How Losing John Lennon Changed Me

The loss of John was devastating. The loss of George was devastating. I was listening to Pink Floyd's "Time" yesterday and my 18 year old son caught me crying. He asked me why and I mentioned John and George and all of my musical heroes that have left the planet. I'm 52 and I feel my own mortality more than ever simply through the wisdom of aging and the realization we are all specks of dust on the universal timeline. For the first time in my life I catch myself looking at the sky at night alot and enjoying the simple beauty of each day, everyday. It's something I wasn't capable of when I was younger and I feel so blessed I've finally reached a point in my life where I can stop and ENJOY the simplest of moments.

One of the most baffling things to me is that John Lennon has been dead for longer than he was alive, yet he still holds such a massive cultural presence to this day. I wasn't born until nearly 20 years after he died but when I sit and think that Lennon was barely even a part of the 80's it really just shows how important he was and will remain for years to come.

I was 27 years old when I learned that John Lennon was shot and killed. I also was watching MNF with my wife. I was a huge Beatles fan as well. I watched them on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 when they made their debut. I was 11 then. The Beatles had a large impression on my life. I was hooked on their music, their looks and their fashion from day one until they split up. Their breakup was devastating to me. I couldn't imagine there'd be no new Beatles songs ever again. I always held out hope that they'd reunite someday. After the shock wore off about John's death, I realized that there'd never be any reunification of the greatest band to ever grace our presence. I do remember just sitting back in my chair, uninterested in the football game that I was watching, my mind just totally numb. There will never be another band like the Beatles who did what they did at a time when they did it and another musician like John Lennon. Sorry for the ramble.

When John died I was 30, newly married, living near the beach. All was good. Suddenly my favorite Beatle, my idol in many ways, was gone. The worst thing was how the Beatles in 64 had lifted so many of us out of lingering depression and sadness caused by JFK's death and now we had to deal with it again. All my sisters and brothers please take care of yourselves.

There was a moment in "Get Back" that was so poignant and powerful that made me feel for both John and George. George had just quit, and John did not show up and could not be reached, so Paul and Ringo are sitting in the studio with tears welling up and Paul says "Then there were two." The power behind those words, especially not knowing the harsh reality that it would indeed be just the two of them in the end sent chills up my spine. John was such a magnetic personality, and the love they all shared for him, and for each other, was palpable; regardless of the breakup.

My thoughts about John Lennon in the Get Back documentary was how young he was and the complexity of his personality. From his pragmatic response of George leaving, saying "if he's not back by Tuesday we'll get Eric Clapton" to his conversation with Paul about how they had treated George and his error in the situation. He had the emotional intelligence to admit his error. That's what comes through his music, not just his ability to craft great songs and lyrics but the stirring of emotion within the context of the songs he wrote. People still experience the sense of feeling in his songs that he was able to portray. Truly missed

Like Rick, no death of anyone outside of my friends and family has ever affected me so deeply and so painfully. It may seem strange to grieve for someone you've never actually met but all Beatles fans felt they knew John and were in awe of him both as a musician and a person. I was depressed for months afterwards and couldn't listen to Double Fantasy as my feelings were too raw. It was only some time later, long after his death, that I began to realise that part of the grief I was feeling was for the death of my own youth. I was 32 in 1980 and all the joy in my teenage years and twenties had come from the Beatles and suddenly it was over. For me, much as I admire Paul, George and Ringo, John was always the one to watch or as Billy Preston once said, 'John was the boss Beatle!'

It's strange Rick. This is exactly what I was thinking watching him in the studio. Looking at his face, seeing his innocence and his youthful exuberance but also his gravity, the immensity of that world he had created for us all and that he carried on his young shoulders. And each time I was tearing when thinking about the fact that 11 years later he would be shot and killed for no reason other than the beauty of all he had created. Such a tragedy, a loss I will never fully comprehend. I'm glad this documentary gave us the opportunity to see the Beatles being a band of brothers rather than that awful ending that we have been carrying these past 50 years. John must be happy knowing that we get to see Yoko just being at his side and loving him rather than being that caricature the world has been fed to explain their breakup.

1980 was a HUGE impact on me as a music lover. I remember I was a Freshman in High School and we were still trying to wrap our heads around the passing of Zeppelin's John Bonham when the news came down that John Lennon was assassinated. Understand, at the time, John had FINALLY come to terms w/ his fame and was in a happier place. He had just released probably his most hopeful and positive solo album, Double Fantasy. In it, he sang about his love of Yoko in one of the finest love songs ever written, "Woman". He wrote "Beautiful Boy" about Sean, his son, and he wrote "Starting Over", as positive and looking forward to life a song as he has ever written, I LOVED this album. Then all of a sudden, he was dead.... I was so sad that John never got to live this new perspective after being so 'angry' and combative, anti-establishment, most of his post Beatle life. What a loss RIP John.

Well done Rick. I guess the one thing I'd add is that we ALL have "that date" out ahead of us. It could be tonight, tomorrow, next week, next year, 11 years. It's sometimes hard to do but we all need to live for the moment, be in the moment. As I just turned 65 and in relatively good health, I'm grateful for what I have today.

When I was 4 -5 years old my Uncle Len died. He was a coal miner barely into his forties. The family gathered at his and my Aunt Doris's home in Nottingham in the UK. The kitchen was full of adults and I had taken refuge under the kitchen table, keeping out the way . For some reason the radio was on.. and the sound of "Please Please Me" suddenly started playing. It got my attention. Big time. My ears suddenly took notice in amazement, astonishment wonder and excitement. This was the first time I had heard The Beatles. To explain the effect they had on our working class culture, identity and pride would take a book. Suddenly we heard our own accent on the radio and on TV. But it was not the accent of some low life shady criminal which is how we were usually portrayed in British Police and Detective TV shows. Or a comic relief in a period drama. It was instead very very cool. As their music changed, so did we.. suddenly we had poetry about our own streets, about our own lives, set to the most amazing music. It gaves us an authenticity, a meaning and scource of artistic expression which is almost impossible to explain.. because it was not just intellectual..but sensual, emotional. And this group of young working class men put the UK on the world map like it had never seen before. Not the force of Empire, of guns and conflict, greed. . But music, of joy of expectation and hope. When John Lennon was shot and killed..it seemed -at least to me - that part of that hope and the sense that you could navigate your way out of the hard streets and industrial towns you were born to safely, died with him also. The diversity of inluences they proclaimed openly.. Black Music, Rock and Roll, Folk Music, Traditional Music Hall, Tamla Motown...we had never seen or heard that before. At least in my neighbourhood. "I am he, as you are he, as you are me, And we are all together." Coo coo co choo. Black Chelsea Boots, "long" hair and an irresistable back beat. Love and Peace. "You say you wanna Revolution.. w-e-ll you know, we all want to change the world". Then a gunshot late one night in a New York street. As I said, part of me thinks that it wasn't just John who died that night. But the music and the legacy still lives. Maybe the dreams do also 😌😎✌️

