Where were you on this day 38 years ago (1982, TV, vinyl)
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I was living in Portland, OR, and I remember seeing it on TV, probably the next day (I wouldn't have been watching Monday Night Football). It's the same mental picture I form as when Reagan was shot a few months later. I was living in the same apartment, so I conflate the two. I remember my sofa and my TV rack, actually, rather than any televised image of either event.
I didn't experience the soul-crushing sadness so many seem to have gone through when Lennon was shot. I had been a Beatles fan since "I Want to Hold Your Hand" came out the first week in 1964, but John lost me nine years prior to his assassination with "How Do You Sleep?"
I was 17 and watching Monday Night Football on ABC (I forget what teams were playing) when the network broke in with a news bulletin:
Former Beatle John Lennon was gunned down outside his NYC apartment building. Mr. Lennon was pronounced dead at a local hospital...
I still remember the total shock and sadness I felt. I also remember when they had the lowlife in custody...I wanted to go to the police station and kill him myself! The world lost a legend and for days, seemed that every radio station had tributes to John Lennon.
Where were you?
probably at home..... don't really remember because that event was overshadowed by my dad's sudden and unexpected death EXACTLY two weeks later......
Remember it very well and of course it was shocking news. At least his music continues to be heard and appreciated by millions around the world. Just about a year ago we were in NYC on a sidewalk adjacent to Central Park at the front gate of the Dakota apartments where he was shot and the memories came rushing back.
I was living in Portland, OR, and I remember seeing it on TV, probably the next day (I wouldn't have been watching Monday Night Football). It's the same mental picture I form as when Reagan was shot a few months later. I was living in the same apartment, so I conflate the two. I remember my sofa and my TV rack, actually, rather than any televised image of either event.
I didn't experience the soul-crushing sadness so many seem to have gone through when Lennon was shot. I had been a Beatles fan since "I Want to Hold Your Hand" came out the first week in 1964, but John lost me nine years prior to his assassination with "How Do You Sleep?"
I remember that I'd just gotten home from school, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon and I was watching some old B&W movie on a local station when the bulletin broke in that Reagan was shot. The news man had initially said, "Someone just tried to assassinate President Reagan..." Those exact words.
Like many others, I was watching Monday night football. It was shocking, but didn't affect me that much. I was 20 years old and death wasn't something I gave any thought to.
I was in the Bahamas for a few days, and away from the news (and the world in general!). I remember going into a hotel to eat breakfast, and glanced thru a paper while I was sitting there. An article towards the rear of the paper was discussing "John Lennon's estate". I thought, WTF, his estate? It didn't take long to read thru and discover he had been shot & killed a few days earlier.
Sad, very sad. I was a big fan of his creative genius.
Coincidentally, I will be in NYC the rest of the week, and plan on visiting Strawberry Fields.
if you mean John Lennon getting shot? I dont remember what i was doing exactly, but that was the first famous person that i became aware of that violence took this person's life, someone of my generation, so that startled me a bit into a dose of reality.
It was week 13 of the 1980 NFL season, Monday night. New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins at the Orange Bowl. I had some friends over at the house. I'm sure everyone has youtubed the official announcement where ABC sportscaster How Cosell said in finality-"Dead on arrival.' He said it at the 2 minute warning. What I haven't seen online was the very first words around the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter--what I remember Cosell saying: "We Have just received a bulletin from the ABC Newsroom that John Lennon has been shot in front of his residence. We hate to give you news like this at this time but it is sadly our jobs to do this."
All of us at my house were completely speechless and who really WAS speechless was the other broadcaster people; Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Fran Tarkenton. To Cosell's credit he spent a couple minutes talking about Lennon in general. Remember, it was only a few seasons back that Cosell had Lennon on a MNF broadcast a few seasons back, had him on for a couple minutes IIRC.
That next day (I worked in construction, was laid off for the winter) that next morning I was so torqued off that i remember getting in the car and just driving. And driving. After a couple hours. I had some friends who owned music stores back then and for the next month there was a customer rush for John Lennon solo lp's and Beatles lp's.
Thinking back, I remember for months, thinking about "what next?" Thirty eight years later I still shake my head.
I was never a Beatles fan so I honestly don't remember where I was or what I was doing. I do remember where I was and what I was doing when Jimi Hendrix death was announced.
The next day, I had a class where we had to prepare a speech with props and people had been working on theirs all semester.
There were 4 guys in the class; never prepared; all wore the pagers; would get paged; leave class, etc.
Well, one of them goes first. Gets up and makes a long speech about his hard work but he can't do it because he is so upset about Lennon dying. Played a couple of songs and sat down.
The other 3 guys ended up doing a variation of the same thing.
Of course, the rest who had really prepared were really sad also and felt kind of overshadowed but really sad at the same time.
Senseless act. Will never forget.
Always remember the class. I think the rest of us all got A's.
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Will always remember
