I was twelve years old, and I remember hearing the announcement on TV in my parent’s bedroom. I remember being shocked by the news, but in a rather abstract sense at the time. I think it hit me harder later.
I knew who he was, of course, but didn’t become a huge Beatles fan until about eight or nine months later. I don’t recall if they became more prominent in my mind because of the publicity of John Lennon’s death, but it’s possible. I then went through a three-year period of listening to all of their music in order.
Later in college I gained an appreciation for John Lennon’s solo work.