Pre-Ringo Starr And Pete Best Beatles’ Letter Up For Auction

It appears there was a Beatles drummer before Ringo Starr and Pete Best. Christie's Auction House is auctioning off a rare Beatles' letter written by Paul McCartney three days before the band was to leave for its first tour of Hamburg. The Beatles had placed an ad for a drummer in the Liverpool Echo. In the letter, McCartney, 18 at the time, wrote:

"Dear Sir, In reply to your advertisement [sic] in Echo, Wed. night, we would like to offer you an audition for the position of drummer in the group.

"You will, however, need to be free soon for a trip to Hamburg (expenses paid $28 per week [approx.] for 2 months.) If interested, ring Jacaranda club, Slater St. [ROYAL 65'44] and ask for either a member of the 'BEATLES' Alan Williams [sic], or else leave a message, stating when you will be available. Yours sincerely Paul McCartney of THE BEATLES." - Investors.com

Did an audition ever take place? Or did the band just run out of time? We don't know. We do know that Pete Best was "drafted" and traveled to Hamburg with the group. The letter is expected to fetch $14,000 on the auction block.