kerouacdude
TRIBE Member
It was actually a Monday night too.
Though I didn't find out til my mom told me at breakfast the next morning. I didn't fully comprehend it and the full magnitude wasn't immediately felt - in my life, I hadn't been consciously aware of someone famous being shot to death (of course I knew about the 60's assassinations, but I wasn't alive) and to be honest, as a ten-year-old, the genial McCartney and wacky Ringo were a bit more accessible than the more complex Lennon.
I was a Beatles fan of course, and it seemed like most people were, but you don't really have a sense of how much someone's music means to a people at that age. And also, Lennon seemed like a contemporary artist too. Double Fantasy had just come out and I'd heard and liked Starting Over and Watching the Wheels (can't remember if my brother had the album already or got it that Christmas).
So the next few days were something I'd never seen before or since - that kind of public outpouring for a musician. I kind of remember Elvis dying, but it didn't seem as global. Obviously the manner of death was a big part of it, but it was more than that. People were literally torn apart by this, felt like a part of them had died.
Anyways, don't want to end this on a down - if you can find a copy at a used book store, Paperback Writer is hilarious - this guy takes the story of the Beatles and mixes in a whole lotta funny b.s. (e.g. because the solo albums suck, they get back together in the late 70's but the comeback album blows so they're forced to open for Peter Frampton at Dodger Stadium).
enough of me, feel free to share Lennon/Beatles thoughts regardless of whether you were around then or not.
Though I didn't find out til my mom told me at breakfast the next morning. I didn't fully comprehend it and the full magnitude wasn't immediately felt - in my life, I hadn't been consciously aware of someone famous being shot to death (of course I knew about the 60's assassinations, but I wasn't alive) and to be honest, as a ten-year-old, the genial McCartney and wacky Ringo were a bit more accessible than the more complex Lennon.
I was a Beatles fan of course, and it seemed like most people were, but you don't really have a sense of how much someone's music means to a people at that age. And also, Lennon seemed like a contemporary artist too. Double Fantasy had just come out and I'd heard and liked Starting Over and Watching the Wheels (can't remember if my brother had the album already or got it that Christmas).
So the next few days were something I'd never seen before or since - that kind of public outpouring for a musician. I kind of remember Elvis dying, but it didn't seem as global. Obviously the manner of death was a big part of it, but it was more than that. People were literally torn apart by this, felt like a part of them had died.
Anyways, don't want to end this on a down - if you can find a copy at a used book store, Paperback Writer is hilarious - this guy takes the story of the Beatles and mixes in a whole lotta funny b.s. (e.g. because the solo albums suck, they get back together in the late 70's but the comeback album blows so they're forced to open for Peter Frampton at Dodger Stadium).
enough of me, feel free to share Lennon/Beatles thoughts regardless of whether you were around then or not.
< --- his smiley
