December 8, 1980

Note:This blog was originally written December 8, 2006. This is a re-post of it with updates.

On this day 28 years ago John Lennon died at the age of 40. I wasn't alive to see the Beatles,I wasn't alive to see the break up of the Beatles,and I wasn't alive to see Lennon's death unfold. But,as a Beatles fan I understand what people must have felt that day. Lennon was about to begin a comeback,when tragedy struck. At 10:50pm that Monday night,John Lennon was walking with wife,Yoko Ono to their home at the Dakota when suddenly a man appeared behind Lennon and yelled out,"Mr.Lennon!".

As John turned he was shot 4 times;twice in the left side of his back and twice in the left shoulder. A doorman walked over finding the dying John Lennon and said to the kiler,Mark David Chapman,"Do you know what you've just done?"Chapman responded by saying in cold blood,"I just shot John Lennon". Paramedics responded as John was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital.Chapman co-operated with the police and was arrested.25 minutes later at precisely 11:15pm,John Lennon was pronounced dead at age 40.

News broke out of Lennon being shot on CNN and his death had been announced to the world during a Monday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.

The announcement of Lennon's death was a shock to a generation of fans. On December 14,1980 all around the world people stood together in silence to remember John Lennon. Since his death another Beatles has passed,George Harrison(who wrote the song "All those years ago" as a tribute to Lennon) passed away in 2001. Lennon's assassin,Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in 1982 has not gone a day without a single hate letter. His motive for killing Lennon was unnecessary and the murder itself was tragic thing to occur.

He took away from us a musician who despite controversy over remarks was a great guy who believed in peace and helped contribute with Rock n Roll's growth. I wish I had been alived to meet John and when I first became a Beatles fan around 2000 or so I was upset when I found out he had been dead for a while. If I had a choice to have all the money in the world or a chance to just meet John Lennon,I'd chose to meet John.In 2005,Pink Floyd reunited for the first time in 20 years at the Live 8 Concert. As I witnessed their reunion I wondered what could have been if we had say the Beatles there together with Paul,Ringo,John,and maybe George(if he hadn't passed). As this day comes to an end I leave you with another memory of John so here is the music video for the song "Imagine"