My sophomore year in college coming into my dorm a guy told me that John had been shot and killed. I locked myself in my room, put Pepper on and played A Day in the Life over and over for at least two hours. Many people who knew I was a big Beatles fan knocked on my door offering condolences; but I told them to leave me alone. Finally, my best friend who was also a big Beatles fan knocked on my door and said, "let's go get something to eat." I told him no I didn't feel like it. He then started saying #9 repeatedly, and chanting other less stellar works of John's. He got me laughing, I opened the door, put my arm around him, and we went out to get a meal. Yeah, I got by with a little help from my friends. I could picture John laughing and agreeing to get on with my life. That dear friend of mine died about 10 years ago. Thankfully, I told him how much I cared about him a number of times before his death. I've never truly gotten over John's...Give Peace a Chance!

I’m a history teacher and I teach about this every year. I’m also a musician and a huge Beatles fan. I unfortunately discuss many tragic events. However, this one always has me on the verge of tears. It feels like the loss of a friend. 😢

I finished the last part of Get Back last night and spent most of the night watching videos on Twitter from the folk who had gone to Strawberry Fields to sing Beatles songs. As wonderful as Get Back has been I don't think you can ever escape the sadness of two of them no longer being with us. It was the one constant I felt throughout. Although The Beatles finished, it has never felt like there was a full stop behind their work. Get Back, to me gave us that full stop. A chance to see them without banal questions being thrown their way, in their element, being who we always thought they were, and delivering a live performance that with each song puts a bigger lump in your throat. They changed us for the better and I wish them nothing but love wherever they are.

John Lennon has had such a profound way of shaping the way I view life, happiness, love decisions, meaning, and individuality. I was one when he passed and I think about him all the time. I shocks me when I think I’m now older than he was when he was taken from us. He was and is so beautiful. I can’t imagine what a lousy world we’d be in without The Beatles and John Lennon. I love him and I love the creator that gave him to us.

To me, John was the heart and soul of the Beatles. I always tell the story of how he can turn a song from a 'granny song' (his words) to a Beatles song by adding a little something. In "Getting Better" Paul sings "I must admit it's getting better" and John throws in "it couldn't get any worse". Just that throw-away line changed the whole texture of the song. Loved him and all these years, I'm still horrified to think that anyone on earth would think of assassinating him.

I was 22 years old when John was killed. I remember it all too clearly. My mother (53 years old) surprised me by actually crying hard when she heard. I knew she kind of like the Beatles peripherally but that was a real surprise. That Friday or maybe Saturday or Sunday following (I don't recall which day exactly) Yoko put full page notices in many of the worlds largest newspapers asking for three minutes of silence at noon of one of those days in remembrance of John. That day I was Christmas shopping in The Galleria Mall in White Plains, NY (It's a huge mall) with my cousin. We planned to find a quiet corner in the mall somewhere when the time came to have our three minutes of silence. In the huge open area in the center of the mall there were some bleachers set up for children's Christmas shows none of which were going on at that time. We went to the top of the empty bleachers when the time was approaching and we waited. The mall was jam packed with shoppers. It was extremely crowded and Christmas music was playing. Looking down from the bleachers we saw a mass of humanity moving around below us along with the din of people talking and laughing. It was just a huge, loud and dynamic buzz of people. When the time came it took about 10 or 20 seconds for all those thousands of people below us to stop moving and become silent. It was so silent (the music had stopped) it was almost surreal. It was like everyone was frozen. Soon we heard some subdued and very faint and muffled crying but that was it. We heard nothing else for those three minutes. The world had come to a complete and utter stop. Nobody was moving. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I felt like I was in one of those old "Twilight Zone" TV shows. For those three minutes everyone was feeling the exact same thing and it was otherworldly and though it brought me to tears and I was massively bummed out, it was also beautiful at the same time. When the time was up, everyone started to move again very slowly and it seemed to take another 4 or 5 minutes for everyone to get back to the way they were before. And it was all about the world deeply saddened and missing John! That scene is engraved in my memory.

I was one of those people who stood in front of the Dakota the day after John’s death. It was an awful gut wrenching experience filled with an unbearable sadness. While all of us share a sense of unresolved grief even after all these years it is important to remember that what the Beatles accomplished will always be remembered in the most wonderfully positive way. May that always outshine what happened to John Lennon on December 8, 1980.

I had bought Double Fantasy the afternoon John was shot, and so I was immersed in the album and then listening nostalgically to old Beatles albums; so the shock of the news was even more devastating because I'd spent the evening listening, appreciating, and missing them. Will never forget it. Such an incredible waste.

That 41 years later, I watch this with tears welling up says so much about the profound legacy that continues to grace and echo through the world over.

Three deaths have hit me like a brick during my lifetime: JFK in '63 when I was 12, my sister in '70, & John in '80. Every year during those anniversaries I cry & oftentimes at random throughout the year when a memory of them pops into my head. All of those losses felt personal. Thank God for John's music. His genius lives on.

It was so ironically sad to hear Paul say, when George left, "In 50 years we'll look back on this and laugh" (paraphrased). Knowing that John would meet this violent end in a little more than 11 years, it brought me to tears.

