On Dec. 8, 1980, exactly 26 years ago today, John Lennon was murdered in New York City. I thought I’d pay tribute by telling the story.
In 1980, John Lennon reentered public life after a five-year absence from music. From about 1975 to 1980, Lennon released no new music; he chose to be a stay-at-home dad to his second son, Sean, and “bake bread,” as he said. Finally in 1980, he couldn’t stay away from music any longer and released an album titled “Double Fantasy” with his wife, Yoko Ono. The album’s first single, “(Just Like) Starting Over,” reached the Top Five, and the album did very well too. On one song on the album, “Watching The Wheels,” he stated that he was content to “no longer play the game,” but John Lennon was back.
On Dec. 8, Lennon and Ono did a photo shoot for Rolling Stone, a radio interview and work at the recording studio for their next album, “Milk and Honey,” which was eventually released posthumously in 1984. That afternoon, on his way out of his Manhattan apartment building, The Dakota, Lennon stopped to talk and sign autographs for the fans waiting outside the building. Lennon spotted a man named Mark David Chapman standing nearby clutching a copy of “Double Fantasy.” He asked if he wanted the album signed, and Chapman nodded. A photo exists of Lennon signing the album for Chapman. After Lennon and most of the crowd had left, Chapman stayed behind. He waited there the entire day. When Lennon’s son Sean, who was five years old at the time, came home with his nanny, Chapman patted him on the head. At about 10:50 that night, Lennon and Ono’s limousine pulled up to their building. Lennon got out of the car, and as he was walking towards the building, Chapman called out, “Mr. Lennon!” As Lennon turned around, Chapman fired five hollow point bullets at him, four hitting him. Lennon was taken to a hospital by police car and was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m.
Tonight, hundreds of people will gather at The Strawberry Fields Memorial in a section of Central Park near The Dakota to light candles and play John’s music for hours until the NYPD eventually makes everyone go home. In other countries and cities, there will be similar gatherings. No other pop star has meant so much to so many people. What other pop figure could receive this type of treatment? What made John Lennon so special was not only his genius, but his openness and honesty. His music, unlike many other contemporaries was a “warts and all” reflection of his life.
“I always wrote about me and didn’t really enjoy writing third-person songs about people who lived in concrete flats and things. I like first-person music,” he told Rolling Stone in 1970. He didn’t hold anything back, and he was never afraid to do what he wanted to do. It’s impossible to listen to his music and not feel a personal connection. That’s why the world loves him. He was brilliant, and one can only imagine what he could have accomplished in the last 26 years. Goo Goo G’Joob.
Altin is a junior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].