Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Where Were You?

...when you heard that John Lennon had been murdered?

Tell me in comments.

I didn't know until the next morning. I was getting ready for school and when I turned on WNEW, Beatles songs were playing without commercial interruption. I knew something was up, but I didn't know what it was. Finally, Scott Muni spoke and delivered the sad news. One of my high school teachers (a man who was just the right age for Lennon to have been his hero) was overcome and we spent class discussing music instead of world religions.

15 comments:

dave™© said...

I was living in a house with a couple of dozen or so roommates, several of whom worked with me at the World's Greatest Record Store ("open every night of the year 'til midnite - go get 'em!"). A couple of us were actually listening to a British pressing of "A Hard Day's Night" on the stereo when one of the roommates came into the living room to say he had just heard Howard Cosell announce Lennon's murder on "Monday Night Football." We were all pretty stunned, but when we put on the radio and every music station was playing a Lennon/Beatles song, we knew it was true. We went down to the record store to see what was happening - the place was packed with people scooping up Lennon and Beatles records, and by the time we left, they were all gone. The next morning, when I came into work (I worked the early shift), my boss was on the phone to our warehouse ordering every poster there was that had Lennon in it. I drew a picture of John (in his style) on a small piece of poster board and wrote "The Dream is Over" under it and hung it on our store door. It got filmed by the local TV news and a bunch of people who knew me saw it, and still mention it to me.

charles pierce said...

Watching Monday Night Football, like all real 'Murkins.

Michael said...

I was 15 years old, I first heard the next day -- a morning news show was running on television as I was heading out the door to go to school.

1980 had some good moments for me personally, but between Reagan getting elected and John Lennon getting murdered, it sure did end on a sour note.

Anonymous said...

I heard the news from Howard Cosell - I just assumed he was aiming at Yoko and missed

res ipsa loquitur said...

Which means you heard Howard Cosell's famous announcement -- yes, Mr. Pierce?

The Crapture said...

Didn't care about the football game that night, stayed up late for some reason (I was only 8 years old) and saw it on the ten o'clock news. The radio stations most of my family listened to had been playing a lot of cuts from Double Fantasy in the weeks before it happened and i was a big fan of "Nobody Told me"...I wasn't aware enough to be truly devastated by the importance of his loss at the time, only saddened that he was gone and that someone had killed him

Raoul Paste said...

My wife and I went to an outdoor candlelight vigil in Austin that evening, the only vigil I've ever attended. With a large and somber crowd.

But even we've gone from the Age of Aquarius to the age of hippie punching (yes, I defy the ban!) the song Imagine is still popular.

Anonymous said...

I was 22 and on my way to work the next morning when I heard the news on my car radio. I was stunned. Still am.

Anonymous said...

John Lennon Lives On in his Music.
vox

Uncle Smokes said...

I was 16 and at home with some Beatles albums I had recently borrowed from a friend. I was hearing the White Album and Revolver for the first time and falling madly for the sounds.

Attaturk said...

I too heard it live on Monday Night Football. I cannot remember a damn thing about that game, except the few minutes after that announcement.

I even remember the reaction of the three announcers, as a 15-year old Minnesotan I remember Tarkenton was in the booth too they briefly talked about the matter outside that captured in the famous youtube clip.

I ended up staying up even later that night for Nightline.

davedave said...

I was 18, studying for a final with a friend at University of Rochester. We had a local FM radio staion on and the news came over. We continued studying and the weight of the news got heavier and heavier until we just quietly said good night. Next day I wore all white and no shoes (seemed appropriate at the time). I gave and received a lot of condolences. he was my first hero. my first career goal (at 6 years old) was to be John Lennon. Not a Beatle or a rock star, but John Lennon. So now I'm living through my 40s without the John's insights. I would've loved to see what kind of old man he'd've become.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

I was in NYC, on Union Square, working on a project for art school. I learned the news from a psychotic roommate who seemed to take delight in sharing the news. A very sad day.

klondike224 said...

Pats/Dolphins

Can't recall the score.

Ebon Krieg said...

Sleeping; I worked graveyard then.