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December 8, 1980
In terms of pop culture, probably the worst day ever. Hard to believe it's been 30 years. Rest in peace, John.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Out of all the early celebrity deaths, this one always hit me the hardest. Even worse is listening to the songs Lennon did from that period, it was clear he was in a really good and stable place for once in his life.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Man, thirty years, huh? I still remember turning on and listening to my FM clock radio in my room, being pleasently surprised by the back-to-back Beatles songs they just played, when the DJ came on and told everyone why they were being played. Very sad night.
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Re: December 8, 1980
It was awful for something so senseless to happen.
I always wondered what would happen if the four of them ever came back to record a few songs or whatever at some point. He still left behind an incredible catalog for all of us to enjoy. :) |
Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
(Post 10532902)
Out of all the early celebrity deaths, this one always hit me the hardest. . .
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Re: December 8, 1980
I remember that I was watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell broke in with the news.
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Re: December 8, 1980
I remember that day well.
No longer riding on the merry-go-round, I just had to let it go... To John. :beer: |
Re: December 8, 1980
But in terms of awesome culture, probably the best day ever. I was born that day; my parents nearly named me John.
RIP, John. :( |
Re: December 8, 1980
I remember seeing it live on the news and my first thought was he said Jack Lemmon. Who would shoot Jack Lemmon?
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Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by Lemmy
(Post 10533209)
It was like having any innocence I had left at that point ripped from my gut (and there was plenty left, I was just 16).
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Re: December 8, 1980
Rolling Stone releases Lennon's final interview Dec 8, 6:45 AM (ET) By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY NEW YORK (AP) - Three days before he was gunned down, John Lennon complained about his critics - saying they were just interested in "dead heroes" - and talked optimistically about his family and future, musing that he had "plenty of time" to accomplish some of his life goals. Lennon's final interview was released to The Associated Press by Rolling Stone on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the musician's death. The issue using the full interview will be on magazine stands on Friday. While brief excerpts of Jonathan Cott's interview with Lennon were released for a 1980 Rolling Stone cover story days after Lennon's death, this is the first time the entire interview has been published. "His words are totally joyous and vibrant and hopeful and subversive and fearless," said Cott in an interview on Tuesday. "He didn't mince words." Lennon saves some of his harshest words for critics who were perennially disappointed with Lennon's path, in both music and in his life, after leaving the Beatles. "These critics with the illusions they've created about artists - it's like idol worship," he said. "They only like people when they're on their way up ... I cannot be on the way up again. "What they want is dead heroes, like Sid Vicious and James Dean. I'm not interesting in being a dead (expletive) hero. .. So forget 'em, forget 'em." He also predicted that Bruce Springsteen, then hailed as rock's bright future, would endure the same critical barbs: "And God help Bruce Springsteen when they decide he's no longer God. ... They'll turn on him, and I hope he survives it." But Lennon also talked about trying to be a good father to his youngest son Sean, learning how to relate to a child (he admitted he wasn't good at play) and spoke of his strong bond with wife Yoko Ono: "I've selected to work with ... only two people: Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono. ... That ain't bad picking." At 40, he was also reflective of what he had accomplished so far in life and exploring life's themes, and remained committed to his goal of peace and love on earth. "I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can ... But I still believe in peace, love and understanding." Cott interviewed Lennon at his apartment and at his record studio. The interview was originally planned for a cover story for Lennon and Ono's upcoming album "Double Fantasy," but in the rush to put out a story after Lennon was shot to death by Mark David Chapman, only snippets were used. Cott said he never went back to the three hours worth of tapes until a few months ago when he was cleaning out his closet. "On a strip of magnetic tape, it was sort of a miracle that first of all, the tape had not degraded after 30 years," he said. "All of this sudden, this guy's voice, totally alive ... just made me feel so inspired that I felt that I should really transcribe the whole thing." Cott said he was struck by how much he was thinking about his life and mortality. "There were a lot of strange consideration of where he was and what he felt like sort of in the middle of his journey," Cott said. "I think it was like a mid-life meditation, I was struck by that." The magazine also included an essay by Ono recalling her final days with her husband. Ono released a statement Tuesday night in tribute to Lennon. "On this tragic anniversary please join me in remembering John with deep love and respect," Ono said. "In his short lived life of 40 years, he has given so much to the world. The world was lucky to have known him. We still learn so much from him today. John, I love you!" |
Re: December 8, 1980
I remember my parents being shattered by it, but despite having been surrounded by the sound of Beatles 45s nearly constantly since I was born, I was only five and didn't really realize the significance oh what had happened.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by JoeR63
(Post 10533093)
I remember that I was watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell broke in with the news.
John did a lot of interviews about his come back and the release of Double Fantasy. I still have my copies of Rolling Stone and Playboy where 2 of them were published. |
Re: December 8, 1980
Probably one of my favorite musical artists of all time. The impact he had not only on the music industry but also the world is pretty amazing. Too bad I wasn't born until 5 years after his death, so I could never experience his life and work when he was still around.
