28 years ago to the day, the world lost a musical genius and a man of peace.
The radio played Watching the Wheels today, and I had a tear in my eye. I was only 8 years old when he died, too young to really understand, but my parents remember it well. After his death was announced, there was nothing but Lennon songs on the radio. I grew up being a big Beatles fan, and have always loved Lennon’s music. Mark Chapman robbed us of a great man, for reasons only he knows.
Rest in piece, John.
I was in college and I remember sitting in my bedroom studying; my roomates were in the living room watching Monday Night Football when the announcement was made.
I heard them cry out in dismay. I ran in and was hit with the news.
I went back to my room and cried.
Strange since leap years repeat every 28 years and this is 28 years since 1980.
I wonder if they’ll mention it tonight during the football game.
I was 12, and didn’t hear about it until I was in school the next day. I was a little weirded out that two of my teachers were in tears – I mean, they were grownups, so there was no way they were into rock music.
It was another year or two before music became the biggest passion in my life that I truly understood the loss of that day.
I remember that day, and I remember that my first thought was, “Why would anybody want to kill John Lennon?” If one was thinking of appropriate people to assassinate, he would not even be on the list. What was such an act supposed to achieve?
He was among the very best of the many voices of my generation, and I wish we’d gotten a chance to hear the rest of his songs.
I was only a few months old at the time, so I obviously don’t remember the event itself. But I have often wondered what might have transpired in music had John lived through being shot.
FTR, today is also the fourth anniversary of Dimebag Darryl’s assasination, at the AlRosa Villa here in Columbus. (The Pantera guitarist and lyricist, for you non-metal fans.)
It was the day I was born and my mother, having just given birth and being convinced the world revolved around her and her baby, thought that I had died when she heard nurses crying in the hall.
Being a fan of the Beatles, this has made every birthday a sort of quiet memento mori.
I was in my freshman dorm hallway, when this guy (who was not popular, being somewhat of a loner and well, odd–I lived in a co-ed dorm) came up the stairs, carrying about 5 Beatle’s albums and wearing a black armband. His eyes were red from crying. We had no TV and (of course) no internet–this was the first we heard of Lennon’s murder. 
Stupid asshole (the killer, not odd dorm guy). His was one of the best voices, and he was one of the most interesting songwriters in rock. May the asshole never get out of prison.
On a somewhat related note, Daughter (age 19) just visited the Central Park memorial. I have never seen it, so she sent me pics. I welled up. I’m glad my kids know Lennon and his music.