The loss of John was devastating. The loss of George was devastating. I was listening to Pink Floyd's "Time" yesterday and my 18 year old son caught me crying. He asked me why and I mentioned John and George and all of my musical heroes that have left the planet. I'm 52 and I feel my own mortality more than ever simply through the wisdom of aging and the realization we are all specks of dust on the universal timeline. For the first time in my life I catch myself looking at the sky at night alot and enjoying the simple beauty of each day, everyday. It's something I wasn't capable of when I was younger and I feel so blessed I've finally reached a point in my life where I can stop and ENJOY the simplest of moments.

One of the most baffling things to me is that John Lennon has been dead for longer than he was alive, yet he still holds such a massive cultural presence to this day. I wasn't born until nearly 20 years after he died but when I sit and think that Lennon was barely even a part of the 80's it really just shows how important he was and will remain for years to come.

Like Rick, no death of anyone outside of my friends and family has ever affected me so deeply and so painfully. It may seem strange to grieve for someone you've never actually met but all Beatles fans felt they knew John and were in awe of him both as a musician and a person. I was depressed for months afterwards and couldn't listen to Double Fantasy as my feelings were too raw. It was only some time later, long after his death, that I began to realise that part of the grief I was feeling was for the death of my own youth. I was 32 in 1980 and all the joy in my teenage years and twenties had come from the Beatles and suddenly it was over. For me, much as I admire Paul, George and Ringo, John was always the one to watch or as Billy Preston once said, 'John was the boss Beatle!'

I was 27 years old when I learned that John Lennon was shot and killed. I also was watching MNF with my wife. I was a huge Beatles fan as well. I watched them on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 when they made their debut. I was 11 then. The Beatles had a large impression on my life. I was hooked on their music, their looks and their fashion from day one until they split up. Their breakup was devastating to me. I couldn't imagine there'd be no new Beatles songs ever again. I always held out hope that they'd reunite someday. After the shock wore off about John's death, I realized that there'd never be any reunification of the greatest band to ever grace our presence. I do remember just sitting back in my chair, uninterested in the football game that I was watching, my mind just totally numb. There will never be another band like the Beatles who did what they did at a time when they did it and another musician like John Lennon. Sorry for the ramble.

There was a moment in "Get Back" that was so poignant and powerful that made me feel for both John and George. George had just quit, and John did not show up and could not be reached, so Paul and Ringo are sitting in the studio with tears welling up and Paul says "Then there were two." The power behind those words, especially not knowing the harsh reality that it would indeed be just the two of them in the end sent chills up my spine. John was such a magnetic personality, and the love they all shared for him, and for each other, was palpable; regardless of the breakup.

I was 22 years old when John was killed. I remember it all too clearly. My mother (53 years old) surprised me by actually crying hard when she heard. I knew she kind of like the Beatles peripherally but that was a real surprise. That Friday or maybe Saturday or Sunday following (I don't recall which day exactly) Yoko put full page notices in many of the worlds largest newspapers asking for three minutes of silence at noon of one of those days in remembrance of John. That day I was Christmas shopping in The Galleria Mall in White Plains, NY (It's a huge mall) with my cousin. We planned to find a quiet corner in the mall somewhere when the time came to have our three minutes of silence. In the huge open area in the center of the mall there were some bleachers set up for children's Christmas shows none of which were going on at that time. We went to the top of the empty bleachers when the time was approaching and we waited. The mall was jam packed with shoppers. It was extremely crowded and Christmas music was playing. Looking down from the bleachers we saw a mass of humanity moving around below us along with the din of people talking and laughing. It was just a huge, loud and dynamic buzz of people. When the time came it took about 10 or 20 seconds for all those thousands of people below us to stop moving and become silent. It was so silent (the music had stopped) it was almost surreal. It was like everyone was frozen. Soon we heard some subdued and very faint and muffled crying but that was it. We heard nothing else for those three minutes. The world had come to a complete and utter stop. Nobody was moving. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I felt like I was in one of those old "Twilight Zone" TV shows. For those three minutes everyone was feeling the exact same thing and it was otherworldly and though it brought me to tears and I was massively bummed out, it was also beautiful at the same time. When the time was up, everyone started to move again very slowly and it seemed to take another 4 or 5 minutes for everyone to get back to the way they were before. And it was all about the world deeply saddened and missing John! That scene is engraved in my memory.

