Singer George Michael has purchased the Steinway piano that John Lennon composed "Imagine" on for approximately $2.1 million dollars during a transatlantic auction on Tuesday.

Reached Wednesday, a London publicist for Michael confirmed that he had indeed purchased the piano for 1.45 million pounds because he regards it "as a piece of musical history." The rep also indicated that Michael plans to keep the piano in the Britain, but has not made a decision about where the upright walnut piano will ultimately be housed.

Michael apparently outbid several over well-known Lennon fans, as the U.K. tabloid "The Sun" has reported that Robbie Williams and both Oasis brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, all made bids on the piano, but dropped out while the price tag was beneath a million pounds.

An intermediary for George Michael actually placed the winning bid during the auction, which was held via a teleconference from the Hard Rock Cafes in London and New York.

Bids were also submitted over the Internet through fleetwoodowen.com.

Fleetwood Owen, a company set up by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood and Brit auctioneer Ted Owen, organized Tuesday's sale (see "Lennon's 'Imagine' Piano To Be Sold"), and received an additional 217,500 pounds, about $ 313,765 American, as its 15 percent commission fee.