On this sad anniversary I didn't know if any of you pros wanted to share what you were doing when you heard the news about John Lennon? I wasn't a huge Beatles fan at the time so when I heard the news the next day it wasn't as devastating to me as I'm sure it was to many. I've since grown to love the Beatles and John Lennon's music.
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John Lennon
- Thread starter John C
- Start date
I was at home hadn't heard the news and noticed as I tuned down the FM dial just about every and I do mean every station was playing a Beatles record. It was surreal...then I heard the news and found out why.
I was doing morning news at WMNS in Olean. So, I was fast asleep when the news broke during Monday Night Football. Part of my routine was listening to Lou Douglas do the news at 10 before 5 on Rock 102 while eating a bowl of cereal. So, that's when I heard it, early the next morning. After anchoring, I took a tape recorder to a local Olean record store to get the "local angle" from the store owner. Indeed, that's one of the moments you always remember because it was so shocking. I also recall watching the network news on the evening of the 9th with at least the first 15 minutes devoted to the story. Remember, that was a time when CNN was in its infancy, so you had to watch the nightly news to find out what was going on.
You are all going to hate me for this..... I was living in Palm Beach at the time. The very attractive woman that lived next to me came over and told me. We sat around and listened to Lennon/Beatles music for the rest of the day with other neighbors on the street and did some "attitude adjustments." I guess you could call it our tribute to his work and life by celebrating it.
I was certainly a big fan of John Lennon and felt horrible for Yoko and his sons, but being a Boomer I had become almost numb with such tragic news. - The Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, & Janis.
I was certainly a big fan of John Lennon and felt horrible for Yoko and his sons, but being a Boomer I had become almost numb with such tragic news. - The Kennedys, Martin Luther King, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, & Janis.
I honestly don't remember where I was. I was not a big fan of Lennon. I always thought his best work was with the Beatles. I do remember what I felt, though - I was saddened most of all by the realization that this ended any chance of the guys getting back together, ever. I felt sad for them.
I realize that the confines of a successful band can breed intense emotions, but I've always marveled when a group of people united by fate don't appreciate the blessing of finding a whole which is clearly greater than the sum of the parts. I'm completely OK with their wish not to reunite, but I have been annoyed over the years at their lack of gratitude for the doors opened by their collaboration. None of them except McCartney had material good enough to have broken through as solo artists, without the Beatles legacy.
Lennon's death was certainly a sad event, but I don't recall Lennon as a great person or important figure, and certainly not a life I'd emulate. He abused fans, alcohol and other substances, and women. His best-loved song, Imagine, blames a belief in God for Man's troubles, which to me is a powerfully cynical leap of logic.
I realize that the confines of a successful band can breed intense emotions, but I've always marveled when a group of people united by fate don't appreciate the blessing of finding a whole which is clearly greater than the sum of the parts. I'm completely OK with their wish not to reunite, but I have been annoyed over the years at their lack of gratitude for the doors opened by their collaboration. None of them except McCartney had material good enough to have broken through as solo artists, without the Beatles legacy.
Lennon's death was certainly a sad event, but I don't recall Lennon as a great person or important figure, and certainly not a life I'd emulate. He abused fans, alcohol and other substances, and women. His best-loved song, Imagine, blames a belief in God for Man's troubles, which to me is a powerfully cynical leap of logic.
Life before the Internet. I too was watching ABC MNF on December 8, 1980 but fell asleep during the game and missed Howard Cossell breaking in with news of John Lennon's death. Only the next morning did I hear the news on 97 Rock, where I worked at the time. The mood around the station was shock, disbelief and anger. My older son was "a l'il guy" at the time and Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" was in "A" rotation on the turntable. My perception of the event was somewhat different than most of my peers. I felt more sorrow for Lennon's son Sean, contemplating a young boy growing up without a father whom he dearly loved. How would his son deal with such a heartbreaking loss? To me, it demonstrated how fragile life is. George Harrison's words, "Life goes on within you and without you" also came to mind.