I had just turned 16 the week before John was murdered. I’d been turned onto The Beatles earlier that year, by my then best friend, who worshipped all things Fab, but Lennon in particular. Somewhat coincidentally, one of the first LPs I had bought a couple of years earlier, was “Wings Greatest Hits”. I remember playing it when I first brought it home, and my Mom asking if that was Paul McCartney singing. I remember being somewhat surprised she’d know any musician from “my generation”. When I said it was, she said, “I always like his voice, but it was better when he was with The Beatles”. I replied, “Oh, he was in another band?” (I know, I know…lol). But until I’d gotten into The Beatles, I honestly don’t remember knowing about John Lennon (most likely because when I was first getting into music he was in the midst of his self-imposed exile from the music scene). But after being familiarized with The Beatles’ catalogue by my buddy, I realized a lot of the songs I really liked were written by this John Lennon guy, and I became a fan. I had just gone up to bed, and was lying there reading, when my Mom came up to tell me that John had been shot (her and my Dad were watching Monday Night Football, like your buddy was). I was shocked, to say the least. I then called my buddy, to see if he’d heard the news. He hadn’t. I was the one that broke it to him. At first he thought I was just trying to pull a bad joke. Then he popped on the TV, and realized I wasn’t pulling his leg. I recall him saying over and over, “Do you know what this means?” All I could think of was that it was the end of any possibility of The Beatles reunion he and I had hoped for, and discussed many times by then. It was strange at school the next day, because so many of the kids had no idea who he even was, other than “that guy who’d been in The Beatles”. It was probably the first time I felt I had more in common with my teachers, than my classmates, as many of them were visibly upset over it. I remember my English teacher in particular discussing it with the class, and I was the only guy who really knew who he was talking about. But as you noted, as a teen, 40 seemed ancient. I no longer recall which one of us two geniuses said it, but in an attempt at consoling each other, one of us commented “Well, he WAS 40. It’s not like he didn’t live a full life”. 😖 I’m 57 now, have been married to the same amazing woman for almost 35 years (a fellow Beatles fan BTW), have three grown sons, and 40 seems like a lifetime ago for me. I think of all that has gone on in my life in the last 17 years, and think how John never got that. Many seem to lament the loss of potential great music he could have made, and there is that, but I just think about how he missed out on seeing his sons grow into men. I know it has been one of the great pleasures of my life, and John was denied that, by the whim of a madman, and to me that’s the saddest part of the whole thing. Perhaps lifestyle choices wouldn’t have allowed him to live to a ripe old age, but at least, like George, it would have been of natural causes, rather than the way he went. Our thoughts are always with him every year on December the 8th.

Lennon was always my favorite Beatle. Such a great voice. And his stuff after Beatles...Woman, Jealous guy, Watching the Wheels...so talented.

I was freshly 21, healing from a serious accident in the Coast Guard that required facial reconstruction and gave me bad headaches. To hear of Lennons murder sent me down a hole. Like others it made me physically ill. I cried. It still hurts and haunts me. Yes he made such an impact on us. Damn.

I’m just 14, but John’s music has connected with me in a way that I’ve never been connected with before. My great grandfather loved the Beatles, my grandfather does too, so does my dad, so do I and my children might even too. All my friends know the Beatles and love them (despite liking mumble rap, hip hop or modern pop as well). That speaks as a testament to how their music has surpassed generations and related to everyone at some point. John is my favourite Beatle, and I hope he’s enjoying the afterlife, as he deserves to very much. Peace.

I was 19 (born in 1961) then Lennon was killed. I was listening to the radio (WDVE) when they made the announcement, they then proceeded to play a Beatles marathon for the next 24 hours. I stayed up the entire night listening to the Beatles, sick to my stomach stunned and in shock. I was heart broken for years and could not listen to Lennon's solo work for over a decade because it was just too sad. I couldn't enjoy the music because it just reopened the wound.

Watching the Get Back doc this week made me appreciate Johns songwriting ability even more, especially the likes of the guitar and musical arrangement on Dig A Pony for example. The song is a creative play on words which Lennon was amazing at, but what struck me was that considering John never rated himself as a guitarist, he pulls together quite a complex and interesting guitar arrangement which he plays as well as delivering a punishing vocal performance with Paul harmonising perfectly during the rehearsal. They were just so fucking good!

I learned guitar by playing John's songs. Even though he had dropped out of sight for the previous 5 years, I was overjoyed when he resurfaced around the release of his new album. He was being interviewed everywhere and was so energized and pumped up about all that would come next... his embracing of fatherhood, his eagerness to rejoin the world of musicians. He had a lot to say about his time over the previous 10 years, the near meltdown of his relationship with Yoko, and how ultimately that relationship was what saved him. I always remember him describing New Wave music as just another wave in the ocean of music, and it excited him to see the evolution of popular music. The thing about his solo albums is they were so personal, and struck me right in the solar plexus when I'd listen to them after he died. The night John died, I heard it like millions of others, from Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football. I literally dropped to my knees in disbelief, and grief. I was living in Austin, Texas at the time, and I grabbed my wife's arm and said, we've got to get out of here. Within an hour there were thousands of people gathering around the Christmas tree in Zilker Park (a large tree made of lights around a tall tower.) We gathered with the crowd, most of them crying visibly. A van had pulled up with a large sound system and began playing Lennon songs, and especially when Imagine played, everyone sang. People embraced each other and we all knew... we all knew how much it hurt. I think it's not just because of the music, which was part of the tapestry of our lives, an integral piece of our frames of reference. It wasn't just because John and the Beatles were icons who put a hard timestamp on our lives. It wasn't just because we all knew we could never experience again the joy of that music without this awful nail to the heart from that day forward... it was because we truly loved the man, especially the man he had become. All that promise the future offered... squashed like a bug. Just BAM...! And to think it was simply because of the act of one depraved man, who consciously robbed not only John of his life and future joy, but he robbed all of us... he robbed humanity of the musical history that would never come to be... and it hurt. It still does. Thank you for talking about this. And may John, wherever he is, be smiling knowing he left us a treasure, even if it wasn't quite enough...

