Death of a Rock and Roll Legend...

This was first published on December 7, 2014. Seemed right to publish it again this weekend. John Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980. Wow. 36 years.  

RIP John Lennon. You are still missed...

Everybody wants to build a “better mousetrap”. Make a difference. Leave their mark. Some want to be “the greatest ever” at what they do. Athletes. Scholars. Chefs. Whatever. Apple vs. IBM. Well, 30 years ago that was a thing. Anything that has anything to do with being “competitive”. Maybe it’s a bit different with musicians. They want to be heard. At least in the beginning. Some folks naturally just have their own “different” sound. Elvis. Bob Dylan. Buddy Holly. The Everly Brothers. Willie Nelson (dude CAN’T find the beat to save his life!). Slim Whitman (just kidding). The Beatles. But just about any guy will tell you, they got in a band to get girls. And maybe the music was important somewhere along the way.

Good Sunday Evening! This is Randy. Tomorrow marks a special anniversary. It’s the anniversary of the loss of a singer, songwriter, musician and protester. Below are a few of my thoughts about the man, how his protests were different from what we see today, and a bit about what I remember from the day he died.

He was born and raised during war time. His relationship with his father was estranged. At the age of 5, he literally had to choose between living with his father or his mother. He elected to go with the latter. His mother would eventually give him over to his aunt to raise. He was named after his paternal grandfather and the Prime Minister. John Winston Lennon got off to a tough start. And he learned how to use his influence early:

“Part of me would like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this loud mouthed lunatic poet/musician. But I cannot be what I am not ... I was the one who all the other boys' parents—including Paul's father—would say, 'Keep away from him'... The parents instinctively recognised I was a troublemaker, meaning I did not conform and I would influence their children, which I did. I did my best to disrupt every friend's home ... Partly out of envy that I didn't have this so-called home …”

He got involved in the skiffle craze, founding The Quarrymen, so named after his high school. Eventually, this would be the foundation of the Beatles. Charismatic, strong willed and always a leader, John learned early that music and “fame” would give him a springboard to speak out. And speak out he did. John learned that his music was an outlet to make statements, not just entertain.

John and Yoko Ono were married in 1969. Their honeymoon was a week long “Bed-in For Peace”. Their goal was to duplicate the bed-in in the USA, but were denied entry. They held their second bed-in in England, where they recorded “Give Peace A Chance”.

"The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility." -John Lennon

1971 saw the release of “Imagine”. The title song focused on peace and getting along. It was a time when government was trying to shut down the anti-war protests that were carrying over from the ‘60s, and John Lennon was an outspoken foreign musician who was anti-war and anti-Nixon. Nixon would spend 4 years trying to deport the former Beatle.

"He didn't come out of my belly, but my God, I've made his bones, because I've attended to every meal, and how he sleeps, and the fact that he swims like a fish because I took him to the ocean. I'm so proud of all those things. But he is my biggest pride." -John Lennon

Lennon used his celebrity to speak out for peace, pushing his anti-war message, and at the same time, he became “pro-family”. He took 5 years out of the music world to focus on raising Sean, his second son. Lennon focused on peace, and peaceful demonstration. He didn’t push the racist agenda. He pushed the cause of “everyone living together and getting along”.

December 8, 1980. Monday night. I’m attending Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. The little apartment complex I live in has a very small “convenience” store. Sodas, bread, milk, basic staples. Me and my buddies stop in for a soda. The clerk is transfixed on the television. The Dolphins and the Patriots. The game would go into overtime. And with 3 seconds left, Howard Cosell would announce that John Lennon had been killed. ABC News had confirmed the shooting. We had no idea. We just wanted to know the score. And all he could say, was, “John Lennon has been shot”. Ironic for a man who wanted nothing more than peace and harmony.

"I don't believe in killing whatever the reason!" -John Lennon

The “Who” doesn’t matter. The “Why” doesn’t matter. A "nobody" killed a "somebody" all for fame. And with that, he was gone. Some will say that their music had a bad influence. John Lennon and his 3 compadres did accomplish something so many have tried to do and failed. John Lennon and the Beatles changed the world. The music world. The fashion world. The political world.  And for the better.

Do you remember where you were when you heard that John Lennon was dead?