As the 'news of the day' goes, I was more interested by the news and reactions to Elizabeth Edwards' passing and the strength, resolve, grace and dignity that she demonstrated. Like my friend Paul Warren, have mixed emotions about John Lennon. I was a fan, but not a devotee. Like so many of us, and as Lennon has said in many interviews, he was a far from perfect person. I must admit however, to soaking up the Lennon lore that has been broadcast the last few days. NPR's "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook on Wednesday offered a phenomenal hour devoted to Lennon. CNN last weekend offered "Losing Lennon" with former CHUM jock John Roberts and NBC Nightly News and Brian Williams last night presented a feature on Lennon's legacy. Of particular interest in that offering was audio from JL commenting on Bruce Springsteen's rising star, wherein Lennon said, "I hope Bruce understands that "once he stops singing about getting drunk... the little turds will turn on him." Quite a revelation. I think Bruce proved that he could write songs every bit as insightful as Lennon.
A lot has happened in 30 years, hasn't it. Savor the day.
As the 'news of the day' goes, I was more interested by the news and reactions to Elizabeth Edwards' passing and the strength, resolve, grace and dignity that she demonstrated. Like my friend Paul Warren, have mixed emotions about John Lennon. I was a fan, but not a devotee. Like so many of us, and as Lennon has said in many interviews, he was a far from perfect person. I must admit however, to soaking up the Lennon lore that has been broadcast the last few days. NPR's "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook on Wednesday offered a phenomenal hour devoted to Lennon. CNN last weekend offered "Losing Lennon" with former CHUM jock John Roberts and NBC Nightly News and Brian Williams last night presented a feature on Lennon's legacy. Of particular interest in that offering was audio from JL commenting on Bruce Springsteen's rising star, wherein Lennon said, "I hope Bruce understands that "once he stops singing about getting drunk... the little turds will turn on him." Quite a revelation. I think Bruce proved that he could write songs every bit as insightful as Lennon.
A lot has happened in 30 years, hasn't it. Savor the day.
B
Bob1370
Guest
Got it, like most of you, from Howard Cosell on MNF (was watching it at home on Channel 7, and it was actually past my normal bedtime). Needless to say, IIRC it was a no-brainer lead story for us next morning, saturation coverage, and Jeff Kaye, who had a long history as a rock radio personality and programmer, wove well crafted tributes into our morning show.
Lennon was relevant to all of us on a number of levels. For some of us he was the staple of the programming we'd been doing for years. For some of us (myself included) we'd grown up with his music from the 1964 Ed Sullivan show appearances onward. And he was very much a part of the present at the end of 1980 as well. For my part, his post-Beatles music, starting with the "Imagine" album, was Lennon at his creative best. To give you an idea of how contemporary he was for young adults, two cuts from his Double Fantasy album (Starting Over and Woman) were already in our hot rotation at WBEN when he died and that was also true crosstown at WGR and at KB--we lost not just a part of our past but a part of our present that night.
Anniversaries of sad events like this make you think about what might have been--sure, John Lennon's creative legacy was already big, he'd already helped reshape our culture and to a degree, our way of thinking about and looking at the world. But he had just turned 40 when he was taken, and I remember what my boss, the late Jim McLaughlin, said that Tuesday morning---" I wonder what we missed, what he might have given us next?"
Lennon was relevant to all of us on a number of levels. For some of us he was the staple of the programming we'd been doing for years. For some of us (myself included) we'd grown up with his music from the 1964 Ed Sullivan show appearances onward. And he was very much a part of the present at the end of 1980 as well. For my part, his post-Beatles music, starting with the "Imagine" album, was Lennon at his creative best. To give you an idea of how contemporary he was for young adults, two cuts from his Double Fantasy album (Starting Over and Woman) were already in our hot rotation at WBEN when he died and that was also true crosstown at WGR and at KB--we lost not just a part of our past but a part of our present that night.