John's output from 65-68 is still today one of the most genius songwriting eras in Western music....Nowhere Man...Norwegian Wood...In My Life...Tomorrow Never Knows...She Said She Said.. Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds.. Strawberry Fields...Day In The Life.. Dear Prudence.. Happiness Is A Warm Gun...just a sampling. Only Paul had similar output but totally different styles IMHO. John created a style that is still heard today, by forging Dylan's wordplay with his own humor and brilliant sense of melody over sometimes angular chord progressions, sometimes simple like chord progressions but always unique and literally created a style of music/songwriting that is often imitated but rarely duplicated. He is greatly missed

The Beatles music, songs and solo career’s have carried me through my life.

John Lennon is my favourite Beatle and they are still my favourite band of all times. He has trascended his life with a huge impact in the lives of most of us. In 2000, I have the opportunity to pay my respects at the Liverpool Musseum where his white piano was ocasionally on display. I stood there crying for 2 hours. This trip had been planned for my birthday. I could have not be in a better place. R.I.P. John Lennon, you are deeply missed.

As a 69yr old, I felt as if my hero big brother had died. I’m on the verge of tears hearing you now.

That was a very sweet tribute to John Lennon, Rick. I first heard the Beatles in 1964 when I was 11. It wasn't long before my twin brother and I switched from trumpet and trombone (respectively) to guitar and drums. Like so many other musicians my age, once we saw the movie "Hard Day's Night" we knew what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives. Like you, John's music spoke to me in a special way. The sound of his voice had that edge that was so compelling. A few years ago while in NYC, I visited his "Imagine" memorial in Central Park and then walked to the Dakota and stood at the entrance where he was shot. I always remember December 8th.

Dear Rick, Your tribute to John Lennon sums up succinctly how I feel about John Lennon’s untimely death. I was almost twelve when he was murdered and, like you, this was the first time that someone’s death, other than a family member, really effected me. I can’t help but think how much more music he had yet to create and of course one can’t help but think would the Fab Four have collaborated once again, even if for a brief moment. Every December 8th I find myself reflecting on that terrible evening in 1980 and I continue to ask myself “Why?” Thank you for sharing your love of music.

Touching recollection. John was my favorite Beatle and I picked up the guitar at age 11 because of them back in 1979/80. One of the great things about John Lennon as a famous artist/musician or personality. Is that from watching him in interviews. He was really himself. He always came across as a genuine, honest, and sincere human being. Funny, intelligent, and very charasmatic. Good old Johnny boy! RIP

John Henry Bonham had been found dead four months earlier. I was still reeling from that and to hear of Lennon being murdered almost put me over the edge. We were all crying. Even the people on ABC, NBC and CBS telling us what had happened, were crying. As a musician myself, it was a crushing loss. It still stings a little. Rest in Peace John Lennon. Thank you Rick for touching base on this.

Even though I never met him, I loved John. I cried when he died and it still makes me cry. He was not just a great musician. He was a strong advocate for peace and love everywhere.

I feel so horrible for all who had to go through this. I was born in 1982. But when I was young, I saw John Lennon performing and I loved it. I wanted to know more about him. My Dad told me that he tragically had died and I was devastated. Today I'm 40, the same age John died. It's way too soon. I remember an interview where he said "Life begins at 40". That made me break down basically.

Having the wonderful Get Back footage for me has created a new set of memories. As many have said, it's like it was filmed yesterday. Seeing them in their prime, it's a sobering thought of what was to come. Several people in the film are no longer with us & never got to see it. But it's great to see The Beatles at work in their laboratory. So much creativity going on. As they say "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die " ❤🎶🎵🎶

Rick’s story definitely resonates with me. I was in high school at the time. 41 years later I still remember the feeling of horror, learning from Howard Cosell that one of my heroes had been senselessly killed. I was (and am) a huge fan of the Beatles’ music, and John’s songs were the ones that most affected me. His loss devastated me. And, yes, in watching “Get Back,” I was definitely struck by the youth of the lads - and it certainly occurred to me how little time Lennon had left; at that point, he’d already lived almost three-quarters of what would be his life. When Macca sang the line, “You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead,” while performing “Two of Us,” it had a bittersweet poignance that we can only see in hindsight.

The Beatles are what started my fantasy of becoming a musician at a very young age. I remember like it was yesterday (pun intended), putting on my parents album of "Meet the Beatles" and air guitaring to "I Saw her standing there" and "I want to hold your hand", etc. I was captivated by them and their music and I was barely 5 years old. Fast forward to 1980 I was in 7th grade (13 years old) and I had just purchased a boombox that I had worked hard for doing a paper route and saving every penny to finally buy. Christmas was right around the corner and I remember telling my parents that I wanted the "Double Fantasy" cassette tape by John Lennon. I really liked "Starting Over" and "Watching the Wheels". Before Christmas came, hearing of John Lennon's death, I remember being in total disbelief. Even more difficult was getting that album at Christmas. I remember listening to it thinking to myself "I'll never get another album this good, or that moves me the way his music did, ever again. John Lennon was gone and so too was any music that would have been written by him. Such a sad and empty feeling I remember having. Death is so profoundly unchangeable. I lost one of my daughters and lived through that feeling on a far more personal level. But all of those same feelings reemerged. That permanent and irreversible feeling that no matter what, they are gone from this earth forever. On a more positive note, and why being a musician is so important. Just like artists, poets, etc. John's music will live of for an eternity. Even when planet earth is no more, those sound waves from his creations will float through space forever. John Lennon was and still is such an important musical legend. Not long ago, those same feelings of loss at such an enormous magnitude were felt when we lost Bowie, Eddie VH, Glen Frey, Tom Petty, Prince, and others who made such monumental contributions to music. We will always remember them. And their music, will see to it, that we do.

Thank you for this. I remember that day as well. John was my favorite Beatle too. His death was senseless and tragic, but his life was extraordinary and he touched so many of us with his music, his spirit, and his power to summon each of us to make the world a little more just, a little more decent, and a little more loving. If we look at his life in terms of what he meant to ours, it should make all of us smile.

Born in 1952, I came of age with the Beatles. I was broken hearted when they split up. Like everyone else, I awaited the reunion, if not for good, at least for one more album. When he died, that settled that. It officially closed the book on that part of my life..

