Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon

Norm Apter

Cue up Imagine or Plastic Ono Band or Double Fantasy or whatever today as its John Lennon's 70th birthday. His personal flaws notwithstanding, he was the epitome of coolness, conviction and being to true to oneself as far as I'm concerned. What a tragic loss to the music world and the world at large.

Listening to the two-CD comp, Working Class Hero , right now and will raise a glass to toast the man later on today.

camp21178

Every time I hear #9 dream I get shivers. I never was much of a Beatles fan, but I did enjoy John's solo work. RIP John.

cnh

I remember a guy bringing Working Class Hero to my H.S. English class and playing it...uncensored. Got him a trip to the P.Office. Those were the days!

I was in NYC living about 40 blocks north of the Dakota on the day he was shot. The entire event seemed so unreal. I used to walk by that building all the time.

Yeah...he was a pretty important figure and always struggling with his personal demons. Which of us who is worth anything doesn't do that?

cnh

Norm Apter

cnh wrote: »

I was in NYC living about 40 blocks north of the Dakota on the day he was shot. The entire event seemed so unreal. I used to walk by that building all the time.

Wow! That's amazing, cnh...Tell me about, if you can recall, the sort of ways the public in NYC reacted. Were there spontaneous or semi-organized vigils in Central Park or something like that immediately after his death? Do you remember what the mood of the city was like, so to speak?

danger boy

Happy Birthday John Lennon

Give peace a chance...

one of my favorite songs he did was Stand By Me, written by Ben E King.

bobman1235

camp21178 wrote: »

I never was much of a Beatles fan, but I did enjoy John's solo work.

I don't think that phrase has ever been uttered before....

cnh

Norm Apter wrote: »

Wow! That's amazing, cnh...Tell me about, if you can recall, the sort of ways the public in NYC reacted. Were there spontaneous or semi-organized vigils in Central Park or something like that immediately after his death? Do you remember what the mood of the city was like, so to speak?

Well it's been a long time and 'memory' is fickle. But I can tell you that we were sitting in our living room on the first floor of a 113th st. Apt. building when we heard the news. I was always a big fan but my roommate, who was not only a musician but also a Lennon 'was the man' guy, was devastated.

There was this disbelief and of course, large crowds gathered in front of the Dakota very quickly--with vigils almost around the clock for a while. (In fact people were turning out in groups all over the country ). It brought together many who, now so many years later, had almost nothing in common with each other except the Music and Lennon? A grassroots swell! Eventually Yoko called for some peaceful tributes and there was the ceremony in Central Park...with John's 'Imagine' caught in the throats and minds of attendees. And as you know there was a special area in the park that became a memorial to John.

Those 'older' than I were often in tears and the days following all of this were solemn and full of remembering.

I'm sure there are better 'journalistic' descriptions of it all. But this is what I remember. And memory is 'selective'.

cnh