Okay, a little back story. Last night I watched, for the first time, a film called John Lennon: Imagine. It came out in 1988 and was basically a documentary about the Beatles and his life. I found it extraordinary and can’t wait to catch it again next time it’s on.
But anyway, at the end, after he was killed and the news of his death was reported, it amazed me how many were struck by it. Women, men, old, young, even children all crying. People just breaking down. People affected by his death with strong emotion…and it wasn’t just in this film have I seen it. I’ve seen photos and heard other minor tales about what a day of sadness it was. And it really got me interested in it. Not his death but just the fact that someone could have had that much of an impact on people and left that much of a legacy. It made me want to know more about what people thought of him and how they were rocked when he was taken away.
Now me, I was born in 1979. So although I was technically alive when he was assassinated, I obviously don’t remember anything about it. But I’m curious to hear stories from all of you who do remember that day. Where were you when you heard John Lennon was killed? How did it effect you and those around you? How did you hear the news and what did you witness that day? Was anyone else close to you or that you knew affected by it strongly?
Tell me some details that come from a day in December, 1980, if you don’t mind.
Actually I can’t remember. Did it happen during the daytime in the US? If so, it would have been overnight here, so I presume I heard it on the news the next day. I was still at school at the time. Clearly it didn’t make a great deal of impact on me.
I don’t remember where I was when I heard about it but a few nights afterward there was a worldwide candlelight vigil for him. People gathering in parks and such. I held my own private vigil in my back yard.
I was 16 when it happened. I was getting dressed for school the morning after and my mother must’ve heard about the shooting on the news, since she came in and told me.
This was at a time when I was really into the music of the mid and late '60s–Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, the Beatles. Also, John Lennon was just making a comeback; the song “Just Like Starting Over” was on the radio a lot in the weeks before (and, of course, you heard it and a lot of his other songs incessantly in the weeks afterwards).
I was very sad to hear about Lennon’s death, but didn’t actually cry. The odd thing is I still remember exactly the outfit I was putting on that morning.
I was at home, no senior exams for me that year as I’d passed university entrance on year’s work alone. It came over on the television news, I believe. I was fairly numb on hearing it, and recall listening to the radio tributes over the following days. Strawberry Fields Forever seemed to be on a loop, it was played so many times.
The following year, a performance company came to my school, and did a “life of John Lennon” thing. I cried, and felt much better afterwards. Didn’t really care what anyone else thought – I just let the grief go.
Strange. I liked most of his music (except a lot of that final album), but I can’t really say I was ever obsessed enough to have been expected to feel such grief over a pop icon. But I did.
I was 10 years old at the time, but I can’t say I remember the moment I first heard about it. I was a football (Steelers) fan at the time, so it’s quite possible I heard Cosell’s announcement, though I have no memory of it if I did.
Trivia (I’m asking out of ignorance, but I’d like to know): Who was playing when Cosell made the announcement?
Never mind, just looked it up: Dolphins and Patriots (don’t know who the home team was).
I wasn’t particularly a Beatles fan at the time (no dislike of them, just not especially aware of them; I remember having liked Live and Let Die and Band on the Run by Wings, but I wasn’t very familiar with John Lennon since he had been on hiatus leading up to Double Fantasy).
Shortly after Lennon’s murder, some conspiracy theorists began claiming Yoko Ono actually shot John Lennon. It was claimed that there’s a backwards message on Kiss Kiss Kiss (from the recent album Double Fantasy) where Yoko Ono says, “I shot John Lennon”.
My curiosity for that conspiracy in particular is what led me to buying that album. It wasn’t long after that, that I heard about the “Paul is Dead” conspiracy theory.
My curiosity for that conspiracy prompted me to buy some Beatles albums.
Now I’d have to say The Beatles are probably my favorite band of all time; and I’m ultimately (in some sense) a Beatles fan because of John’s murder and these two conspiracy theories (both of which, for the record, I consider to be complete bullshit (but that doesn’t stop me from having an interest in them)).
I was in college and I was at a party getting drunk. For some reason it seems to me it was a Monday night, but I may be wrong and am too lazy to go check the date. When we heard, a lot of the people got very upset. I confess, I was not one of them. I enjoy Mr. Lennon’s work and did not wish death on him, but we were not friends and my life didn’t change at all. It is rare that a celebrity’s death affects me in any way, other than a “Wow, that’s sad.”
(I see in preview that others mention MNF, so my memory isn’t too bad…)
I was 26, living in the first house I ever owned, but I don’t recall the moment I heard - not like the Kennedy assassination or anything. I do remember feeling sad - like an era of my youth had passed forever - no more Beatles. I don’t think I wept or anything.
Really, in the grand scheme of things, it was just a little blip.
I was playing oldies in a swanky bar, which was my regular gig at the time. The manager came up to tell me it had happened. I announced it, and put on “Imagine”, and then I couldn’t stay in the room. I got up and went outside, got in a taxi and went home. I turned on the radio to hear about it, and people were calling up in tears. The only thing in the house was some terrible, awful wine my mom bought for some occasion, so I sat there listening to the radio, crying, drinking this awful wine, which made me throw up.
John Lennon made me want to take up the guitar. He had just got back into the music business, and an incredible asshole pulled the plug on him.
I was 13. I was ticked about having to watch football, so I had my nose stuck in a book, not really paying attention. Howard Cosell made the announcement, and I remember I looked up and asked my mother if he’d just said John Lennon had been shot and killed. She just looked at me for a second, stunned, then nodded. I put my book down, went to my room and listened to the radio for the rest of the night.
That was exactly how I found out. I retreat to my parents basement to cry and listen to Lennon and the Beatles for the rest of the night and much of the next day.
I was just 14 but Lennon was my favorite Musician and one of my early heroes. I had just lost Thurman Munson and my Grandfather the year before. I felt like I was losing all my heroes.
The next day in school we were all in a state of shock and a few of the younger teachers were in worse shape then us. Out Literature teacher just had us read the words to Imagine and Strawberry Fields. There was a lot of tears.
17 years old. In California, in the kitchen. Monday Night Football. I was very aware of the Beatles and John was the Man to me. It hit me very hard and I can remember exactly how I felt.
All my friends talked about it the next day, but more due to the sensational nature of the crime - same way when the Mayor of SF, George Moscone, and Harvey Milk, the gay council member, were gunned down. But John Lennon getting shot was more than just a sensational crime to me - it was important in ways I couldn’t articulate but clearly understood.