John Lennon 40th Anniversary

[James Y]

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 40 years today since John Lennon’s death. I was a senior in high school, and I still remember the moment I found out. I had my big, wooden radio/stereo on a rock station, and there was a news announcement that Lennon was shot.

I always liked Lennon’s songs more than the other Beatles’. He made some great ones after The Beatles, too.

Here are only a few of my favorite Lennon songs. It’s amazing how much his songs evolved in such a relatively short period of time:

https://youtu.be/zfnkMBOSIUQ

https://youtu.be/vdvnOH060Qg

https://youtu.be/7-SSa-D1i-M

Jim

[TkoK83Spy]

Only being 37, but having both parents as die hard Beatles fans from their early days...I clearly missed out on something special with this man. I've read many articles, watched many documentaries...the world seems to have been robbed of a great man and obviously skilled musician, though he seemed to wanted to have been appreciated and remembered for more than that.

[James Y]

Only being 37, but having both parents as die hard Beatles fans from their early days...I clearly missed out on something special with this man. I've read many articles, watched many documentaries...the world seems to have been robbed of a great man and obviously skilled musician, though he seemed to wanted to have been appreciated and remembered for more than that.

No doubt that Lennon wanted more. He didn’t want to be remembered as just a Beatle; he had moved way beyond that into other stages of life.

He was only 40 when he died. He’s been gone now for as long as he’d lived.

Jim

[ChrisinHove]

I suspect his relevance would have increased again, as the world changed over those 40 years. It’s unlikely he would have just sat back on his royalties.

[James Y]

I suspect his relevance would have increased again, as the world changed over those 40 years. It’s unlikely he would have just sat back on his royalties.

He was a rare musician; his songs had such a raw honesty that still resonates just as strongly today. And were he alive today, I suspect he would’ve had a lot to say, even at 80, whether he was still writing songs and singing or not.

https://youtu.be/D77dbv-xNfE

Sadly, I recall hearing that Lennon hated his own voice. And after The Beatles, he hated his Beatles songs. Of course, that could have been the case of an artist being his (or her) own worst critic. There are many great creative types who are never truly happy with their own work.

Jim

[JD Spydo]

Thank you Jim for bringing up the assassination of John Lennon. I was a huge John Lennon fan and he was my favorite of all the Beatle's band members. I remember the evening so vividly. I was sitting at my cabin at Lake Lotawana Missouri where I was living at the time. I was watching Monday Night football when Howard Cosell broke into the broadcast and said with a very shaky and disturbed voice that John Lennon was rushed to a major Hospital in New York City and was pronounced "Dead On Arrival". I jumped up out of my chair and immediately got on the phone with my best friend at that time and him and I both were shocked beyond belief.

I was very young when President Kennedy was murdered in Dallas TX USA. But for some strange reason I was really blown away even more when I got that news of John Lennon's murder. That evening was so vivid that I can still clearly remember it. And to think that the alleged assassin Mark David Chapman was actually supposed to be a big fan of John Lennon. None of that to this very day makes any sense to me at all.

[James Y]

John Lennon might have been a bit annoyed that a tribute to him included his Beatles songs, but whether he liked it or not, these songs were what built his career. And, as is clearly evident in No Reply, The Beatles had outstanding vocal harmonies.

https://youtu.be/YgFo9STa70E

https://youtu.be/90M60PzmxEE

Jim

[benben]

Mark David Chapman had to be one mentally sick, twisted person to fly from Hawaii to New York just to carry out the murder. If I remember correctly, he actually got Lennon's autograph earlier the same day before she shot him later that night!

I was 15 and still remember the breaking news pretty well, thinking why in the World would anyone want to shoot John Lennon??

[James Y]

Thank you Jim for bringing up the assassination of John Lennon. I was a huge John Lennon fan and he was my favorite of all the Beatle's band members. I remember the evening so vividly. I was sitting at my cabin at Lake Lotawana Missouri where I was living at the time. I was watching Monday Night football when Howard Cosell broke into the broadcast and said with a very shaky and disturbed voice that John Lennon was rushed to a major Hospital in New York City and was pronounced "Dead On Arrival". I jumped up out of my chair and immediately got on the phone with my best friend at that time and him and I both were shocked beyond belief.

I was very young when President Kennedy was murdered in Dallas TX USA. But for some strange reason I was really blown away even more when I got that news of John Lennon's murder. That evening was so vivid that I can still clearly remember it. And to think that the alleged assassin Mark David Chapman was actually supposed to be a big fan of John Lennon. None of that to this very day makes any sense to me at all.

