Friday, October 9, 2009

John Lennon

It's the birthday of John Lennon, born on this day in Liverpool (1940). His parents separated when he was one. His mother came in and out of his life, and he was raised by his aunt and uncle. But his mom taught him to play the banjo and they listened to rock 'n' roll records together.

Sixteen-year-old John started a band called the Quarrymen, and when they were playing at a church fundraiser, Paul McCartney heard them and came up to introduce himself. Soon, McCartney was part of the band, and the two teenagers started writing songs together. When John's mother died in a car crash a year later, he and Paul McCartney became even closer, because Paul's mother had died from cancer less than two years earlier.

In 1960, the group became the Silver Beatles, and soon, just the Beatles, but it wasn't until 1962 that they ended up with the four band members who would become the band as we know them: Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

The Beatles became a sensation; "Beatlemania" swept across Europe and the United States.
When his son Sean was born in 1975, Lennon retired from public life and spent five years staying home with his family. In November of 1980, he and his wife, Yoko, released an album called Double Fantasy, gave interviews, and considered touring again. But on December 8th, he was shot outside his apartment by a 25-year-old man named Mark David Chapman. Chapman was obsessed with J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye, and claimed that he thought of himself as Holden Caulfield, and that this would explain his actions — although he later admitted that Holden Caulfield would probably not have shot someone.

A few days after her husband's murder, Yoko Ono asked for 10 minutes of silence to honor him, and people all over the world observed the silence, including a crowd of more than 100,000 people in Central Park. The area of Central Park between 71st and 74th streets was designated "Strawberry Fields," a green space and peace garden in memory of John Lennon.

15 comments:

john allison said...

Wow. Just amazing how fast time has passed. John and I were born (Oct. 2nd) within days of each other. I saw their first movie, which was a second feature, at the Savoy theatre. My wife and I went to the Savoy to see some movie, that I can't now remember the name of. We walked into the theatre with about 15 minutes left of the Beatles movie that was playing at the time. Stayed to watch the watch their movie, and became a huge fan.

Les F said...

Imagine , he'd be 69 ,.here's video from one of his performances in Madison Square Gardens,

What is really astounding is that he's been dead for 29 years ,only 11 years less than he was alive "Imagine"

Les F said...

Also Winston ,was John's middle name,.................
heres anothe video ,same song, but with photographs from throughout his life........

HF&RV

Les F said...

Guess who comes up for parole again next year in 2010.....yup the lunatic that shot him.
.....but he's seen the 'light' apparently (who doesn't when in jail) ......and is completely rehabilitated.
Here's an excerpt from an article about the nut.
Mark David Chapman was denied parole yesterday, for the fifth time. The man who murdered John Lennon on December 8, 1980 was sentenced to 20 years to life for his crime. The week before his parole hearing, the parole board received 50 letters and a petition signed by 1000 people opposing Chapman’s release. He had three letters of support.

Chapman has long claimed that the peace-loving Beatle would have forgiven him, but Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, told the Daily News that she is opposed to Chapman receiving parole, and believes he should remain incarcerated for his own safety, saying, “There are so many people out there who dislike him. It's safer for him to stay in jail."

And Chapman’s time in prison hasn’t exactly been what you’d call “hard” time. Although he’s been behind bars at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York since 1981, he’s enjoyed 42-hour conjugal visits in a private modular home with his wife Gloria since 1992. He has his own prison cell in a special housing unit for at-risk prisoners and allegedly spends a lot of time in the library. He also claims to be a Christian now and has said if paroled he would “…go from place to place, at least in the state, church to church, and tell people what happened to me and point them the way to Christ." (Read more of Chapman’s comments from his 2000 parole hearing here).

Chapman will be eligible for parole again in 2010

.Oddly I agree with Yoko, the man would be safer ,if kept in Prison..smart response I'd say....................and it may keep him behind bars & not in them.

Les F said...

meant to add this to the end of the previous post, it's a link to a John Lennon website ,courtesy of Yoko
http://www.johnlennon.com/html/news.aspx

Les F said...

Louise Lafontaine said...

Thank you for all this info. I remember being at a Christmas party at the time, seeing everyone laughing, dancing and having a good time, and thinking to myself "John Lennon was murdered... Doesn't anyone care?" He was making a comeback after his life of alcohol and drugs. He was writing good lyrics and music again. The world lost a great talent. As for David Chapman... all I can say is when these "nut jobs" are off their meds, they're off their rocker. Yes, they often get religion in prison. They also get regular meals, regular sleep, regular housing. They don't have to worry about keeping a job, paying rent, utilities and other bills. Someone makes sure they take their meds. Once out of prison, no one can force them to take their medication. And we all know they stop whenever they please. Then the rants, the erratic behaviour, and violence starts all over again. Better to keep him in prison. It was a good thing when Yoko Ono public said Chapman was safer in prison. That's another angle that can serve to keep him inside. There are enough like him walking among us. We had one incident here in Ottawa where another guy was hearing voices and shot a news anchor to death. The anchor had once been a favourite sports person. They let the guy out after serving a few years. Guess what ? He violated his parole many times and during one of those times, he assaulted an American border guard. He served 2 years in prison in New York state and they sent him back to Canada. Last we heard, he was out west. But, he walks among us. He doesn't always take his meds and no one can force him to do it either. Lots of bleeding hearts everywhere. Anyway, my apologies for ranting. Thanks for the good info.

Les F said...

Geez Louise, I thought that was a well written post, & not really a rant at all......Yuo didn't even use these symbols at all @#$%^&*().......not like my rants.......lol
Your right ,for about the last 15 years or so,there seem to be many more people walking around who definetly need help, & are not getting it, It's only when we hear of them doing something crazy.that anyone takes notice for a little while,We just had a guy knock off his whole family & another nut in the courts in Kamloops right now for having done the same thing,killed his two little kids..These are people who should never get out.but sadly some other nut on a parole board will declare this lunatic OK in a couple of years & let them out again....
ps: see I followed your example & didn't use one Fr%$&*)ng Rant word......lol
HF&RV

Ken McLaughlin said...

It's pretty much impossible to prevent these things without society being a kinder gentler place for those who so desperately need help. The real problem might just be that there are just so many "normal" people in our society who are total nut jobs that we just don't know the difference anymore.

KenM

Les F said...

Good Point,......

Bob Bisnett said...

John is still a very bright light that will always be missed.

BobB

Ken McLaughlin said...

Lennon reduced to it all to Peace. Let's try that, then we talk.

David Flood said...

It's time to 'Thin the Herd" !!!! Hmmm Poster boys/girls for capital punishment...

Louise Lafontaine said...

Unfortunately, Peace doesn't fix mental illness or a cross-wired brain.

john allison said...

That is crazy talk!!!!!!