Where were you when John Lennon was shot

dromunds

I was getting ready to drive to Mexico on a whim with a girlfriend who had some vacation and wanted to go to the top of the gulf of California and camp on the beach. We were in a bar the night before we were planning to leave and I was playing foosball. There was a TV screen above the foosball table and Howard Cosell was talking during MNF. Some guy in the bar said, "John Lennon's been shot." I said, "Yeah, Paul's dead, whatever." Then I looked up and realized Howard was talking about it. It was like somebody slammed me in the gut. I was very happy with Double Fantasy and so disappointed that some maniac cut him down, especially after such a great comeback album. Never was a fan of that witch Yoko Ono, but I could even tolerate her songs on the album and a couple were actually good. After having read some Lennon biographies that describe the shooting, its even more gut-wrenching. There's a photo of Chapman standing next to Lennon while he autographs an album then the coward shot him in the back five times after he turned to enter the Dakota.

NJPOLKER

I slept well that night because I didn't care for him or what's her face at all. Not saying what happened was a good thing at all I just put him in the same category as Jane Fonda.

OH yeah I remember where I was. At my parents home at a party, nothing to do with that terrible crime.

Msabot1

Yea...it was this date in 1980 wasn't it? Such a tragedy...was sitting my living room..it came on the TV,and my wife and I couldn't believe it....

chumlie

Watching Monday Night Football when Howard announced the sad news.

boston1450

I was partying the good ole days

nspindel

I didn't hear about it until the following morning, I went to sleep early that night for some reason. I had my clock radio would wake me up to WPLJ, I remember the station coming on in the morning and hearing the news while I was still in bed.

Face

I was in pre-K.

rromeo923

I was in 11th grade hanging out reading a book about the Beatles. I added the news to the last page of the book.

Midnite Mick

I was 10 but don't remember it at all.

dorokusai

I was too young to care and now I'm too old too care. He was a solid songwriter, certainly was a part of a change in music if not thinking for some folks but he didn't have a direct or profound affect on me personally. Sure, he and the Beatles influenced etc etc, blah blah but so have 100 other bands. Many of which also have tragedy or loss or whatever.

His death was tragic and a ridiculous event. There's no reason for it but he didn't have an impact on my life per se. I would have loved to see him continue to write, sing and carry on his message.

cnh

Doro is right, this is pretty much a generational thing. If you're too young to remember the Beatles or their split. You have NO memory of the '60s or early '70s, Civil Rights, the War, Kennedy, the Counter Culture, MLK Jr., and on and on and on. It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to even "begin" to understand what Lennon meant for that generation. And I include NJPolker's take above as well because it really depends on your view of that time, positive or negative.

But I can tell you that we're still pretty much arguing about that time, now; politically, socially, culturally because it really NEVER went away, it spread its tentacles out in all directions and touched all facets of a thousand disciplines. There is a reason why HISTORY and MEMORY are important! Because there is NEVER a PURE PRESENT without them.

No more commentary is really necessary here.

As for me. I was a young grad student in NYC probably roaming around the streets a tad North of the Dakota where it all took place. No one deserves to die in such an absurd and surreal manner.

cnh

tonyb

cnh wrote: »

No one deserves to die in such an absurd and surreal manner.

cnh

Hmmm...I can think of a few people, but John Lennon wasn't one of them.

I really didn't pay much attention. Sure it was a tragic end at the hands of a demented moron, but then....how many others have faced the same fate with no mention ? For me, value of life, outrage, shouldn't be solely reserved for the famous.

sda2mike

trippin on mescaline..i was 15..i wrote a poem about while still flyin high and it got published

Timothy Smith

I was driving around the Detroit area in my car when it came over the radio. I was not a big fan, but it seemed senseless and weird.

I just was back in Detroit for Thanksgiving driving through the same area and it occurred to me then that I was close to that same spot when I heard about Lennon and mentioned it to my passengers.

oldmodman

In a shopping mall in Santa Monica.

It was announced over the PA.