Anniversaries of sad events like this make you think about what might have been--sure, John Lennon's creative legacy was already big, he'd already helped reshape our culture and to a degree, our way of thinking about and looking at the world. But he had just turned 40 when he was taken, and I remember what my boss, the late Jim McLaughlin, said that Tuesday morning---" I wonder what we missed, what he might have given us next?"
I was a junior in high school at the time, and had just turned 17 the previous week. I had just finished listening to a side of a Beatles album and was getting ready to go to bed. I turned on the radio and heard the news on WLS, I think.
The next morning, my mother got me out of bed for school with that news, apparently unaware that I had heard about it the night before. (We're on central time, and I had heard about it shortly before 11:00 p.m. I was never really a football fan, so watching Cosell just wouldn't have happened for me.)
Like some of the rest of you, I was never really a Lennon fan. McCartney was always my favorite Beatle, but I certainly appreciated Lennon's contributions. I must say, however, that I was underwhelmed by the Milk and Honey album of his that was posthumously released by Yoko about three years after Lennon's death.
21 years later, I was working the overnight shift at the station where I was working at the time, when I heard the news over our network affiliate, that George Harrison had died. I had just finished listening to a Beatles CD earlier that night. Some things never change. It was my 38th birthday when Harrison died.
The next morning, my mother got me out of bed for school with that news, apparently unaware that I had heard about it the night before. (We're on central time, and I had heard about it shortly before 11:00 p.m. I was never really a football fan, so watching Cosell just wouldn't have happened for me.)
Like some of the rest of you, I was never really a Lennon fan. McCartney was always my favorite Beatle, but I certainly appreciated Lennon's contributions. I must say, however, that I was underwhelmed by the Milk and Honey album of his that was posthumously released by Yoko about three years after Lennon's death.
21 years later, I was working the overnight shift at the station where I was working at the time, when I heard the news over our network affiliate, that George Harrison had died. I had just finished listening to a Beatles CD earlier that night. Some things never change. It was my 38th birthday when Harrison died.
I was 23 and in college in Westchester County NY, out of radio at the time. I saw the headline in the morning county newspaper Today (one of Gannett's predecessors to USA Today). My girlfriend at the time, a classical pianist who also listened to WHN to get a Country fix, just couldn't get all the fuss... why I was so sad about it...and there was no explaining it to her. It was like a brick wall. I think she actually stated that in a hundred years no one would remember him like they do Beethoven or Bach.
There was no "favorite Beatle" for me; I was and remain a big fan of all four, including their individual work. My wife and I recently saw the Beatles' updated Anthology (with new footage from 2002). What really touched me was their loyalty to their inner circle, most notably Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall, both of whom could've been easily cut off after the band quit touring. Jack Armstrong's MySpace account of MC'ing their 1966 Cleveland concert painted a picture consistent with how the Anthology portrayed them.
Of course John's death ended any hope of a reunion. That was the saddest part for me...that and his return to prominence with Double Fantasy and then-current hit (Just Like) "Starting Over". I'd like to think with a few more years' passing, the Fab Four would've mellowed enough - and come to miss working with each other enough - to have "Come Together" for a side project, maybe a tour.
I also wonder how Lennon might have viewed the destruction of the Berlin Wall or collapse of the Soviet Union. Or some of the other geo-political events of the past two decades.
All that said, some of the remarks posted in this thread stand as a reminder that John Lennon, talented as he was...was only human. Not just talented - but very fortunate to have been in the right place, at the right time in history, with the right people, and the right songs.
There was no "favorite Beatle" for me; I was and remain a big fan of all four, including their individual work. My wife and I recently saw the Beatles' updated Anthology (with new footage from 2002). What really touched me was their loyalty to their inner circle, most notably Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall, both of whom could've been easily cut off after the band quit touring. Jack Armstrong's MySpace account of MC'ing their 1966 Cleveland concert painted a picture consistent with how the Anthology portrayed them.
Of course John's death ended any hope of a reunion. That was the saddest part for me...that and his return to prominence with Double Fantasy and then-current hit (Just Like) "Starting Over". I'd like to think with a few more years' passing, the Fab Four would've mellowed enough - and come to miss working with each other enough - to have "Come Together" for a side project, maybe a tour.
