Imagine: Tribute to John Lennon
On this day in 1980, John Lennon was murdered. Assassinated by a deranged fan outside The Dakota, where Lennon lived with wife and muse Yoko Ono and had been a stay-at-home dad for their young son Sean. I remember waking up to the news and feeling stunned. Horrified. I felt stricken, knowing that all however-unlikely hope for a Beatles reunion was now moot. It angered me that such senseless acts of violence existed and that this cultural icon's life ended in such a gruesome and tragic way. It felt so personal. The assassin had ripped a hole in the fabric of my life, tore the threads of melody that sang stories of loves found and loves lost, tales of youthful fascination with things counter to the dominant culture, taking a stance against war and discrimination, in favor of peace and justice. When the Beatles first invaded American shores, John wasn't my favorite Beatle. I'll freely admit to being into ...