I went to bed early that night as I had classes in the morning. I had my radio on as I used to sleep that way--with the radio on. And after a spate of songs, the DJ announced that Lennon had been shot outside his aprtment complex in New York but that he was alive and apparently talking. He said he'd keep us updated and then broke for some commercials. I figured Lennon must have been OK since he was still alive and talking. Then the commercials ended and the DJ came back on and said, "I'm afraid I have some really terrible, terrible news..." and I knew John was dead. The DJ read the wire verbatim and then said all upcoming programs that night were cancelled and they started playing Beatle and Lennon songs the rest of the night and into the morning with no commercials.

I didn't cry or anything but I was definitely shocked because, as tired as I was, I did not sleep a wink. I laid there listening to John's voice until my alarm clock went off. Nobody at the classes I went to said a word about it as though it hadn't happened. When I got home, my dad said, "Somebody killed John Lennon. Isn't that terrible?" His voice was irate and I was surprised because he was from the older generation that had so looked down on the Beatles in the 60s. Although my dad was never anti-Beatle, I don't remember him being particularly pro-Beatle either.   He always seemed aambivalent and so it was odd to hear the anger and shock in his voice concerning John's death. That's how much impact the man had on global culture just through the writing of some songs. Incredible really.

As for Lennon's character, I didn't know the man. I've heard as many good things about him as bad and you can talk that way about anybody so I won't judge him and I certainly won't attack him which I think is classless. My early childhood can be told in Beatle songs. They were such an important part of my upbringing that any of them dying truly hurts. I was just as saddened by George's death. George was a class act.

It was magical to be a kid growing up during Beatlemania and I feel very fortunate that I wasn't too old to appreciate it. For me, it wasn't endless hype that drove you crazy as I probably would have thought of it in my older, jaded years. For me, the Beatle years are magical. "Penny Lane" still reminds me was Christmas 1967 when my oldest sister got the single for a present from my parents and she played it all day.

As for Yoko, lots of people attack her and not without good reason but I'll say one thing for her: She has kept the Beatle legend intact and will not allow anyone to mess with it. Paul actually called her once and wanted her to agree to separate the Lennon-McCartney songs into just Lennon or just McCartney if the other had no real role in writing that particular song. Yoko said absolutely not. There is no reason for her to do this except that she simply will not let anyone, no matter who it is, screw around with the Beatle legend. She has remained true to John and always seems to be trying to do right by him and his memory and I thank her for that.