I also wonder how Lennon might have viewed the destruction of the Berlin Wall or collapse of the Soviet Union. Or some of the other geo-political events of the past two decades.
All that said, some of the remarks posted in this thread stand as a reminder that John Lennon, talented as he was...was only human. Not just talented - but very fortunate to have been in the right place, at the right time in history, with the right people, and the right songs.
I was living in Portland, Maine. My clock radio clicked on right at 7AM tuned to WBZ. News anchor Gary LaPierre came on with something pretty close to this:
"Shock and disbelief. Words in reaction to the the death by violence of John Lennon."
I remember the words "death by violence" very clearly. Like all teenagers, I had been obsessed with the Beatles - especially around the Revolver-Sgt. Pepper years. As much as I'd loved that music, its presence and role in my life was magnified that day by such a great sense of loss and unexpectedly profound sadness.
Ironically, the song "Just Like Starting Over" was a current at that moment. It was such an optimistic, looking-foward song.
As you gentlemen "d'un certain age" know, in those days there were many things we just expected to go on forever. We expeced The Beatles, even individually, would go on forever.
Nick Seneca
"Shock and disbelief. Words in reaction to the the death by violence of John Lennon."
I remember the words "death by violence" very clearly. Like all teenagers, I had been obsessed with the Beatles - especially around the Revolver-Sgt. Pepper years. As much as I'd loved that music, its presence and role in my life was magnified that day by such a great sense of loss and unexpectedly profound sadness.
Ironically, the song "Just Like Starting Over" was a current at that moment. It was such an optimistic, looking-foward song.
As you gentlemen "d'un certain age" know, in those days there were many things we just expected to go on forever. We expeced The Beatles, even individually, would go on forever.
Nick Seneca
I'll chime in, without quotes from others...as they are all very personal entries. Each say it well.
I was still finishing the college regimen (and working part-time at the station)...and I also recall being a MNF watcher when Howard relayed the news.
Ironically, the first thought to myself was "there goes the FABLED Beatle reunion". The second thought was "DAMN, another one goes down, needlessly". It was too close to my radio based mentality & passion to tell the difference. That was 30 years ago, I have since figured it out.
Sgt. Pepper lyrics, with an edit...."It was 30 years ago today....."
We can only "Imagine" what John may have offered to us....
HDBG
I was still finishing the college regimen (and working part-time at the station)...and I also recall being a MNF watcher when Howard relayed the news.
Ironically, the first thought to myself was "there goes the FABLED Beatle reunion". The second thought was "DAMN, another one goes down, needlessly". It was too close to my radio based mentality & passion to tell the difference. That was 30 years ago, I have since figured it out.
Sgt. Pepper lyrics, with an edit...."It was 30 years ago today....."
We can only "Imagine" what John may have offered to us....
HDBG
Working weekends flippin' the hits, going to night school and working as a wine salesman during the day, the news came shortly after I stopped into a familiar bar for a nightcap. A few of the (redneck) patrons laughed, they may have thought it was a joke. It wasn't. I had just ordered a Wild Turkey straight up. I spit in it, left it on the bar and walked out, hoping that one of the fools who thought Lennon's death was funny would take the drink off the bar. Lennon wasn't my favorite person, but he was a driving force of the band. His writing was introspective he deserved the accolades as a member of the band and a solo artist. I thought he was full of himself, but I'll give him credit for speaking his mind, especially when it seemed he was swimming upstream. I like that in some people. One of Lennon's best appearances was his stint on the Mike Douglas show, which I saw years later in features and news reports. He stood his ground against some formidable arguments and opponents. He'd be 70 years old. Probably playing unplugged concerts for VH1 like Clapton and so many others. It's unlikely he'd be doing the Rod Stewart thing, croaking his way through the Great American Songbook. Maybe he and Yoko would be making avant garde yodeling songs that art people found stimulating. Who the hell knows. He lived in NYC. I say this with no disrespect, but Lennon could have been shot by any number of nutcakes, Son of Sam, the Zodiac killer or some crack addict.