I was 15 years old on December 8, 1980 and had only discovered The Beatles in mid 1977. They immediately became my favourite group and for Christmas in 1977, one of my gifts was the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. I played that record to death over the next 2 years and really began to identify in some small way with John Lennon's songwriting. Love McCartney's songs as well but John Lennon's lyrics and style of songwriting hit me right in the gut. When John was murdered, I was in a state of shock for literally several months. Like you, I watched Get Back with a sense of both great joy and deep sadness. Joy because these 4 guys gave so much to the world and here they were having fun and joking around. Sadness because John had 11 years left. Also, George, Billy Preston, Linda, Maureen, George Martin, Mal Evans were so present and happy in the Get Back series and are now all gone. At this time of year, I always think about what might have been. Hold your loved ones close. By the way, I still have the Sgt. Pepper's album I got for Christmas all those years ago. The vinyl is trashed but I'll never part with that album.

This was one of the warmest, touching and real of all the tributes I have heard about John. I was and am a huge Beatles fan and they filled my life as so many other lives were filled, with joy, magic, love and peace. I was laying in bed with my girlfriend. We had made love and were listening to the radio. The announcer, in a shocked and incrdulous voice, told our small section og the world this terrible news. Thank you Rick for this. Thank you for all of your videos and shared knowledge. A year after, on the anniversary of his death, I propsed to my girlfreind becuse I wanted a memory of joy and love for us and to remember John. I also remember Cosell and his announcement. It was surreal. A man who lived the word, "peace" had been brutally and senselessly murdered. I don't think the world has ever really made sense to me after that day. Gregory Gorton

❤ Really well said Rick. Here in the UK I woke up to it on the radio and thought I’d just had some really weird nightmare… yeah, that’s all, until Mum came in to the room, some minutes later, as she always would, to check I was awake, repeating what I thought wasn’t real. There I lay in absolute numb silence and shock. Finally, I’d just about really caught up with John and his music, in the now, if you get what I mean, right now, as it was released and what it must have felt like in some ways, in the sixties as it was first played on the radio. Now I’m hearing Watching The Wheels as it came out and now suddenly that joy, this genius is taken away. What may, could or should have been yet to come or, been continued, any chance to meet, any hope of a reunion, on hearing this, now bang, gone and, knowing, no matter how hard I tried or prayed, as the minutes ticked by so slowly, that this time, the dream was really over. Our songs, our studios, our choices in life and lyrics we’ve written, etc, etc, etc. How much of this was built and done, in varying degrees because of John Lennon. As the years tick by videos like this can stop me in my tracks and yes, in some ways we can only share and grieve at the indescribable loss but, that’s why we, the light, must live on, as they live on in us and yes, stay free to Imagine ❤

After watching Get Back, the most impressionable moments for me of all that footage was when John and Yoko danced to I ME MINE, and when Beatles hit the rooftop to perform some of those songs. What i think people missed during the part when John criticized "I Me Mine" when George performed it for him was that he loved it. So did Paul. But John has a strange way of showing his love being a conflicted person. He may have felt threatened by Georges creativity as he was finding his own voice and writing beautiful music at that time. That descending pattern of the 2nd part sounds like 'Michelle' and the lyric "freer thank wine" is reminiscent of "Tasting much sweeter than wine" from A taste honey. As usual, Paul always had a movie star glow pretty much throughout his life. In the movie, this was no different. But when the fellas hit the roof stage, John just came to life as the consumate rocker and performer. He outshines the others and resembled more of a hard rocker that would define the 70s. I got emotional at this part, seeing him in his element and becoming the star that he was on stage, a special kind of glow and energy not visibly exuded and captured in the studio or behind the scenes. Never really appreciated that "Let it be" live stunt or the songs as much as their other hits, but in this newer production I couldnt help get emotional by John Lennons performance. He lifted my spirits and the sad reality brought them down. He is my favorite Beatle. What a roller coaster ride.

I wasn’t born yet when John Lennon was killed, so to me, learning about the Beatles, it was always veiled in a little bit of tragedy, knowing how it ended and how he died. Watching Get Back was the first time I really felt like, wow, he’s so young here, and so full of life, and just a guy-funny and sarcastic and so so creative; instead of the deified, tragic Beatle. It was so moving to see and hear him-all of the band, really. I saw the anniversary of his death pop up on my feed and thought back to the doc and was similarly struck by how young they all are and how soon things would be over for him. I felt like I finally really understood what a loss he was for the world. Not because he was done heroic figure, but because he just felt so human and so alive.

Thank you Rick for such a moving account of this sad & tragic loss. We shall always feel it, always, as you, me & others keep the memory alive.

I was 7 years old in 1980 and I remember my parents being very upset. I remember asking if we would still be able to hear his music, not quite understanding what a recording was! When my parents said we could still listen, it took off a little of the sting but I do remember being very sad.

I was 22 when that news broke and I just cried. I’m currently reading Paul’s book, The Lyrics which explains even deeper the relationship between John and Paul. They came from two completely different backgrounds and it shows in their writing and while I love Paul’s lightheartedness, John’s seriousness and depth are what have always roused me, for lack of a better term. Songs like, imagine and happy Xmas to this day bring out emotions in me of hope and sadness. Watching, Get Back was a real class in their creativity and while there was frustration, the one thing that really stood out to me is all four of them really listened to each other. True collaboration at its finest. They changed the world for the better in my opinion. We haven’t seen anything close to The Beatles and I doubt we ever will. RIP John and George.

On a cold December evening I was walking through the Christmas time when a stranger came up and asked me if I’d heard John Lennon died, and the two of us went to this bar and we stayed to close the place, and every song we played was for the late great Johnny ace. My youngest son has the same birthday and plays bass. It brings me comfort. Oh and like your kids my son has reaped the reward of listening to me torture guitars and plays like a wizard with a natural ear. Rip John, rip.

Yes Rick, I was hit with the tragedy of his then impending death while watching Get Back, and him not knowing what was coming. Combined with the joy of watching it, made for a bittersweet experience of the film.

