|
|||
|
Dec. 9, 1980: Former Beatle John Lennon, 40, who led a revolution in popular music that captured the imagination of an entire generation, was shot to death Monday outside his exclusive Manhattan apartment house. He was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, less than a mile from the Dakota, the famous apartment building where he lived with his wife, Yoko Ono. Doctors pronounced him dead at the hospital. Police announced early today that….
|
|
|
Thirty years later, John Lennon’s cultural influence is alive and well.
We all change history in some way. John did it in a very big way.
LikeLike
When a celebrated person passes on, we may pause and reflect for a moment on his or her life and career, but then we move on. We may watch with appreciation the brilliant performance of a long dead James Dean in the film Giant and think not a thing about his absence from our lives. That’s not the case in this instance.
I sure do miss John Lennon.
It is ironic, and maybe even fitting, that our final vision of him is not as the sweet old curmudgeon we always knew he would turn out to be – but as the Lennon of 1980: Forever young, eternally whimsical, steadfastly defiant, deadly serious, and hopelessly silly – all of the paradoxes that were combined in this one incredible, enigmatic persona.
I’ll say it again. I sure do miss John Lennon.
I won’t recap the events of that horrible moment thirty years ago tonight. It’s too painful a memory. I’ll close by saying that those of us who are old enough to remember are fortunate to have lived during the period that John Lennon thrived. On this, the seventieth anniversary of his birth, it’s best not to dwell on the manner in which he died, or on all that might have been. I think it’s best that we reflect on a wonderful life, nobly lived – and the music – that beautiful, timeless music. Dream. Dream away. Magic’s in the air….
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
LikeLike
I was working at Actorfone West on Sunset Blvd that evening( 12/8/80) answering phone messages during the 5-12 midnight shift. The early evening guy (Mark C.) was hanging around watching Monday Night Football on the TV in the office when Howard Cosell made his tragic announcement. It was about 8:00pm PT/11:00pm ET. Almost immediately, the phone lines lit up like a Christmas Tree with callers from NYC trying to reach their friends in LA. I will never forget where I was that evening…never!
Ironically, the next morning, my father from Decatur, Ga called me to tell me that the FBI had been at his music shop. It seems that Mark David Chapman had been a customer of his store during the late 1970’s when he was a musician in Decatur. His HS band director worked for my dad, which is where the FBI had made the connection, plus sales receipts, etc.
LikeLike