In memoriam - John Winston Ono Lennon (1940-1980)

[theequestrian]

I have started this thread (my 1st) to honor and Remember John on this, the 30th anniversary of his assassination. I would like to know where you were (if you are old enough, of course) when you heard the news.

I'll start this off first with a personal anecdote about John. John liked Italian food and while he lived in NYC he ate with regularity at the restaurant where my father was the Maitre'D. Over the course of time they became friendly and my father mentioned to John what an influence The Beatles and John in particular had been on me. At this time I was serving in the US Air Force and living in Nebraska. One day in early December 1980 (what specific date I do not know) John and Yoko came into my dads restaurant. Double Fantasy had been released the day before. John and my dad started talking and John asked if I had gotten hold of Double Fantasy yet. My dad told John that I hadn't. At that point John stood up, gave my dad a $20 bill and told him to go to the record store across the street and buy the album. John then played Maitre'D till dad came back. When my father returned John pulled the shrink wrap off the album and then he and Yoko both autographed it for me. I received the album in the mail the day after John was killed. It may be the only autographed copy of Double Fantasy in existence and I wouldn't part with it if God wanted to borrow it.

I started playing the guitar the night of The Beatles 1st appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. I have been a musician my entire working life. I have been composing since I was 12 (1971). Yet, considering the influence The Beatles had had on me I had never conciously attempted to write a 'Beatle' song. Then one morning - on a day off - I woke up, grabbed one of my acoustics and wrote a 'Beatle' song. I had a home recording studio and so set about recording a basic version of the song to use as reference for a subsequent, more polished version. I finished and shut the studio down in time to catch the Monday Night Football game featuring my favorite team, the NY Jets. Back in 1980 most TV sets in America were the kind where you heard the audio for 30 seconds before the picture finally came up. As I was staring at the black screen the first words to come from the TV were Howard Cosells' announcement of the shooting. I Don't remember anything else. My wife told me that I went into the studio, took the tape off the reel to reel and went out into our driveway and burned it. I sold the guitar I had used for the recording the very next day. I have never played the song since.

Thank you John, for all the joy you brought into my life.

To quote the Bard "Here was a Caesar. When comes such another?" - Marc Anthony (from Julius Caesar)

I know I got the dates wrong in the thread title. It was a typo and I don't know how to edit thread titles.

[Kakker]

Originally Posted by theequestrian

I have started this thread (my 1st) to honor and Remember John on this, the 30th anniversary of his assassination. I would like to know where you were (if you are old enough, of course) when you heard the news.

I guess I was at home and heard it on the news. I was not too old. But even though murder is never a good thing... the fact that John stopped making music was a good thing. I only like some beatle stuff, but as a solo hippie his music sucked for my taste. But then again: I'm no hippie.

[rc_riddle]

It was always my opinion that, when the Beatles finished, its' individual members drifted on in aimless, personal projects. Much of John and Paul's time, both in the studio and in the press was taken up with silly sniping at each other.
As for individual talent, Paul went in for pop light, advert jingle rubbish whilst John's contribution can be summed up in three words - Plastic, Ono, Band. Even Clapton couldn't understand that rubbish, and he played on it!
John had clearly surrendered to the 'creative' lure of the heroine addiction he had embraced in the last years of the Beatles.
Meanwhile, George was desperate for musical recognition at a time when towering musical exponents eclipsed his talent.
Ringo descended into the old standby of making joke records and never tiring of telling us how impotant he was, how famous he was, how wonderful he was. He never seemed to get round to the bit where he says 'How lucky I was, to be in the right place, at the right time.'

If the Beatles ran a competition of they're individual talents, the winner would be Thomas The Tank Engine!!!

[pharoahegypt]

my only wonder is what if john hadnt been killed... would he and paul now have written many more tracks together, the lure of money and wiser heads having out their fued behind them...?? as much as i respect paul, his music canbe so bland and laid back at times, and it was john's spark that gave the beatles songs life. lots of ifs and maybes as ever... but sometimes u do wonder if we might now have some better written and played tracks to savour if things had been different...??

[tygrkhat40]

I was attending St. Bonaventure University outside of Olean, NY in 1980. I was with a buch of guys in a dorm room watching the MNF game, Miami and New England, when the local station ran a runner at the bottom of the screen saying that Lennon had been shot. As this was still running, Cosell broke the news that Lennon had been shot and was DOA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gcdz1IRVoM

[billybunter]

I heard the news on the radio. Important announcement. Then non stop Beatles/John Lennon songs. Watched the news on TV as well. I was never a big Beatles fan, but I liked John's music and wit. It was a sad day for music and peace. My Mum was quiet upset, she loved the Beatles. He will still be remembered 100's of years later as a revolutionary musician, and activist.

R.I.P John.

[rlg118]

The thing that stands out most about that evening is that my wife started screaming at me to get rid of my pistol (I have a license to carry concealed in New York), as if I had done the deed.

My response was that if John had had an armed companion or bodyguard with him, he might still be here.

[billybunter]

Originally Posted by rlg118

The thing that stands out most about that evening is that my wife started screaming at me to get rid of my pistol (I have a license to carry concealed in New York), as if I had done the deed.

My response was that if John had had an armed companion or bodyguard with him, he might still be here.

I hear ya mate. But I don't think John would have wanted anyone murdered, not even his own killer. He was a man of peace. He was English and guns are not carried in these islands. Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Nylon]

I think I heard the news on the radio before I went to work. Don't remember it having a massive impact on me at the time. It's only years later, after listening to the Beatles and a small portion of John's solo work that I realised what a loss it was.

[NIN]

I'd just like to add i was at the (surprisingly small) service today held at the Cavern Walks statues of the Fab Four & was my great pleasure to take the guy from the Beatles Appreciation Society for a drink at (the facsimile of ) The Cavern Club & The Grapes. A really nice ol' guy also called John who had taken time to put Christmas hats & tinsel on the bronze figures & left cards at the plinth for fans to leave messages

Quite a touching experience & was a great pleasure to hear of his experience in getting the statues commissioned (he was battling to get them established before he was taken) and how he dislikes the style & the artist who made them , but still holds great respect for the man that was J.W. Lennon.

Peace