I was in the hospital December 9th, 1980, having my 1st child when I heard John had been shot. It was definitely a “when one door closes, another door opens” moment. I was stunned and shocked to the core! I kind of felt the same way about Jeff Porcaro when I heard of his death. When Toto happened in ‘78, and only 14 short years of becoming one of my most favorite drummers, Jeff seemed at the height of his career, it was another shock to my soul. We were the same age. I couldn’t reconcile it. So many untimely deaths in the rock industry. It’s like a little piece of you dies with them….💔

When John died back in 1980, my band were asked by people connected to the Beatles to play at a Tribute concert for John in Liverpool. Quite an honor for us. And so as we prepared to play, I noticed the crowd getting larger and larger and then getting out of control. People right in front of the stage started to suffocate and despite pleas from the organizers to move back nothing seemed to change. And so next thing the Fire Marshall shows up on stage and stops the show. And tells us to get out of the way as he was about to let the crowd come up through the stage area to alleviate the pressure and that was the end of it all. Paul had also sent us (via his brother Mike who was there also) a pre-recorded message to play for the crowd which we never did. I often wondered what Paul said on that cassette? Sad days to look back on forty years later. Roger Scott Craig, The Merseybeats/Liverpool Express/Fortune/Harlan Cage/101 South

John Lennon was some kind of special. He was a legend and his story will never die. I don't think we will ever have another band like the Beatles nor a star like Lennon. I still love songs like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Working Class Hero," "Power to the People," "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," "Watching the Wheels," and "Just Like Starting Over".

John's death was so uncalled for,,Such a sad day for music and a human being only wanting peace. it bothered me and still does make me cry today in 2023. I'm almost 72 and remember it well. I was stunned.

Rick - I saw The Beatles when they came to Portland, OR in 1964...I was only 11 but that experience shaped my life. Got my first guitar, started playing in bands, and after graduating college, started a talent agency and 45 years later it is still thriving. After watching the Get Back documentary, it was amazing how young these guys were. Their cultural impact cannot be overstated. I still listen to them everyday. I remember the night John was killed...it was my mother's birthday and we were all out to dinner. Afterwards when I got back to my car and turned on the radio, every station was playing The Beatles. I was in shock. Such a tragedy. I want to thank you for your thoughtful words and a beautiful tribute to a cultural and music icon - John Lennon.

So senseless and tragic. The Get Back doc really brought home to me what gentle, vulnerable and lovely people they all were/ are. For all John's edge and candidness, it's easy to forget what a warm and compassionate person he was. So great to see him and Paul creating together - being best of friends. So inspirational. Thankyou for all you do Rick. ❤

100%, I said that exact thing to my wife while we watched - John has 11 years after this. It’s incomprehensible to me. I was 16, in high school, and I also had an exam that morning. I and many of my friends wore black, spontaneously that day. Man, that Christmas was just hard. I listened to the radio non-stop, and it was non-stop John and the Beatles. I listened to Double Fantasy a lot that break too, and I don’t think I’ve listened to it since. Too sad. I’m still in mourning really. Then losing George after that was too much.

I remember hearing "Imagine" being played over and over again on the radio after his death. I sat down at the piano and figured it out by ear around Christmastime. I remember thinking how simple it was and yet so powerful. Was it the strings, the dark piano sound, the lyrics, the double tracked voice on the chorus that drew me to the song? I've been writing songs ever since.

I am grateful that I got to meet both John & Yoko several times while living in Times Square half a block away from the Record Plant Studios. I was in my mid teens when I first met him face to face. No cell phones, never carried a camera on me (although in retrospect I wish I did) never asked for his autograph (although living in the theatre district I would meet many high profile celebs it was just never my thing to ask for autographs.) I recall when I worked at the Lowe's Astor Plaza movie theatre on 44th. st. and broadway (it was a state of the art 70 mm screen with a dolby surround system where Star Wars first premiered in NYC). John & Yoko would come out for the late night screenings and they would recognize me from my various encounters with them at Central Park, The Dakota, Record Plant Studios and other NY Spots. They were both very kind towards my younger brother & I and we would laugh a bit. One of my most memorable concerts I attended was the 1974 (i was 14 at the time) Thanksgiving Elton John concert at MSG, NYC. I was sitting 2 rows away from Elton John's piano and when Elton introduced Lennon the crowd went WILD!!! It was one of my most cherished magical musical nights in NYC (& I've had many over the years). Little did we all know that it would be his final large audience appearance. I was working a late night shift at "King Karol Record store" in Times Square when we heard that John was shot. When my shift ended at 1 am , several of my friends and I stood outside of the Dakota with hundreds of others praying for John...It was one of the saddest days of my life. A week later Yoko held a vigil at Central Park that I also attended, it was truly moving to say the least. Although I have my "suspicions" over the actual murder of Lennon (perhaps mk ultra involvement???) especially after watching the documentary "The U.S vs John Lennon". Watching the "Get Back" documentary made me love his spirit and his music even more. Thank you Rick for sharing your thoughts.

I was only 4 when he was killed but one of my earliest memories is of my parents crying after hearing he died. I grew up with the Beatles music and became a huge Lennon fan as a teenager. The Beatles are still my all-time favorite band. Timeless.

Thank you for this intimate conversation on how John's death impacted you. I had a similar thought watching Get Back, thinking about how he didn't know that he had 11 more years. One of the things that happened for me is that it helped me to get out of my head when it came to Yoko's presence and into my heart . . . so rather than judging, I suddenly wanted them to have as much togetherness as humanly possible.

I've been a huge Beatles fan since I was a kid. I was always a little more of a Paul guy than a John guy, but I love the music of both. The Beatles were really the soundtrack of my youth, though I continue to listen to them to this day and marvel at the quality of the music and what they accomplished in such a short span of time. I vividly remember when Lennon was shot. I was 24. Monday night football was on in the background and I was cleaning things up in the living room when a housemate rushed in and broke the tragic news to me. I was absolutely devastated and totally shocked. I couldn't even think of sleeping that night, so I later went into my workplace at a data processing service bureau where we did accounting stuff for other businesses. I tried to occupy myself with work while I listened to the radio literally all night long as they talked about the tragedy and played Beatles music. The world was never quite the same after that.

