Happy birthday, John Lennon. He would have been 74 today. I noted in my journal when he celebrated his last birthday on Oct. 9, 1980, while I was stationed in the Army in then-West Germany: John Lennon turns 40 today. The Beatles ARE getting up there, arent they? Lennon and Yoko are back in the studio cutting a new album, his first new one in six long years. Its been too long. Even the Armed Forces Network radio news noted Lennons 40th. Two months later, I was writing about his assassination in New York City: Moved out to the field today in this teen-temperature weather, to a small town near Hof named Ebendorf, about 75 miles from here. While putzing with someones radio in our 8-man tent this 11 a.m., I heard the announcer say, And that ends our musical tribute to John Lennon this hour. So I thought, Another musical salute to the genius. Alright. Then the announcer went on, Lennon, who was shot and killed earlier today in New York City ... What? I didnt believe it. Not THE John Lennon, the spit-in-your-eye crown prince of rock n roll!! But it was true, too true. Some freak pumped five .38 caliber bullets into Lennon at 11:35 last night New York time, or 5:35 a.m. our time today (Dec. 9). Lennon, who suffered massive hemorrhaging from the chest and arm wounds, was dead on arrival at the nearby Roosevelt Hospital. At approximately the same time Lennon was blown away in New York, the flame from our tent heat stove, which had been going strong, suddenly flickered out. It stayed that way until we re-ignited it. Why do I know that? Because I couldnt sleep for some reason (probably the cot), and was awake when the flame snuffed out at about 5:30 a.m. The shock hangs on. Not Lennon, the man who has given me and millions with me endless hours of entertainment and head trips with his records and politics. Not Lennon, that charismatic rocker who stole the roof scene in the movie Let It Be. Not Lennon, author of great songs as diverse as Ill Be Back and Come Together. The cool dude was only 40 years old, leaving behind 17-yr.-old and 5-yr.-old sons and 46-yr.-old Yoko. youtube/watch?v=WHH5tbembZs
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 21:50:26 +0000
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