John Lennon - 40 years ago today

[dhg]

Can't believe it's been 40 years since John Lennon was senselessly murdered outside his apartment in NYC. Older generation remembers where they were when Kennedy was shot. I remember exactly where I was when John was killed. I can still hear Howard Cosell breaking the news to all of us on Monday Night Football and my feeling of disbelief. What a shame. He's probably jamming with one heck of a band in Heaven. 

 

 

[WhoTom]

[Gugny]

 

*** This year's annual Yoko post.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Gugny

[T&C]

 

[Buftex]

Forty years ago today, like many I am sure, I was watching Monday Night Football. Dolphins were playing the Patriots. My Bills, in the same division, were in first place, for the first time in my life...I hated both teams, but was wanting the Patriots to win...if we were going to lose our division lead, I didn't want it to be to the f'ing Dolphins. I had been to the Bills game the day before...the Bills had beat the favored Rams, in overtime...I was giddy..

 

I went to school that Monday morning, thinking all day about the football game, and what was the best path to wining the division, with only a few weeks left in the season I delivered my newspapers, like everyday, carrying a radio, listening to what is now "Classic Rock". It was was a typical, chilly, wet December day in Buffalo, NY.

When I got done with m paper route, I remember going to my bedroom, to "chill" before the game. I had the radio on...I dozed off, the last song i remember hearing was "It Won't Be Long" by the Beatles. Probably the ony other thing I loved more that the Bills at that point in my life, the Beatles..

 

So, there I sat, watching the game. My father was in the room, reading (as always) but would occasionally look away from his book to make a comment. Late in the game, I remember my sister Karyl came barreling down the stairs from her bedroom yelling "John Lennon's been shot". At first I didn't' even understand what she was saying....but as she repeated it, it sunk in...I was pissed at her for saying something so stupid. My father was uncharacteristically mum on the subject.

 

A few minutes later, Howard Cossell broke the news, for real : “An unspeakable tragedy confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City". My father said something like "probably a drug deal gone bad" or something like that. I wanted to punch him. Such a weird day, weird night.

 

I just went to my bedroom and listened to the radio all night for updates. I had Ted Koppel "Night Line" on a small black and white tv in my room...crummy picture and all. I was just waiting to hear that it wasn't true, or that there had been some big mistake.

 

To me this still stands as one of the most random, shocking things that has ever happened in my lifetime. RIP John.

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Buftex

[ChevyVanMiller]

I was in high school when it happened. It inspired my first ever published work.

 

RIP, John

[Gugny]

I was five weeks shy of 10-years-old.

 

My love for the Beatles was already in full swing and I was also a huge Paul McCartney/Wings fan.

 

My mother woke me up the morning of 12/9.  She told me McCartney had been murdered.  Devastated, I ran downstairs and the radio was playing Beatles music.  Minutes later, I realized that it was Lennon .. not Paul.  Still devastated, I cut the article out of the newspaper and taped it to my bedroom wall.

 

I swore, back then, that his picture glowed at night.  I still don't think I was crazy.

 

To this day, thinking about his assassination makes me angry and sad.

 

The words, "legend," and "icon," are overused.

 

John Lennon was both before he died and will always be.

 

 

[WhoTom]

I was out with friends that night. I came home, turned on 97 Rock, and wondered why they were playing a bunch of Beatles songs. Then the DJ told me.

 

That was my senior year of high school. We lobbied to have our senior song changed from [whatever they picked at the start of the year] to "Imagine." We were unsuccessful, but we did manage to convince them to at least play it at our graduation ceremony.

 

 

[dhg]

32 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

I was in high school when it happened. It inspired my first ever published work.

 

RIP, John

Awesome

[T&C]

1 hour ago, Buftex said:

Forty years ago today, like many I am sure, I was watching Monday Night Footbal. Dolphins were playng the Patriots. My Bills, in the same division, were in first place, for the first time in my life...I hated both teams, but was wanting the Patriots to win...if we were going to lose our diivision lead, I didn't want it to be to the f'ing Dolphins. I had been to the Bills game the day before...the Bills had beat the faovred Rams, in overtime...I was giddy..

 

I went to school that Monday morning, thinking all day about the football game, and what was the best path to wining the divison, with only a few weeks left in the season I delivered my newspapers, like everyday, carrying a radio, listeing to what is now "Classic Rock". It was was a typocal, chilly, wet December day in Buffalo, NY.

When I got done with m paper route, I remember going to my bedroom, to "chill" before the game. I had the radio on...I dozed off, the last song i remember hearing was "It Won't Be Long" by the Bealtes. Prpbably the ony other thing I loved more that the Bills at that point in my life, the Beatles..

 

So, there I sat, watching the game. My father was in the room, reading (as always) but would occaisionally look away from his book to make a comment. Late in the game, I remmeber my sister Karyl came barrelling down the stairs from her bedrooom yelling "John Lennon's been shot". At first I didnt' even understand what she was saying....but as she repeated it, it sunk in...I was pissed at her for saying something so stupid. My father was uncharactersiticlly mum on the subject.

A few minutes later, Howard Cossell broke the news, for real : “An unspeakable tragedy confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City". My father said something like "probably a drug deal gone bad" or something like that. I wanted to punch him. Such a weird day, weird night.

 

I just went to my bedroom and listened to the radio all night for updates. I had Ted Koppel "Night Line" on a small black and white tv in my room...crummy picture and all. I was just waiting to hear that it wasn't true, or that there had been some big mistake.

 

To me this still stands as one of the most random, shocking things that has ever happened in my lifetime. RIP John.

 

I wouldn't go that far... a lot of the posters here were just staying warm in the sac.

[Irv]

What a waste.  The things he could have done since then.  But he wasn't the nicest of guys.  Homophobic and anti-sematic according to many documented articles. Also struck women, by his own admission. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Irv

[Buftex]

3 hours ago, Irv said:

What a waste.  The things he could have done since then.  But he wasn't the nicest of guys.  Homophobic and anti-sematic according to many documented articles. Also struck women, by his own admission. 

 

 

Yes, but he evolved.  

[Niagara Bill]

10 hours ago, Irv said:

What a waste.  The things he could have done since then.  But he wasn't the nicest of guys.  Homophobic and anti-sematic according to many documented articles. Also struck women, by his own admission. 

 

 

This world is a much better place because of JL.

More boomers should remember the sense of peace, love and friendship they had from the 60s. Our politics would never have reached the  garbage status of today.

The self centred music of today has little effect on the political climate. Can you even imagine the type of lyrics that JL, Dylan, Seeger, Young, Maguire, Wilson, Gaye, would be singing today. 

[Gugny]

11 hours ago, Buftex said:

Yes, but he evolved.  

 

I was just having this conversation with my son the other night.  He told me that he thought Lennon was a scumbag because he hit women and made his son lose his hearing by yelling in his ear.

 

I told him that Lennon made plenty of mistakes, but became a better man as he matured - as most of us do.