I’m the same age as you, Rick, and at the time when John died had been active in music since age 11. I wasn’t particularly a big fan of the Beatles, but I admired their body of work and certain songs. I also admired John’s activism. When John was shot, I was at a rehearsal, and didn’t learn of his death until the next morning. Shock, sadness, and anger at the senselessness of how he died all struck me. However, the death that really got me, my counterpart to the impact Lennon’s death had on you, was Stevie Ray Vaughn’s death in a helicopter crash in 1990. Stevie had been such a hero and icon to so many of us guitar players, and was pretty much single handedly responsible for reviving the Blues in the 1980s. For him to perish suddenly at the pinnacle of his musical and personal life was a crushing blow. A friend called me and said, “Stevie is dead”, struck me like a gut punch; I literally had to sit down. For him to die after getting back on his feet and at the peak of his career still seems intensely tragic, much like Lennon’s death. Think of all the great music we have missed out on from those two in the ensuing years.

I remember watching that football game. My ex-wife was sewing, I was attending NTSU for a Jazz Education degree. We walked into our campus and literally stood around singing and listening till the sun came up... This was my first real loss of a musician yes I grew up with. The next one was hearing about Jaco. These two people will always be engrained in my mind for their wonderful talent.

Well said, thank you. The horror of his murder never diminishes. The senselessness never fades. Every minute of the new doc is a treasure and brings some solace by debunking all the stories of internal animosity in the group. In the doc, it was poignant and almost prophetic when Paul was sitting with Ringo and said softly "and then there were two." RIP

Thank you for sharing that solemn moment. We are with you in your grief.

Awesome piece this. At the time I was a 20 year old med student in Liverpool, living in university accommodation at the end of Penny Lane. Woke up and turned on the radio. Thinking back to that moment still brings tears..

I, too, was a college freshman when John was assassinated. Still remember the hallway of the dorm where all of us gathered after the news broke. Still tearing up about it.... It was great to see him smiling and joking and creating endlessly in Get Back. The love between the bandmates is palpable....

I wasn't around when he died, but hearing the all the recordings of news broadcasts of that night has a spine-tingling effect. If there's one consolation about this year's anniversary. The Get Back doc has given us fans a chance to see more of John and George again.

Thank you for this beautiful commentary and important reminder of such a tragic event of a great cultural hero. I was also a freshman in college when I heard the news from Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football. "John Lennon was shot," and then a bit later, "John Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival." Watching "Get Back" has been such a moving experience for me this past week. I've been excited by it, thinking about it constantly, recommending it to friends, learning to play more Beatle tunes on my guitar, and dreaming about it at night. Although I have felt mostly joy and awe in watching it, my dreams at night were intensely sad and weepy. Now I understand why. Thank you for bringing this to my awareness. Although John Lennon was only alive for 40 years, I celebrate that his presence is still so alive and impactful today.

John Lennon was a master of words and was in our hearts. He, and Paul for me, spoke to us like no one else. I was 24 on the day he died. He became a part of my life when I was 7 and saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I was devastated for months and at times my heart still aches. Yes, his death was on my mind throughout Get Back. Thank you for telling your experience. Very touching.

I was 15 when I heard the tragic news on Monday Night Football, one of those memories I'll sadly never forget. It took less than 6 years for John and the Beatles to change popular music, I truly believe people will be listening and praising their work in 100 + years..... We're so fortunate to have experienced their brilliance during our lives.

Watching John in Get Back made me feel joyous for his life, like it was like a gift and a celebration seeing this precious footage for the first time. What I found really heart-breaking was listening the Dave Sholin interview he did in his home with only hours left to live, where he seemed to be in a really good place in his life and was so optimistic for the future.

I wish I could have a nobly-expressed thoughtful feeling about John's death like so many have eloquently written in the comments. I was 25 years old on that date, trying to make something of myself musically. The news of Lennon's death... we learned it was someone named Mark David Chapman who shot Lennon... I just felt awful, I felt this person, Chapman, had _stolen something from me personally._ I would never get to watch John grow old, just 15 years my senior, as I myself grew older. He was so intelligent and uncompromising, I can just imagine how well he would've used those years he was denied; not just musically, but being interviewed, hearing his take on all the things that would subsequently happen socially and politically. We were denied that because one messed up dude used a gun on him. I'm still *so angry.* Sorry, I'll leave to others to capture this thoughtfully, better than I can.

Like you, I was a freshman in college when John Lennon died. It hit me so hard because I was also a massive Beatles fan. I was also just coming to grips with my choice to go to college instead of pursuing a career as a guitarist. Music was dying a bit in my life and every memorial broadcast on television brought tears to my eyes. I even found myself welling up during your story. Thank you for sharing.

It's a day I can Never Forget! for an absolute Fact. I'm sitting here with Tears running down my cheeks. Thank You very much for this Video! You have Provided me with SO much Great Stuff, but I'm Grateful 🙏 for This Feeling at this point in time!

I was born in May 1962. It’s so nice to hear Rick’s thoughts as someone of my age…they are so similar and familiar at the same time.

In the movie "Yesterday" it showed an amazing scene of John in his 60s or 70s and that pulled me. The actor was a dead ringer for what he would look like and the role portrayed him masterfully. I am 75 and the Beatles were an enormous blessing in my life. More than just a band.

Thank you Rick for your channel and thank you for your moving tribute to John Lennon. Just turned 18 that September, the Beatles were really not in my music listening and enjoyment but in early childhood those songs were on the radio. Double Fantasy and the buzz of his re-emerging was everywhere here in greater L A. I was with friends that night out partying. We went to my friend Glenn’s(RIP) afterward to watch the rest of MNF. And that’s how I heard,Howard Cosell make the announcement. Later that night, lying in bed, I listened to Jim Ladd on KMET as he changed his show, to express his feelings and stop his birthday tribute show for Jim Morrison. I then heard songs from JL’s solo career and with the Beatles. All of these songs I hadn’t heard for years rekindled the time from when they came. That night, sadly, tragically, I became a fan. For the next two weeks on every radio station playing music it was all John Lennon and all Beatles. For the following Sunday Mrs. Lennon requested 10 minutes of silence everywhere at the same time. All of the pop/rock music stations honored that request as did the rest of us. So many memories and such a deep appreciation for the gifts of magic this great artist, John Lennon, has left us.

