It's a sad topic to think about. thenewgreen prefers to think about John alive, as we all do. For me I will always remember exactly what I was doing when I became aware of John's murder. It's as powerful a memory of Kennedy's murder, 911, the Challenger disaster, and the Montreal massacre (23rd anniversary this December 6, just passed.). What were you dong?
Posted this in another thread, but thought it appropriate to share here as well: I was yet to be born, but my father had the best story which was handed down to me rather fittingly.
He was in a screening of the Yellow Submarine that night. It was a packed theater and he went alone, but when he came out, he got in his car, turned on the radio... and they were telling of the assassination. He said the entire parking lot stood still. No one moved their cars, they all just sat and silently listened.
The first thing he did was he went out and grabbed the local newspaper when they printed it with the story. He brought it home and read the pages and pages they had on his life and the Beatles while he listened to this collection of their love songs he had. He slipped the newspaper in their for one reason or another.
In 2008, I removed myself from his life. He's not a good man, but while I was moving out, he was also about to sell his house. He once cared greatly for music, but since he took up with his girlfriend, he pushed aside all rock music as garbage, and said I could take his record collection. I did so happily as a collector myself. After going through everything for a few months I found the gatefold of love songs. I didn't even notice the newspaper until I have halfway through side two of the first LP, but when I did I read every bit of the paper. It was the closest to living that night and knowing the importance he held to everyone in the two decades that proceeded his assassination. It was a truly poignant experience.
I asked my mother about it one day because they were already a couple at that point. She had a glimmer of recognition and remembrance. I haven't seen that before or since, her reliving or telling of her youth in any way. It was even more astounding seeing his face when I showed him the paper. For a minute or two while he told me the story it was actually like seeing him from when he still had passions and humanity, back when the Beatles really were a massive influence on his life and beliefs before drugs, alcohol, and deceit became him. It was probably the most information I'll ever get about them or their lives together, and it was mostly a look in their faces. All because of a newspaper reminding them of a single night.
Unfortunately, I was not even a gamete at that time.
I see people are forwarding this post to their followers, but no one is posting. Maybe, like thenewgreen everyone is too young. So I'll start. Fall 1980 was my first semester as a graduate student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I had a radio in my office which I shared with three other grad students. I recall turning on my radio and realizing that it was playing nonstop Beatles and John songs. At one point, the announcer mentioned that John had been shot. What's odd is that I can't remember if it was around midnight that night - I often worked in my office all night finishing papers or marking - or if it was the next morning. I do remember wondering why they were playing all Beatles, hearing the announcement, and feeling so disheartened with the world.
Like you mention, I was too young to remember it significantly. I was just 3.5 years old. But I can remember my parents and others that were in our house gathered around the television set. It may be one of my first memories. When I was a kid I identified immensely with the Beatles music (still do) and in particularly Johns songs. I loved his use of imagery and his ability to use beautiful melodies to convey sadness, longing, love and our collective humanity. There is probably no person outside of my family that has had a greater impact on me. I studied his writing and his personal life religiously as a kid. I've read books, watched documentaries many, many times over. When I graduated from High School I wore a bolo tie with a photo of John Lennon as it's center. The Beatles were "my band", people associated them with me at that age. While other people were listening to bands like Aerosmith, Nirvana and Pearl Jam I was still holding strong with my love of the Beatles. I think people often forget that George Harrison was also nearly murdered. A crazy guy broke in to his home and stabbed him. Martin Scorsese's George Harrison Living in the Material World has an interesting account of it. Anyways, I can't say what I was doing when I found out about Johns death but I can definitely say that his life had an amazing impact on me. I love John, very much.