My dad told me an interesting story about how he heard John died. He was in a bar in Texas and some dude who was fairly out of it, burst in and exclaimed "Holy Crap, one of the Lennon Sisters died!" :lol: Also, on twitter people are all writing messages about John...unfortunately they seem to not know how to spell, because one of the top trending topics in the US is 'Lenon'. :doh: |
Re: December 8, 1980
I was 9. I didn't even know the name "John Lennon" at the time. I knew "John" from The Beatles because of the Yellow Submarine movie. But Paul McCartney was the only Beatle I knew by full name, mostly because of Wings and solo hits.
I didn't find out anything until the next morning, since I was asleep in bed at the time it happened, but that next day was my first experience of WITNESSING THE ENTIRE WORLD SCREECHING TO A HALT. I couldn't process the enormity of it all. Going to school that day (I went to a K through 8 campus), many of the Jr. High students were weeping. So were several teachers. I was in band and our teacher talked John/Beatles all period long. Nobody could talk anything else. On December 8th 1980, all I knew about him was that he was "John" from Yellow Submarine. After that date, everything changed. Within months I would begin the process of becoming a drooling, hyperventilating Beatlemaniac that I carry to this day. But I still can't process his loss. I never will. |
Re: December 8, 1980
I was 17 and remember it clearly. Sad.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by JoeR63
(Post 10533093)
I remember that I was watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell broke in with the news.
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Re: December 8, 1980
I almost put this in the OP, but since a couple of people have mentioned it:
Here's John and Howard Cossell in happier times (December 9, 1974, almost exactly six years prior to John's assassination): By the way, at the end of the clip, Cossell throws the broadcast over to "the Giffer," aka Frank Gifford. He used that nickname because MNF had a second guest that night. Apparently, Howard had put his foot down that night -- of the two guests, he was going to talk to Lennon and Gifford had to settle for the second-best guest: the Gipper, aka California Governor Ronald Reagan. |
Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
(Post 10532902)
Out of all the early celebrity deaths, this one always hit me the hardest.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by Hokeyboy
(Post 10533918)
I was 9. I didn't even know the name "John Lennon" at the time. I knew "John" from The Beatles because of the Yellow Submarine movie. But Paul McCartney was the only Beatle I knew by full name, mostly because of Wings and solo hits.
I didn't find out anything until the next morning, since I was asleep in bed at the time it happened, but that next day was my first experience of WITNESSING THE ENTIRE WORLD SCREECHING TO A HALT. I was 10 and definitely knew the Beatles music, but for some reason Paul McCartney was the one Beatle I'd remember the most... and Lennon I only knew by his first name. And like you, I woke up in the morning and found out by watching the news before going to school (which I always did - which I think was kinda rare for a 10 year old boy to do). At that point on I found the Beatles became MUCH more popular. |
Re: December 8, 1980
I was 14 at the time and barely remember it. I wasn't a Beatles fan and neither were my parents. I don't remember anyone reacting to it at school.
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Re: December 8, 1980
I can't believe it's been 30 years. I got my first summer job in 1980 & bought The Blue Album with that first paycheck. Followed by everything else over that summer/fall. Imports, rarities, I had to have everything. I was on a major Beatles discovery kick that year.
Then my clock radio goes off on 12/09 & much like Decker, I was happy to hear a couple of Beatles songs together on the radio. I stayed in bed until the end of Strawberry Fields & then started to get up & get ready for school when the DJ broke the news. I still remember punching my pillow over & over and yelling NOOOO. A few of the kids wore black armbands that day. 30 years later, it still hurts. I remember seeing McCartney last summer & standing in a stadium full of people singing Give Peace a Chance was overwhelmingly emotional. Both for all that's happened since & what another 30 years of Lennon might have brought. Fuck you Mark David Chapman. Fuck you. |
Re: December 8, 1980
Originally Posted by Numanoid
(Post 10534166)
Considering you were born four years AFTER the event, I'm interested in understanding that.
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Re: December 8, 1980
Even after 30 years, I still can't believe I live in a world in which John Lennon has been murdered. It's not like he was one of those booze and drug fueled rock stars who choked on his own vomit, or died in a plane crash; some fucking asshole just walked up to him and fucking shot him. WHAT THE FUCK?!?! How the hell is the world supposed to make any fucking sense after that happens?
Grief is supposed to ease with the passage of time; mine only seems to get worse. I really can't think it about it too much; I put it away in a compartment in my mind, and I get on with my life. College, work, marriage, raising my daughter, introducing her to the Beatles and hearing them fresh again through her ears. But every so often it comes out and the pain is as fresh as ever. I hate December 8 every year. And now I really have to stop thinking about it. |
Re: December 8, 1980
Really?
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