Remembering John Lennon Oct-9 1940 – Dec-8 1980

I remembering hearing about John Lennon’s death the day after it happened. I was still a small boy, so I was fast asleep when he was murdered on December 8, 1980. It was all over the news the next day. I remember watching NBC news as I was eating dinner with my family. We had a small black-and-white television in the kitchen. Of course I didn’t really have a concept of mortality at that age, but I loved The Beatles from the numerous times my dad would play Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour on the record player. I just wondered why anyone would shoot this wonderful man.

Although I’ve come to love Lennon’s song writing and music, I was more inspired by what he did socially. He took his fame and used it to make powerful anti-war statements. Similar to how Muhammad Ali — one of my other favorite people that ever existed — leveraged his fame in the sports world, Lennon made people think whether you agreed with him or not. He was an amazing man on so many levels.

Let’s talk about what John Lennon meant to you. Did you he influence your taste in music or your social stances?

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

74 thoughts on “Remembering John Lennon Oct-9 1940 – Dec-8 1980”

  1. I find it somewhat sad that more people are posting about John Lennon on FB today than posted about Pearl Harbor Day yesterday.

    1. i agree nightshade but i didn't know it was Pearl Harbor's anniversary until the end of the day. The news and other media outlets are to blame. When i was on my way to work today i was listen to Mike & Mike in the morning and they kept mentioning John Lennon over and over again but yesterday they didn't make one peep out of Pearl Harbor.

      2. @nightshade

        really?? both of your grandfathers? my gf's grandfather was a WWII vet, as well. He passed a little bit ago. I should remember Pearl Harbor's day from now on his bday was yesterday too. I think WWII vets were too awesome to describe. Please thank them for me (if they're still around). one veteran to another.

      3. No, they're both gone unfortunately. Cancer in both cases. My father's father died on Veteran's day about a decade ago. Talk about ironic. Anyway….

        My father's father was in the Army Air Corp, now the Air Force. He was in the Pacific the entire war and worked as a mechanic on the planes.

        My mother's father was a torpedo gunner on two different destroyers in the Navy. First half of the war he was in the Atlantic, second half in the Pacific. His ship was kamikaze'd at Okinawa, but didn't sink.

      4. yeah my gf' grandfather passed to cancer a few years ago too. around my bday too before we started dating again, 7 years ago coming up.

      5. It just so happens that I've been spending the last month or so putting art together for a free lunch Holiday Tribute we are doing on Friday.

        I got to make my first lapel pins that say "Thank You Veterans" as well as design the program and about 5 banners.

        I've talked to a bunch of WWII Veterans in the past few months… they rock.

    2. Why? John Lennon was global. Pearl Harbor was tragic for America only. Facebook is global, so of course there are more posts on Lennon. This year also holds two round numbers for him. He would have been 70 and he died 30 years ago.

      1. I’m not talking about FB as a whole. I’m talking about the people I know, 99% of which are American.

      5. It also doesn't mean they weren't influenced by the outcome of WWII.

        Or that craptacular Ben Affleck movie.

      7. Not exactly.

        Chasing Amy was great.

        I watched "The Town" the other night and loved it (he directed that one too).

        Good Will Hunting was awesome.

        Maybe a few more.

      8. I personally like to believe Family Guy's interpretation of Ben Affleck's part in "Good Will Hunting."

      9. Admittedly I haven't seen The Town yet, but I have heard a lot of good things about it. It's just hard to get to the theater with a 4 year old and no real family in the area. Last movie I was in the theater was The A-Team (which I was pleasantly surprised by), and that was only because my wife and I both had a day off from work and "forgot" to tell our daycare provider.

      10. Everyone in this country was influenced by the outcome of every way America has participated in. I find the "somewhat sad" comment rather amusing. It's easy to see how someone that was in the most popular band ever and was a social activist could have more of a personal impact on Facebook users.

      11. And yet everyone on FB can change their status to say how much they support the troops every time someone starts the "I'm a patriot, but I bet you aren't" type of FB roulette that randomly pops up every 3 months, but these same people don't even know when Pearl Harbor Day was? You don't see the sad irony in that?

      13. That's a pretty ignorant response in all honesty. You can feel free to disagree with me all you want, but I'm not being snobbish about anything. The number of years that passes doesn't somehow make something less relevant, nor does a round number make it more relevant.

      14. It also doesn’t mean that they aren’t just playing the same game of FB roulette that goes on every time somebody posts about something and everyone seems to feel like they have to do the same.

      9. Sorry guys what a let down.

        Nightshade I sent you an fb friend request so you can see them.

      10. I saw them a couple days ago. They are pretty sweet. (hope another person verifying it helps, lol).

  3. He died a year before I was born. I didn't know why people were mentioning the Beatles in the Lennon discussion until I looked it up. I didn't know he was with the Beatles. I never had much interest in them though. Last week a girl told me I'd love their music so I put a ton of songs of theirs on my phone. As i listen to my music on shuffle I delete the ones I can't stand. Every time I go to delete something turns out it is a Beatles song. Of course on the flip side they sing a lot of songs I like that I didn't know was them.

