It’s hard to believe that it’s been 46 years since John Lennon was murdered outside his apartment in NY.
I woke up to my phone ringing and it was my cousin Lauren crying, “he’s dead.” She repeated it again, “he’s dead.” “Who’s dead, what are you talking about.” She told me that John Lennon was dead. I hurriedly got off the phone. I didn’t believe it. **
I turned on the radio and all they were playing was The Beatles and John Lennon. I turned on the TV, it was all over the news, it was true. I still have all the NY newspapers from that day.
Wow, a hole in my heart. I was 22 and my son Bryan was born two months earlier in August. What a sad, tragic day. His new album, Double Fantasy, just came out, I had already bought it. It seemed a new beginning for him, Yoko and Sean. I watched as fans gathered for weeks outside his apartment building, the Dakota. Later when my children were a little older I took them to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. There were always fans around the Imagine memorial, singing songs and remembering the lasting legacy that is John Lennon.
** Years before there was a rumor that Paul McCartney was dead. It was said that on the cover of Abbey Road, the way they were dressed was supposedly a clue; John was the preacher, Paul, barefoot, in a suit, presumed dead, George was the grave digger, in jeans and Ringo was the undertaker, (I could have John and Ringo mixed up). At the time it was believed that if you played one of their songs backwards, (I think it was I am the Walrus, but again, I could be wrong). Anyway, by playing it backwards you would hear, Paul is dead. I did try this and didn’t hear it at all. I never believed Paul was dead throughout the whole thing, and obviously he wasn’t.
That was how I felt hearing that John was dead, unfortunately it was true.