When John died I was 30, newly married, living near the beach. All was good. Suddenly my favorite Beatle, my idol in many ways, was gone. The worst thing was how the Beatles in 64 had lifted so many of us out of lingering depression and sadness caused by JFK's death and now we had to deal with it again. All my sisters and brothers please take care of yourselves.

Lennon was always my favorite Beatle. Such a great voice. And his stuff after Beatles...Woman, Jealous guy, Watching the Wheels...so talented.

Well done Rick. I guess the one thing I'd add is that we ALL have "that date" out ahead of us. It could be tonight, tomorrow, next week, next year, 11 years. It's sometimes hard to do but we all need to live for the moment, be in the moment. As I just turned 65 and in relatively good health, I'm grateful for what I have today.

As a 69yr old, I felt as if my hero big brother had died. I’m on the verge of tears hearing you now.

To me, John was the heart and soul of the Beatles. I always tell the story of how he can turn a song from a 'granny song' (his words) to a Beatles song by adding a little something. In "Getting Better" Paul sings "I must admit it's getting better" and John throws in "it couldn't get any worse". Just that throw-away line changed the whole texture of the song. Loved him and all these years, I'm still horrified to think that anyone on earth would think of assassinating him.

When I was 4 -5 years old my Uncle Len died. He was a coal miner barely into his forties. The family gathered at his and my Aunt Doris's home in Nottingham in the UK. The kitchen was full of adults and I had taken refuge under the kitchen table, keeping out the way . For some reason the radio was on.. and the sound of "Please Please Me" suddenly started playing. It got my attention. Big time. My ears suddenly took notice in amazement, astonishment wonder and excitement. This was the first time I had heard The Beatles. To explain the effect they had on our working class culture, identity and pride would take a book. Suddenly we heard our own accent on the radio and on TV. But it was not the accent of some low life shady criminal which is how we were usually portrayed in British Police and Detective TV shows. Or a comic relief in a period drama. It was instead very very cool. As their music changed, so did we.. suddenly we had poetry about our own streets, about our own lives, set to the most amazing music. It gaves us an authenticity, a meaning and scource of artistic expression which is almost impossible to explain.. because it was not just intellectual..but sensual, emotional. And this group of young working class men put the UK on the world map like it had never seen before. Not the force of Empire, of guns and conflict, greed. . But music, of joy of expectation and hope. When John Lennon was shot and killed..it seemed -at least to me - that part of that hope and the sense that you could navigate your way out of the hard streets and industrial towns you were born to safely, died with him also. The diversity of inluences they proclaimed openly.. Black Music, Rock and Roll, Folk Music, Traditional Music Hall, Tamla Motown...we had never seen or heard that before. At least in my neighbourhood. "I am he, as you are he, as you are me, And we are all together." Coo coo co choo. Black Chelsea Boots, "long" hair and an irresistable back beat. Love and Peace. "You say you wanna Revolution.. w-e-ll you know, we all want to change the world". Then a gunshot late one night in a New York street. As I said, part of me thinks that it wasn't just John who died that night. But the music and the legacy still lives. Maybe the dreams do also 😌😎✌️

Three deaths have hit me like a brick during my lifetime: JFK in '63 when I was 12, my sister in '70, & John in '80. Every year during those anniversaries I cry & oftentimes at random throughout the year when a memory of them pops into my head. All of those losses felt personal. Thank God for John's music. His genius lives on.

