John Lennon, a sad day 25 years ago.

[tuned4life]

doesnt seem like its been 25 years but it has. i will never forget driving home after the 4 to 12 shift that nite. all the stations were playing his music. i was 40 minutes flipping from station to station before i found out what had happened. i was stunned, i just couldnt beleive he was taken at age 40.

[Myhamish]

I was in Edmonton at the time. It was already night and I had

been out picking up a gag sign for my brother's wedding in Toronto on

the coming weekend. The fm rock station was still on when I

entered my apartment and the disc jockey announced that there was a report

that John Lennon had been shot. Then they played "Imagine". After

that, they announced he was dead.

John Lennon was cheated. The rest of his life was stolen

away. In our minds, he is still 'forever young' .

RIP John Lennon and Thank You.

Slainte

Hamish

[dbflash]

A very sad day for certain age group.

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

[colterphoto1]

It was like my brother was killed. I remember hearing the news as most of you do. It was our era and he was one of our leaders. Music really meant something back then. I mean, there was a revolution going on back when John was at his heyday. And we were at our heyday when that tragic news came over the radio that he had been killed.

I had the vinyl for Double Fantasy and played it over and over. It was such beautiful music, and it'd been such a long time for John to back in circulation. How could anybody kill this man who espoused peace? Remember the bed-in for peace, the wedding on Gibralter, the Toronto concert? John was peace incarnate.

I remember being at my girlfriends' house the next week when Yoko Ono had coordinated a minute of silence all over the world for John. It was a tremendous feeling being part of that prayer.

Every time I visit NYC I go to the Dakota and John's favorite section of Central Park dubbed Strawberry Fields. There is a 6' mosaic in the sidewalk with the simple message IMAGINE in it. People from all over the world gather there every day to pay tribute to a great musician.

Michael

[colterphoto1]

And here's a wider view of Strawberry fields, just over the hill is a small shelter house overlooking the great pond at Central Park with the bridge in the background.

[colterphoto1]

And here's the view, John loved this view...

[colterphoto1]

Here's a placque that Yoko had installed in the park...

[colterphoto1]

Imagine all the people.....

John loved New York City.....

[colterphoto1]

This is a mini slide show of the events of Dec 8, 1980

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/music/article.adp?id=20051202093309990001

Let's keep this thread up top today fellas. Please share your memory of John's music, his life, his legacy, where you were when you heard the news.

Be at peace today my brothers. John would have wanted it that way.

Michael

[colterphoto1]

Lennon slideshow and 'the ultimate Lennon playlist'

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/music/article.adp?id=20051202093309990001#playlist

I'll be making up this CD today.

Michael

[Jeff Matthews]

Many of you have said how he was cheated of life - being cut down at only 40. I agree, but for some perspective, he lived more in his 40 years than many will live in 80. Imagine being a Beatle. Also, I doubt he would have ever equated his death with the day the music died. I doubt, also, he would want anybody to remember him for his early death and have sad thoughts. He's better remembered for his life and not his death. There will never be another John Lennon. That's for sure.

[Daddy Dee]

I was in graduate school at the time. Didn't really hit me until some weeks later when I was spinning records for a HS dance. Playing some of his stuff... can't really describe what the sense of loss was like. It was just surprising to realize the power of grief over his passing.

[colterphoto1]

You guys might check your local FM stations. WTTS 92.3 Bloomington (IU) is playing Lennon tunes all day with special program tonight at 8 pm. I would imagine that there's lots of this going on around the country today.

Or just spin some vinyl.

Michael

[seti]

I was really young but i remember my brother being really upset and the

beatles and hendrix were the first bands I loved. I wish John was still

here I would love to hear his views on current events. Love Not Bombs

RIP JL

Strawberry Fields

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going

to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real and nothing to get

hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed,

misunderstanding all you see.

It's getting hard to be someone but it

all works out, it doesn't matter much to

me.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going

to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real and nothing to get

hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it

must be high or low.

That is you can't you know tune in but

it's all right, that is I think it's not

too bad.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going

to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real and nothing to get

hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but

you know I know when it's a dream.

I think I know I mean a 'Yes' but it's

all wrong, that is I think I disagree.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going

to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real and nothing to get

hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Strawberry Fields forever.

[J.4knee]

I remember all of the details exactly as if it had just happened now about when I got the news. I had just walked into my parents house I was 18; my Mom said John Lennon has been shot. I just stopped in my tracks, I could not speak or move for about 15 minutes, I was just so shocked and then moments later the news came he was dead. I felt so emptied when I heard that. Like Michael alluded to, music was my world, my escape at that time of my life. My friends used to play an intro to a song and challenge me to name the song, artist and album, even if I had not heard it before or it was a new release I never failed to get the artist and rarely failed to get all three questions correct. To me the Beatles were the ultimate I did my senior research paper on them in high school. My friends and I used to argue back and forth over whether the band Klaatu was a mock band or actually the Beatles together under an assumed name. I never felt they were close enough to be the real thing but the banter would always come up that they altered their sound just to keep the cover up. Anyway I played Double Fantasy all night long and listened to the radio all night just to hear that possibly the news was in error. I was so juiced when Double Fantasy came out as it meant the return of John Lennon.maybe a reunion Anyway that news just floored me that awful night. It meant the Beatles had just been killed. I must have listened to Watching the Wheels go Round about 50 times it seemed so surreal. I remember I absolutely hated David Chapman for what he took from us but even more I felt such a draining loss. When the peace vigil was held in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Central Park I was on the phone with my girlfriend at the time and I made her sit in silence until was over. My Dad, tried to give me the well you know he did drugs and speech but I would have nothing to do with any discussion that besmirched John Lennons memory. I still get an empty pit in my stomach to some degree when I think about it.

[colterphoto1]

WOW, yeah man that's just how I remember it. Thanks for sharing the memories.

One thing I didn't mention earlier was my Beatles Rule. Back then we didn't have CD's and only tape for cars, so still lots of radio listening. I made up this rule that it didn't matter where you were or if you were late getting there, if a Beatles song was on the radio, you never turned it off. Especially any John Lennon songs. They were always listened to in their entirety. My whole gang of friends eventually followed this rule of thumb.

To this day, I can't turn off a Beatles or Lennon song. They are magical.

Michael

[MarkBK]

Colter wrote:

How could anybody kill this man who espoused peace? Remember the bed-in for peace, the wedding on Gibralter, the Toronto concert? John was peace incarnate

It seems many men of peace have met a violent death...Ghandi was another. It's a painful reminder of how far humankind has to go....

John was a major influence in my life from a very early age. I'm actually in the musical Instrument industry, partly due to the impact the Beatles, and especially John, had on me during those formulative years.....