On December 8th, 1980 about 10:30 pm, a cloud was put over my holiday season that would last forever. That was the night that a deranged “fan” murdered John Lennon in cold blood while his wife Yoko Ono watched in horror.

Remembering the Anniversary of John Lennon's Death in New York
Matthew Peyton/Getty Images)
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Unfortunately, there was no death penalty in New York at the time, so this guy who’s name I’ll never speak and neither should you, ended up on Barbara Walters, CNN etc. but that’s another topic for another day.

 

In 1980, if there was one person you could take out and bring the world to its knees it was John Lennon. This man’s influence on a generation is unparalleled. If a nation’s leader died, the country would be upset, if a religious leader, that it would be that religion, Lennon had said at one point that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus. If you could all the people from other faiths who don’t follow Jesus but were Beatles fans, he may have had a point.

Lennon’s influence transcended nations and religions. Lennon spoke directly to our hearts and our minds. He taught us to imagine, to think for ourselves, and he wasn’t afraid to put his celebrity on the line to make his point. That point was peace. It was because of that point, he paid the ultimate price.

 

Even though he’s gone, Lennon’s influence remains.  Lady Gaga calls Lennon her favorite songwriter, Ozzy Osbourne and Green Day covered “Working Class Hero”  (You can listen to Ozzy's version below.

I was on the radio the night John died and had to break the news over and over from midnight to 6am to people who were waking up and wondering why we were playing so much Beatles music.

As a huge fan who spent his teen life reading and listening to as much as he could, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. This is the one death that shook me to my knees. What was yours?  Please leave a comment below

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