Classic Pop Icons

Thirty years ago today, the world lost one of its most celebrated stars when John Lennon was gunned down outside the Dakota apartment building in New York City. He was just 40-years-old.

Tributes are planned around the world, including at the Strawberry Fields memorial garden in New York’s Central Park, at Rubin’s remembrance in Los Angeles, and at the new Peace and Harmony monument in Liverpool. The Liverpool Echo Area will also host the “Lennon Remembered: The Nine Faces of John” concert tonight, which brings the city’s two-month Lennon tribute season to a close. Another tribute concert, now in its 10th year, is the “Dream Power John Lennon Super Live” charity concert at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, which raises money for building schools around the world. Lennon performed at the venue with the Beatles in 1966.

Yoko Ono has asked for Lennon to be remembered “with deep love and respect”. She added “In his short-lived life of 40 years, he has given so much to the world. The world was lucky to have known him. We still learn so much from him today.”

At the time of Lennon’s death, he was on the comeback trail after several years of musical inactivity. His comeback album, “Double Fantasy“, had been released the previous month to mixed reviews and a new era of musical possibilities seemed to be on the way. His last interview featured Lennon in enthusiastic mood. He had clearly enjoyed making “Double Fantasy” and was looking forward to making another album and possibly returning to live performance.

Here’s some sad news broadcasts from the time of Lennon’s death:

ABC News – December 8, 1980

WBBM Channel 2 – December 9, 1980

BBC News – December 9, 1980

ITN News – December 9, 1980

These broadcasts really highlight the senseless and shocking nature of John Lennon’s death, which continues to sadden and anger fans to this day. Comfort can be taken by the fact that, thirty years later, Lennon’s music is as popular as ever. The man was silenced, but the music lives on.

Lennon’s ongoing appeal is illustrated by last year’s hugely successful reissue of the Beatles catalogue and the impressive recent debut of the Beatles on iTunes. This year also saw the reissue of Lennon’s solo work to coincide with his 70th birthday. This “Gimme Some Truth” campaign included remastered versions of his solo albums, a greatest hits package, and two box sets. His final album, “Double Fantasy”, was released as a double CD, with an interesting stripped down version on one disc and the remastered version on the other.

One of the best known tracks on “Double Fantasy” is “(Just Like) Starting Over”, which features a return to Lennon’s roots with a 50s-style arrangement, complete with Elvis-influenced vocal inflections. He may have been “Starting Over”, but he was also reaching back. What this and interviews from the time highlight is that through all the personal and artistic changes that Lennon underwent, he remained inspired by the rock ‘n’ roll of his youth and it continued to influence his own work. When listening to “(Just Like) Starting Over”, it’s easy for the mind to wander to a young John Lennon singing along to his favourite records and dreaming of conquering the world with his own band.

John Lennon – “(Just Like) Starting Over”

There is a tendency for performers of Lennon’s stature to be mythologised, particularly if they meet a premature or dramatic end. Lennon himself would have been as uncomfortable with that as he was with some of the more extreme adoration he received during his lifetime. He wasn’t a saint, nor was he the most profound thinker of his generation. He was a committed and genuine peace advocate and, most importantly, a very fine songwriter and gifted showman who can take credit for some of the most enduring songs of the 20th century. That’s how he should be remembered.

Go to our New Releases archive for further details on the 2010 Lennon releases.