Yeah, Joe, the entire assassination thing was just bizarre. I’ve read things about Mark David Chapman that probed fairly extensively into his history, and it’s very weird. But TBH, I don’t like to think about Chapman and the assassination much. John Lennon’s music, both with and without The Beatles, was such a part of my life ever since I can remember (and I have memories going back to a year old).

Oddly enough, when I first heard the news of Lennon being shot, I wasn’t emotionally affected. At all. How could that be? To this day, I still find that weird. He was my favorite Beatle by a long shot. Most of his songs (and you could easily tell which were written by him and which were written by McCartney) seemed to come from a place of inner pain and/or searching. I never could relate to McCartney’s songs, but I could to John’s. I think because I was young, I wasn’t really able to process it, so I seemed unaffected by the news. It’s not that I’m an unfeeling person; it just didn’t hit me emotionally. The first time I actually cried at someone’s funeral was my aunt’s, who passed away in 2016.

Jim

[JD Spydo]

Mark David Chapman had to be one mentally sick, twisted person to fly from Hawaii to New York just to carry out the murder. If I remember correctly, he actually got Lennon's autograph earlier the same day before she shot him later that night!

I was 15 and still remember the breaking news pretty well, thinking why in the World would anyone want to shoot John Lennon??

That is all true "benben" there were so many weird aspects about that murder. Mark David Chapman also had a Japanese wife just like John Lennon did. But he didn't stop there he did a lot of things to imitate John Lennon and his lifestyle. He was also obsessed with a book entitled "Catcher In the Rye" by JD Salinger. And that's not the only time I've heard of that book being associated with strange people. Not sure what went down with Lennon's murder but the entire thing was super strange and made no sense what so ever.

I also had two friends of mine confirm that about Chapman getting Lennon's autograph that evening. I was watching Monday Night Football when that happened and learned about the murder from Howard Cosell of all people.

[Doc Dan]

I never liked John Lennon. I thought he was an arrogant a##. I still think so. He was my least favorite Beatle and in many ways I thought the others had more talent. Still, I hated to see him get murdered. Now there is only Paul left of the Fab Four.

[James Y]

I never liked John Lennon. I thought he was an arrogant a##. I still think so. He was my least favorite Beatle and in many ways I thought the others had more talent. Still, I hated to see him get murdered. Now there is only Paul left of the Fab Four.

Well, Doc, you’ll get no disagreement from me about John Lennon’s arrogance. Especially during his Beatles years. I even read somewhere where he admitted it. But as far as talent, I still think he was the most talented Beatle, as a songwriter and as a singer. Regardless of his personal shortcomings. My second-favorite Beatle was George Harrison. I’ve heard of instances where all four of the Beatles individually were arrogant at times, so I happily have NOT met any of them, and simply enjoy the music from afar.

The same goes for the majority of other rock stars. I’m certain that most of them were/are like that. Young men, with tons of adulation, especially from young women; and tons of money, drugs, etc. When (or if) they do get old, that life is all they’ve ever known, so they’re probably not likely to change much.

BTW, Ringo is still alive. Last time I saw him and Paul together in a music special a few years ago, Ringo looked younger and a lot fitter than Paul (and Ringo is older).

Jim

[Doc Dan]

I never liked John Lennon. I thought he was an arrogant a##. I still think so. He was my least favorite Beatle and in many ways I thought the others had more talent. Still, I hated to see him get murdered. Now there is only Paul left of the Fab Four.

Well, Doc, you’ll get no disagreement from me about John Lennon’s arrogance. Especially during his Beatles years. I even read somewhere where he admitted it. But as far as talent, I still think he was the most talented Beatle, as a songwriter and as a singer. Regardless of his personal shortcomings. My second-favorite Beatle was George Harrison. I’ve heard of instances where all four of the Beatles individually were arrogant at times, so I happily have NOT met any of them, and simply enjoy the music from afar.

The same goes for the majority of other rock stars. I’m certain that most of them were/are like that. Young men, with tons of adulation, especially from young women; and tons of money, drugs, etc. When (or if) they do get old, that life is all they’ve ever known, so they’re probably not likely to change much.

BTW, Ringo is still alive. Last time I saw him and Paul together in a music special a few years ago, Ringo looked younger and a lot fitter than Paul (and Ringo is older).

Jim

You are right about Ringo still being alive. For some reason I had it in my brain he had passed away. I should have known better.

I liked Paul, Harrison (until he went off the deep end) and Ringo. I do not know why, but John always rubbed me the wrong way.