    As for what John Lennon did with his life…….I'm clueless. I'd have to research more.

  4. As a musician, I can't say I wasn't influenced by the Beatles.

    As someone who was never a fan of the Beatles, I can say that I have indeed striven to not sound like the Beatles.

    This in turn (by default), makes me influenced by the Beatles.

    The reason somebody shot John Lennon was so that their own name would be forever tied to John Lennon's name for the rest of history. The sad part… it worked.

  5. @Nightshade386 How am I being ignorant? You're the one judging patriotism on whether people remember or date or not and a Facebook ribbon. I think you're being narrow minded. Additionally, I made no comment whatsoever on the relevance of Pearl Harbor. For whatever reason, you don't understand how John Lennon could possibly be more important to a person. That's why I found your initial comment amusing. You think it's sad that John Lennon could be more important to an individual than Pearl Harbor? I absolutely think that's snobbish.

    1. Importance is one thing, but I don't think that's the people's issue on the FB status thing.

      I think it's more the fact that they would rather hail John Lennon because it makes them seem cooler than posting a status message about PH (for those of us in the know).

      That.. and well, the 30 year anniversary is another thing. I bet next year the 70th anniversary of PH will be made out to be a bigger deal than it was this year.

      1. I agree that it will be a bigger deal on the 70th anniversary, but Nightshade says that round numbers add no relevance.

        As for the Facebook status, well that's really a reflection of a friends list isn't it?

      2. In some cases, you don't get to choose family. In other cases, I have good friends who I've agreed to never talk politics with because we want to stay friends. That doesn't make them bad people.

      3. Round numbers don't add relevance. People may think they do, but they don't. An event is no more or less important because the number of years that has passed ends with a zero.

      5. No, it's easier to sell round numbers to people. If you don't remember your Mom's Birthday every year, but you remember when she turns 60, it's because everyone you know has reminded you over and over again so that you don't forget and look like an idiot again.

      7. The relevance is in the milestones.

        For example… if I walked 3 miles… and then I walked 7 more miles… I would be like "Holy hell, I just walked 10 miles to prove something to Nightshade." and it would seem like a bigger deal than 3, 7, or even 9 miles.

        When it comes to the timeline, it's more like "Wow, that happened 30 years ago, it seems like it was only 15 years ago".

        No, it does not make an event more significant or not, but the milestone itself is significant.

      8. That makes sense. Unfortunately it seems like at times only treat things with significance because of the milestones and not the events themselves.

      9. The significance of the milestone is separate from the significance of the event, even though they are catered to in the same breaths. (if that phrasing works.)

        I mean, I don't think anyone will say that the death of one VERY well known, influential guy was more significant than the deaths of 2,459 people on that infamous day. That would just be rude.

        However, nobody thinks of it like that. They see the date and count the days, not the casualties.

        Trust me, next year Pearl Harbor will be a big deal… but probably not as big of a deal as it will be in 6 years… come the 75th anniversary.

    3. Because as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I know the people I'm talking about and you're making broad assumptions of "people" in general. That's why it's ignorant. I have people I know who are posting about John Lennon who don't even like The Beatles or even agree with his political stances on anything, who rant on and on about "patriotism" and don't even know when Pearl Harbor Day is.

      And quite honestly if Bono got shot tomorrow, as sad and tragic as that would be it still wouldn't be 9/11. If that makes me snobbish, I'll live with being snobbish.

      2. Forgive me for not posting a f'n article length post every time I have an opinion on something.

      3. Nothing to forgive. If you had been clear initially then I wouldn't have bothered replying. What you're "sad" about is how your particular friends are treating the respective issues. Sure.

  7. Here are Big Blak's fantastic photos! Wow. I bet those would fetch some major bank on eBay.

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12338" title="1" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12339" title="2" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12340" title="3" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/3.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12341" title="4" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12342" title="5" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/5.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12343" title="6" src="https://rpad.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/6.jpg&quot; alt="" width="575" height="431" />

    1. I'll pay you the $3.98 for that "Meet the Beatles" album. You know what, since I like you, I'll round it up to a nice, even $5.00.

      -M

      3. LOL. Mr Tokz offered me $3.98 but an even Steven stinking Lincoln is an offer I might have to take.

  9. The Beatles were one of the first bands that I really listened to a lot of the music library for. I always loved their music and still listen to them somewhat frequently.

  10. I’m a huge music fan, but surprisingly I’ve never much been into the Beatles. I appreciate their music and the contribution to music in general. If it’s on the radio I won’t change the station. But it’s not something I’d really ever choose to listen to.

  11. i didn’t know who John Lennon was at the age of 1 but as a i grew older i was devastated when i actually found out that John Lennon was dead. I think i finally heard he was dead when the Beatles released their Anthology albums. I had listen to Beatles music before that thanks to my stepdad and i actually got the CDs as an xmas present. I can’t help wonder how the world would be if he wouldn’t have been killed or if his music would still be as good. I like John Lennon’s music but his solo work wasn’t really as good like when he was the Beatles.

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