Lovely words, 41 years ago, he remains my hero, thankfully we still got Paul

My Mom was 33 when John Lennon was shot. I was 2. My folks still have a cassette portion of a day-long Lennon tribute on a local radio station on 12/9/80. At one point, my Mom can be heard crying on the tape. In reaction to her, one can hear that I started crying, too.

This resonates so deeply with my feelings when I watched the Get Back series. I enjoyed their musical brilliance sparkling throughout the sessions and just appreciated the fact that we are gifted with this gem of footage now. However I couldn't help but feel sad, blue, and melancholy knowing that the band is nearing the end of their partnership, and of course, that George and John will soon pass. Especially when Paul started working on The Long and Winding Road in the first episode I bursted into tears. The tragically beautiful melody combined with the disbandment ahead made my heart break. Rest in peace John, George. Thank you Beatles.

Rick- I’m still not over it- it cuts very deeply. I get everything you shared. The ending for him was so… so evil, wrong, devastating… like you, I’m watching Get Back- wishing we could warn him somehow…..

I was 13. I’d been introduced the the Beatles by my 5th Grade teacher (he was a massive fan). Our 5th grade performance was a medley of 10 or so Beatles tunes. The Beatles were a part of my early DNA. As I got older I remember learning more about them and How John was a huge proponent of ending the Vietnam war. He was not a saint by any means, he had a dark side and was complicated as are most of us. Over the course of my 54 years I’ve experienced deaths of major artists and poets that impacted me. Cobain, Prince, Cornell and on and on. Lennon passing was deeper than all of them because more than anyone his music impacted me the most. We are lucky to say that we lived in the same time as him.

I was just 13 years old when John Lennon was shot. I grew up in the north of Hamburg and my father was a huge Beatles fan. I remember listening almost exclusively to all the Beatles records of my father's collection while all my class mates where listening to the popular music of that time. I remember that day until today. I was mourning for a long time and in total shock how someone could be so cruel and evil to shoot my favorite musician. By then I had 4 years of piano lessons and I only wanted to learn Beatles songs instead of the common classical piano tunes everybody else was studying.

Hey, Rick! It was great meeting you last Friday at Buddy Holly Hall! I was at the Dakota Hotel the afternoon of Dec. 8, 1980. I chatted with Paul Goresh, the photographer who took the photo of John signing his assassin’s Double Fantasy album. I also saw the guy who shot him. For me, that was the Day the Music Died

I was born on Dec 7th. I will never forget Sunday and Monday 1980! I was just a little boy but old enough to remember my family and friends crying! Rick thank you for always being so honest and insperaational!!

I fell in love with music at 12 years old after seeing "Imagine" the film in 1988. Music was my first love because of John.

“It was a staggering moment when I first heard the news. Lennon was a most talented man and above all, a gentle soul. John and his colleagues set a high standard by which contemporary music continues to be measured.” - Frank Sinatra

John Lennon, the composer of 3 of the most important songs ever written, obviously many more but Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields and Walrus are my top 3 Beatle songs. 3 Great seeds which flowered right into all great Prog Rock and everything else what followed. Out of his Solo career also a incredible amount of great songs, the highlight from that period allways was "Remember". That song impressed me so much, the piano( I think an educated pianist would never come up with this) the drive, the Bass the Drums, just a live trio. And then the lyrics, the man is able to describe all your growing up hick ups in just about 5 lines. That song always hits me like a sledgehammer

I was practicing with my band in my parents basement in Canada when my Mom yelled for us to come up stairs. When we saw the news we were all shocked in disbelief. Hearts broken. I was so angry at America for their love of guns. If he hadn't been living there he might still be alive today. But he loved New York and the city loved him back. 20 years later I moved there. Standing at the Dakota where he was gunned down brought all those feelings back. Such a huge loss to the world and my Innocence.

I was 8 when I heard on the radio that John Lennon had died. I already knew his music - my mom especially was and still is a big Beatles fan. Walls and Bridges was (and still is) often on our turntable when I was growing up. I was more of a McCartney fan for many years, but through various KZheadrs, I’ve discovered a lot more of Lennon’s solo music - and it’s (in the main) magnificent. It was an end of an era, but it also meant that Lennon, who had been out of the limelight for many years, received a new and very appreciative audience. To think that 40 years later we’re still talking about him, playing his music and discovering new stories about his life speaks volumes about his influence on 20th and 21st Century culture.

I was born in 58, so there will never be a group that can top "The Fab Four" for me! John's death was unimaginable . Fact of life, we all have an expiration date, its very hard to see those we love expire before us. I'm so greatfull that my life was so influenced by the Beatles. I just hope when I expire and what ever happens after that, I hope I can still play my beatles albums.

Rick, I find it hard to praise this video, if you know where I'm coming from when I say that, as I wish it would never have had to be made. Your beautiful, heartfelt words and thoughts express your (our) shared emotions perfectly. I remember as a kid the Newsflash on TV interrupting the program our family was watching at the time, and it was just surreal... Even though I wasn't 'playing' yet, it didn't mean that I didn't understand the shear unbelievable tragic gravity of that moment.. It wasn't until many years later when a saxophonist friend said to me "You've heard that Michael Brecker has passed away today.." that I experienced that same helpless turmoil of emotions - confusion of disbelief, denial and loss. WHY? Why do we lose our shining stars all too soon? Thank you for speaking and sharing with, and for, all of us Rick..

It was very nice to hear your thoughts and the atmosphere at the time. This loss was truly a big loss and it's heartbreaking to think what could have been. Thank you.

I was around the same age as you, but in high school, a senior. I also lived about ten blocks from the Dakota, so we who lived in the neighborhood thought of John as one of our neighbors. People who lived there then always speak about spotting him and Yoko and how warm and lovely they were when they were stopped by fans. And fans for the most part kept their distance and were respectful of them. I too thought to myself that he has eleven more years to live while watching the documentary. It's hard not to be filled with rage and sadness at the uselessness of his death. But we can also thank Peter Jackson for giving us this tremendous gift..MORE footage of John Lennon than we ever thought possible! It's wonderful to go back in time as a silent spectator and watch these four unique human beings create music the likes of which will never happen again. We can count our blessings that we had John in our lives and just try to hang on to the goodness in him.