It Was 30 Years Ago Today....

[GAC]

He would have been celebrating his 70th birthday. That's really hard to believe.

Dec. 8, 1980. That's a date every Beatles fan over 40 remembers: the day John Lennon was shot and killed. We all know where we were and what we were doing when we found out. It's hard to believe it's been 30 years - harder still to believe it happened at all.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...120707593.html

I plan on listening to John's music, at various points, throughout the day in tribute.

[redsfandan]

Rolling Stone releases Lennon's final interview
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Ap Music Writer – 52 mins ago

NEW YORK – Three days before he was gunned down, John Lennon complained about his critics — saying they were just interested in "dead heroes" — and talked optimistically about his family and future, musing that he had "plenty of time" to accomplish some of his life goals.

Lennon's final interview was released to The Associated Press by Rolling Stone on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the musician's death. The issue using the full interview will be on magazine stands on Friday. While brief excerpts of Jonathan Cott's interview with Lennon were released for a 1980 Rolling Stone cover story days after Lennon's death, this is the first time the entire interview has been published.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101208/...on_anniversary

Here's the web-exclusive companion coverage to the piece:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/68404/239168

[Roy Tucker]

Such a shame. Such a stupid waste. Life is so precious.

Not that he was going to cure cancer or anything, but John was shaping up to be a good man to have in this world for the next 40-50 years.

[PedroBourbon]

One of the best and most talented musicians in history. What a shame and a loss. I too will be loading up on my Lennon and Beatles on the iPod over the next few days. I was aware this was coming up for several days.

Yoko on the other hand is one of the worst musicians of all time and yet another example of opposites attract.

For those of you with Sirius/XM, there is a free McCartney concert this Monday night 12/13 live at the Apollo. I will be tuning in.

[*BaseClogger*]

I too will be loading up

Heh, I thought you were going in another direction at first there...

[PedroBourbon]

Heh, I thought you were going in another direction at first there...

Well that too. Puffy is stopping by for a listening party.

[New York Red]

Even 30 years later, Lennon's death seems like a recent tragedy. It was sickening and senseless at the time, and still is today. I can remember sitting on the couch watching TV, and ABC interrupting the show for a news break to announce Lennon's murder. One of those moments in life you never, ever forget, regardless how much time passes.

[Blimpie]

I was nearly 13 years old when John Lennon was killed. I remember telling my mom that I was sick the next morning so that I could stay home from school and listen to all of the tributes that were taking place on FM radio.

On another note, I just listened to the archived clip of Howard Cosell debating with Frank Gifford about how/if they should announce Lennon's death to the Monday Night Football audience that evening:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5884604

First of all, I desperately miss Cosell as a broadcast personality. My other take away was that, for most people, the MNF broadcast was the first notification that they had about the tragedy.

No internet, no cable news shows, no cell phones. How utterly bizarre it is that this event played a role in the pop culture evolution for Monday Night Football.

[cumberlandreds]

I was nearly 13 years old when John Lennon was killed. I remember telling my mom that I was sick the next morning so that I could stay home from school and listen to all of the tributes that were taking place on FM radio.

On another note, I just listened to the archived clip of Howard Cosell debating with Frank Gifford about how/if they should announce Lennon's death to the Monday Night Football audience that evening:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5884604

First of all, I desperately miss Cosell as a broadcast personality. My other take away was that, for most people, the MNF broadcast was the first notification that they had about the tragedy.

No internet, no cable news shows, no cell phones. How utterly bizarre it is that this event played a role in the pop culture evolution for Monday Night Football.

MNF was the first I had heard about it. Remember it very well.

[RedsBaron]

I was nearly 13 years old when John Lennon was killed. I remember telling my mom that I was sick the next morning so that I could stay home from school and listen to all of the tributes that were taking place on FM radio.

On another note, I just listened to the archived clip of Howard Cosell debating with Frank Gifford about how/if they should announce Lennon's death to the Monday Night Football audience that evening:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5884604

First of all, I desperately miss Cosell as a broadcast personality. My other take away was that, for most people, the MNF broadcast was the first notification that they had about the tragedy.

No internet, no cable news shows, no cell phones. How utterly bizarre it is that this event played a role in the pop culture evolution for Monday Night Football.

Frank Gifford wrote about this in his autobiography "The Whole Ten Yards."
I have no idea where my copy of the book is, which I read maybe 15 years ago, but I can recall that Gifford also wrote about a visit Lennon made one night to MNF. Ronald Reagan, then just a former governor rather than a president (I guess this was in the mid-to-late 70s) was also visiting MNF. Anyway, Gifford wrote about Reagan explaining American football to Lennon as they both watched the game. Gifford remarked about how it would be hard to think of two individuals who were more different from each other than Reagan and Lennon, yet at least that night they got along famously. It was a charming account.

[redsfandan]

Frank Gifford wrote about this in his autobiography "The Whole Ten Yards."
I have no idea where my copy of the book is, which I read maybe 15 years ago, but I can recall that Gifford also wrote about a visit Lennon made one night to MNF. Ronald Reagan, then just a former governor rather than a president (I guess this was in the mid-to-late 70s) was also visiting MNF. Anyway, Gifford wrote about Reagan explaining American football to Lennon as they both watched the game. Gifford remarked about how it would be hard to think of two individuals who were more different from each other than Reagan and Lennon, yet at least that night they got along famously. It was a charming account.

YouTube - John Lennon on Monday Night Football 12/9/1974

[GAC]

Frank Gifford wrote about this in his autobiography "The Whole Ten Yards."
I have no idea where my copy of the book is, which I read maybe 15 years ago, but I can recall that Gifford also wrote about a visit Lennon made one night to MNF. Ronald Reagan, then just a former governor rather than a president (I guess this was in the mid-to-late 70s) was also visiting MNF. Anyway, Gifford wrote about Reagan explaining American football to Lennon as they both watched the game. Gifford remarked about how it would be hard to think of two individuals who were more different from each other than Reagan and Lennon, yet at least that night they got along famously. It was a charming account.

I saw that game and was amazed when Lennon showed up. Lennon talked about how American football was similar to rugby in England.

[George Anderson]

I havent seen this flick about Lennon yet but the reviews on it are good.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810073977/info

[savafan]

I havent seen this flick about Lennon yet but the reviews on it are good.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810073977/info

I have seen this. Very good film.

[New York Red]

I had completely forgotten the news was broken during the Monday Night Football telecast. For some reason I remembered I was watching ABC, which of course aired MNF back then, but I didn't remember it was during the game. I still seem to remember ABC news interrupting the programming to make an announcement also, maybe after Cosell gave the news? I watched the clip but it ends before anything official was aired. I would like to hear the rest of that discussion Cosell and Gifford were having. They were obviously upset about the news, as we all were.