis Presley around 1970 (starting bid: $1,000) and a handwritten poem by Paul McCartney entitled The Poet of Dumbwoman's Lane, which carries a minimum bid of $8,000. • This article was amended on 1 December 2011 to clarify that the memo was written forJohn Lennon's personal assistant rather than Lennon himself.