He was murdered 30 years ago today.I can remember it like i did the Kennedy assignation and 9/11.Imagine.

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WALSTIB

What a writer. Strangely, I don't remember where I was when I heard. Local radio said it was
first announced by Howard Cosell on MNF? Actually had the audio.

R.I.P. John Lennon....We lost a music legend 30 yrs ago today.

I think that's where I heard it-on Monday night football. Honest to God it didn't effect me as much as when Jerry Garcia died. Always was more of a Rolling Stones fan anyway.

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Forum consigliere

I have never understood all the hype over Lennon. I'm of the same time frame and wish no harm to anyone but to me he was no big deal.

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Regards,
Windjammer

Thank you for saying what I was thinking.

Joe

I guess being a brilliant songwriter and part of the most popular band in the world doesn't count for much around here..

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

He turned Communist. End of my interest.

Joe

We've been down this road many times on the forum... especially with actors. I love Woody Allen's films...do I approve of him marrying his stepdaughter....yuck...but I still concede that he is a brilliant filmmaker and his body of work has had a huge impact on my own writing...would I want to double date with him? No. Would I want to sit and talk politics with John Lennon....no. But if he were alive today I would love to talk to him about the Beatles.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

While I liked the Beatles and appreciated Lennon's talents for the most part, I found little to admire in his character or personal behavior. Like many others, I was always a bit baffled by his almost "deification" in some circles and though I do think he would have gone down in history as a musical giant anyway had he lived, nothing like going out in a hail of bullets at the hand of a raving nut-job before your natural time to cement mythic status.

Right? Jeesh, tough crowd.

I also was watching MNF with my dad when we heard the news, I knew who he was and did enjoy the Beatles music, but it did'nt hit me how tragic it really was at first. For anyone to die the way John Lennon did, with no real purpose or reason other than by the hands of some mentally deranged attention whore, always gives my stomach a sick feeling. Sad day.

Pretty much how I feel about it Cold...and I was never a bg Beatles fan. btw...I love your avatar!

To the rest of the naysayer crowd, all I can say is if you knew every secret of the lives of some of the people you admired growing up, you'd probably never stop throwing up.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

It's always been interesting to me that someone who could write such thoughtful music could be so naive about politics.

Maybe it has something to do with the crazy, surreal life he lived as a member of the Beatles.

At any rate I can separate the music from his politics.

It goes both ways, of course. It baffles me that a lot of people on the left can't separate the politics, say, of John Wayne from the entertainment value of what he did in his work. They just hate him and refuse to watch any of his movies.

This is pretty funny, Sip:

"To the rest of the naysayer crowd, all I can say is if you knew every secret of the lives of some of the people you admired growing up, you'd probably never stop throwing up."

thanks Cooter...that is actually a paraphrase from Woody's movie "Hannah and her sisters"....the artist says that if Jesus came back today and saw what was going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Gotcha, Michael Caine, now I remember it--great movie.

The heart is a funny little muscle.

Imagine all your property, going to someone else.

Joe

That's actually pretty funny...

I never took any interest in the Beetles....and to this day wonder why all the interest?

Yes, yes I know what a profound effect they had on society...but I ask why? What did they bring to the table?

The music was "interesting" and in many cases well done and inventive, but I just never saw how "serious" people could get so excited.

I was a college music student 1959-1963. I learned to love "serious" music, that is everything from J.S. Bach to Stan Kenton. Other stuff was just an exercise in frivolity. I guess you might say it was an elitist attitude? Anything that was popular just didn't seem to have any merit.

Just my two cents worth.

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G.P. Charlie

Actually all music is an exercise in frivolity. Quite frankly, anything not directly related to day to day survival and procreation is an exercise in frivolity.

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Forum consigliere

Really says alot for our society when the lead story on the news is the anniversary of the death of John Lennon. The day before some newscasts never mentioned Pearl Harbor, 69 years ago.

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Don Mundell

30 years ago today, I was in Navy boot camp in San Diego. Almost everyone in my company was saddened by the news. But it didn't even come close to the loss I felt when George Harrison died.

Harrison showed a lot of class on his way out.

I really likes the Beatles when they first started out. Loved the songs/music. Then they got on the drugs. Their music reflected their wasted brains....Lennon was the worst of them all. If he'd lived, he'd be a sad sight indeed.