He seemed to be a polarizing figure, at least by the comments in this thread. I admired the guy, and what he said he stood for -- though biographies that have come out (Particularly the one from his first wife, Cynthia) showed him to have a temper, ignoring Julian for much of his growing up, and how he royally dumped Cynthia for Yoko. The guy was a cad at times. But, he produced some good music, came up from middle class roots (challenging the class system in the UK), saw his mom get killed by a car, became one of rock's first uber-superstars...
But, at the time -- he was a musical hero to me. A twenty year old in college, the gang I ran with was heavily into Beatles, Stones, the rock of the time.
A Monday night, I'd gone to bed, but was still awake -- my college housemate came home and told me just before midnight. First thing I did was put on the first song I could think of -- probably the first album I came across in my stack -- "Across The Universe."
Drove to the campus FM station, affected strongly by the news -- where I was music director for the after-midnight show -- told the jock to start playing all Beatles -- she was pretty reticent, smoking her Old Gold 100's.....But I figured it was the right thing to do. She read UPI wire copy about the death. What I do remember about that night is how 94 Rock in Syracuse cuoldn't even break their Burkhart-Abrams Superstar format -- the jock on at the time was crying, and then she had to say "coming up, we've got The Blues Brothers....
But anyone else remember the ten minutes of silence that was organized by stations the following sunday -- at 2PM?
But, at the time -- he was a musical hero to me. A twenty year old in college, the gang I ran with was heavily into Beatles, Stones, the rock of the time.
A Monday night, I'd gone to bed, but was still awake -- my college housemate came home and told me just before midnight. First thing I did was put on the first song I could think of -- probably the first album I came across in my stack -- "Across The Universe."
Drove to the campus FM station, affected strongly by the news -- where I was music director for the after-midnight show -- told the jock to start playing all Beatles -- she was pretty reticent, smoking her Old Gold 100's.....But I figured it was the right thing to do. She read UPI wire copy about the death. What I do remember about that night is how 94 Rock in Syracuse cuoldn't even break their Burkhart-Abrams Superstar format -- the jock on at the time was crying, and then she had to say "coming up, we've got The Blues Brothers....
But anyone else remember the ten minutes of silence that was organized by stations the following sunday -- at 2PM?
I was in college, at Penn State, and working fulltime in news at WMAJ/WXLR. I anchored mornings, went to school (that is, I slept through classes) midday, then covered stuff at night. That night, I was driving to the station after having covered a speech on campus by perennial fringe Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche. I turned the station on and was surprised to hear our afternoon jock and PD, Regis McKenna (real last name Bulman) on the air, playing Lennon and Beatles music. Back at the station, some of the jocks had gathered. It was a good radio station then -- nearly all of the jocks were adults on their second or third jobs, not kids. They were old enough to know what it meant that he had been murdered. They had candles burning in the studio and they were crying. They held a community rally to mourn Lennon's death a couple of days later and hundreds of people showed up.
The Blues Brothers. Amazing. Any jock worth his/her headphones would have chucked the format, "We're doing a tribute to John and the Beatles, format be damned." And any PD with half a brain in his head would have commended the jock for making a righteous call. How far we've come, haven't we. Haven't we? Really? ... It's very likely your college station had a lot of listeners that evening.oldschooler1 said:
[EDIT*-reference to content removed for disruption]
The simple fact is that a jock at a station running the Superstars format back then may not have had access to Beatles music. I know of several stations that ran tape-based automation, and there were no records or carts available to a jock on the air. You'd think that a PD would have the sense to disrupt the format and break out the Beatle collection.
The simple fact is that a jock at a station running the Superstars format back then may not have had access to Beatles music. I know of several stations that ran tape-based automation, and there were no records or carts available to a jock on the air. You'd think that a PD would have the sense to disrupt the format and break out the Beatle collection.
The next day, AP's 3:00 wire newscast included comments from various musicians, which included some unintentional dark humor:
Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger said he was "shattered."
Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger said he was "shattered."
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