[JD Spydo]

I never liked John Lennon. I thought he was an arrogant a##. I still think so. He was my least favorite Beatle and in many ways I thought the others had more talent. Still, I hated to see him get murdered. Now there is only Paul left of the Fab Four.

Aren't most people with that level of success just a bit on the arrogant and haughty side? And over the years I've found that most arrogant people I've gotten to know, or work for, or I'm forced to be at an event with them>> overall I've found most arrogant people to be very lonely and miserable.

But again I've found most super successful people to be a bit on the snooty side. Also being a celebrity isn't what it's all cracked up to be>> I've talked to a couple of local celebrities and found that most of them are not happy people for whatever reason.

I can sort of see why you feel that way Doc but many times there is more to the picture than meets the eyes. Also the entertainment field is a very, very dark and evil part of our society I've discovered. Even with all the millions he had I wouldn't have traded shoes with him.

[James Y]

I never liked John Lennon. I thought he was an arrogant a##. I still think so. He was my least favorite Beatle and in many ways I thought the others had more talent. Still, I hated to see him get murdered. Now there is only Paul left of the Fab Four.

Aren't most people with that level of success just a bit on the arrogant and haughty side? And over the years I've found that most arrogant people I've gotten to know, or work for, or I'm forced to be at an event with them>> overall I've found most arrogant people to be very lonely and miserable.

But again I've found most super successful people to be a bit on the snooty side. Also being a celebrity isn't what it's all cracked up to be>> I've talked to a couple of local celebrities and found that most of them are not happy people for whatever reason.

I can sort of see why you feel that way Doc but many times there is more to the picture than meets the eyes. Also the entertainment field is a very, very dark and evil part of our society I've discovered. Even with all the millions he had I wouldn't have traded shoes with him.

Joe,

Back when I was pursuing acting, one of my acting coaches (both of my acting coaches have worked both in Hollywood productions and locally) told our class about how different celebrities’ lives are from normal people’s.

He said, “The lives of the really famous celebrities are not only different, they’re REALLY different, almost alien, compared to our lives. Just going out to a restaurant, or anywhere else, has to be pre-planned by their security people like a tactical mission. That’s only one example. The entertainment industry is its own small world, even if it looks big on the outside. The top celebrities don’t live in the same reality that the rest of us do. It’s just a really weird life. I’m content with being an actor who gets to work in the industry, but not being a famous name celebrity.”

Pattie Boyd said that when she moved into Eric Clapton’s mansion, he had drawers full of checks that he’d never taken to the bank, because he just thought if he was given the checks he had the money. He’d had no concept that you actually had to deposit (or cash) them at a bank; he’d always needed someone else to do the basics things in life for him. Some of it could’ve been the drinking and the drugs, but not all of it. He simply lacked the concept.

I heard recently that some 50-something year old rapper had just recently stepped into a bank for the first time in his life, IIRC, when he found out that someone in his life had been skimming money from him.

As far as celebrity arrogance, I’m sure that goes back to the fact that they (the top name ones) don’t live in the same world like the rest of humanity, especially if they grew up around the industry, or been in it for many years.

The only celebrity musician I ever met was Rita Coolidge, when she lived in CA, and she seemed friendly and down to earth. But she wasn’t young when I met her either.

Jim

[bearrowland]

I remember listening to the radio and the announcer saying it happened. It is hard to believe its been that long ago.

[justjohn]

I always admired John Lennon, both as a musician and a man that wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Sure there were things he said and did that were not proper, but he "was just a human, a victim of the insane." There was much more he could have accomplished if it were not for a very evil man. I hope he NEVER gets out of prison and I hope he is mentally tormented every minute of every day for the rest of his time on this planet. Harsh but that is just the way I see it.

[James Y]

https://youtu.be/YBcdt6DsLQA

Jim

[TkoK83Spy]

Back to the subject of diehard, obsessive fans killing their idols... that's oddly happened more than once. The singer Selena, as well as fashion designer Versaci (not sure if I spelled that correctly) were also killed by someone that admired them, I know there are more but those two crossed my mind immediately.

Not to get off topic, but documentaries on serial killers really interest me. It honestly blows my mind how psychotic people can really become. Not that these people mentioned are serial killers...but I couldn't fathom killing someone, let alone someone I idolized. The brain and disease work in very mysterious ways.

[ChrisinHove]

I take the view that, like mass shooters and some serial killers, the ambition of celebrity murder is infamy, and we shouldn’t feed that mindset by even discussing them (outside of the mental health / LE arena).