1. The day that somebody shot at Yoko and missed.
2. Yoko was living in the United States at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, the daughter of a Japanese diplomat, if I recall. She was included in the only civilian prisoner exchange at the start of the war. If somebody had torpedoed that ship, the Beatles probably would have lasted another twenty years.
3. I think I was in the Camp Howze, Korea messhall when I heard. I thought, "The guy finally gets back on track with a decent album and somebody shoots him."

Rolling Stones here, never liked the Beatles, still don't.

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Sure you did

Imagine there's no heaven

No hell below us

Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one


What a fool . . .

T.

He got 1 out of 9 right.

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Sure you did

This song makes me think of some hum drum life in someplace like North Korea.

Beatles were ok, dont like their politics nor influence on popular culture. I liked John Lenin (how I think it should have been spelled) the least out of the bunch.
As I was told growing up, the "Beatles ruined America".

Still I dont think he should have been gunned down like that...

I know he was shot with a 38spl but what kinda gun? (edit) a charter arms snubby

I'm sorry, Mr. Clark. It's got no beat, and it's hard to dance
to. I can only give it a 60.

Joe

Two great tragedies that day. John Lennon was killed, and I married my son's mother. The wrong person was shot.

Happy anniversary?

The irony is that he was killed by a deranged fan and not some Bible thumper or someone like that.

If memory serves me right Lennon bought the New York police bullet proof vests and at the same time spent a lot of money with the local drug dealers. Isn't that kinda like playing both sides from the middle?

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Len

Just like Elvis who had Dick Nixon make him an honorary Federal Agent in The War On Drugs.

Nothing like covering your tracks! What do you do if a lion has you by the arm? With your other arm, you pet the lion!

Add up all the people who have died in the last thirty years and John Lennon is one of them. My grand parents, my parents and many many good friends would also be in that count. John Lennon - eh. Insignificant.

Out
West

"Imagine no possessions......."

Net worth at death: $75,000,000.




Move along, nothing to see here

30 yrs ago the possibility of a Beatles Reunion died forever.

I guess it depends on where you were in life during the period of 1964 to 1970 as to how the Beatles affected your taste in music. I still enjoy their music and certain songs are magical to me. My wife is close to my age and she could care less. They had an tremendous impact on the music world whether you liked them or not. It is frivolous, but it entertains me.

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Tony

Anyone remember "Happiness is a warm gun"?

Why is it that so many super-rich are commies?? Never made sense to me. George Soros is another example. Is it "rich-man's guilt?"

I got an idea! Why don't you super-wealthy socialists lead by example, and eliminate all of your worldly wealth by sending us all a check until your money is gone?

R.I.P.John 9-10-40 to 12-8-80

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WALSTIB

What makes yours or my beliefs any more valid than than anyone elses? This is America. The last I heard everyone has the right to think, believe, and worship (or not), as they choose. This includes people on the fringes. Live and let live.

My beliefs are rooted in the belief that all men are created
equal, with certain inalienable rights.

All other beliefs are inferior.

Your moral equivalency is bogus.

Joe

I agree, Gary....up to the point where other peoples beliefs involve cutting people's heads off or indiscriminately blowing them up. Then "live and let live" goes right out the window.

As for John Lennon and the Beatles, I'm not a fan of the music and don't understand the mania but I won't knock others for enjoying it.

I am not placing a value on yours or anyone's beliefs. My point was that in this country everyone has a right to believe as they want. This includes people who's beliefs most of us find repugnant. It is called freedom. If all men are created equal, with certain inalienable rights, this is the only way it can be.

I agree. Hopefully "live and let live" doesn't involve cutting people's heads off or blowing them up. I was never much of a Beatles fan either.

Gary...these tribute threads invariably take this kind of turn where show biz types are involved. Seems you are free to disparage any dead celebrity you want..of course, if you say anything bad about John Wayne or Gary Cooper, you will probably be run out of the forum on a rail...mayne we should all learn to leave RIP threads alone if we don't have anything nice to say...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Don't hold your breath on that one

Right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Exempla grata:

Charles Manson thought all blacks should be killed. What's
wrong with that belief is that all people have the right to
life.

All beliefs don't have equal validity. It's as simple as 2 + 2 = 5.

Joe

I agree.(although the entertainment factor of listening to grown men argue over a dead mans legacy is over the top.)

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Dum vivo cano