My thoughts about John Lennon in the Get Back documentary was how young he was and the complexity of his personality. From his pragmatic response of George leaving, saying "if he's not back by Tuesday we'll get Eric Clapton" to his conversation with Paul about how they had treated George and his error in the situation. He had the emotional intelligence to admit his error. That's what comes through his music, not just his ability to craft great songs and lyrics but the stirring of emotion within the context of the songs he wrote. People still experience the sense of feeling in his songs that he was able to portray. Truly missed

A generation of millions lost their leader, their spokesman, their guiding voice.

Just hearing this re account of this tragedy brings tears. You never know what you've got till it's gone. Suddenly we all realized what we'd loved so dearly and lost. Powerfully reflective and sad. To this day I hang on every syllable when I hear his voice in any interview, how valuable is this footage? John Lennon rest in strawberry fields forever in our hearts. I know he had to let the fame go, I get that. We won't let go of your joy and gift.

It was so ironically sad to hear Paul say, when George left, "In 50 years we'll look back on this and laugh" (paraphrased). Knowing that John would meet this violent end in a little more than 11 years, it brought me to tears.

I was one of those people who stood in front of the Dakota the day after John’s death. It was an awful gut wrenching experience filled with an unbearable sadness. While all of us share a sense of unresolved grief even after all these years it is important to remember that what the Beatles accomplished will always be remembered in the most wonderfully positive way. May that always outshine what happened to John Lennon on December 8, 1980.

My sophomore year in college coming into my dorm a guy told me that John had been shot and killed. I locked myself in my room, put Pepper on and played A Day in the Life over and over for at least two hours. Many people who knew I was a big Beatles fan knocked on my door offering condolences; but I told them to leave me alone. Finally, my best friend who was also a big Beatles fan knocked on my door and said, "let's go get something to eat." I told him no I didn't feel like it. He then started saying #9 repeatedly, and chanting other less stellar works of John's. He got me laughing, I opened the door, put my arm around him, and we went out to get a meal. Yeah, I got by with a little help from my friends. I could picture John laughing and agreeing to get on with my life. That dear friend of mine died about 10 years ago. Thankfully, I told him how much I cared about him a number of times before his death. I've never truly gotten over John's...Give Peace a Chance!

I had just turned 16 the week before John was murdered. I’d been turned onto The Beatles earlier that year, by my then best friend, who worshipped all things Fab, but Lennon in particular. Somewhat coincidentally, one of the first LPs I had bought a couple of years earlier, was “Wings Greatest Hits”. I remember playing it when I first brought it home, and my Mom asking if that was Paul McCartney singing. I remember being somewhat surprised she’d know any musician from “my generation”. When I said it was, she said, “I always like his voice, but it was better when he was with The Beatles”. I replied, “Oh, he was in another band?” (I know, I know…lol). But until I’d gotten into The Beatles, I honestly don’t remember knowing about John Lennon (most likely because when I was first getting into music he was in the midst of his self-imposed exile from the music scene). But after being familiarized with The Beatles’ catalogue by my buddy, I realized a lot of the songs I really liked were written by this John Lennon guy, and I became a fan. I had just gone up to bed, and was lying there reading, when my Mom came up to tell me that John had been shot (her and my Dad were watching Monday Night Football, like your buddy was). I was shocked, to say the least. I then called my buddy, to see if he’d heard the news. He hadn’t. I was the one that broke it to him. At first he thought I was just trying to pull a bad joke. Then he popped on the TV, and realized I wasn’t pulling his leg. I recall him saying over and over, “Do you know what this means?” All I could think of was that it was the end of any possibility of The Beatles reunion he and I had hoped for, and discussed many times by then. It was strange at school the next day, because so many of the kids had no idea who he even was, other than “that guy who’d been in The Beatles”. It was probably the first time I felt I had more in common with my teachers, than my classmates, as many of them were visibly upset over it. I remember my English teacher in particular discussing it with the class, and I was the only guy who really knew who he was talking about. But as you noted, as a teen, 40 seemed ancient. I no longer recall which one of us two geniuses said it, but in an attempt at consoling each other, one of us commented “Well, he WAS 40. It’s not like he didn’t live a full life”. 😖 I’m 57 now, have been married to the same amazing woman for almost 35 years (a fellow Beatles fan BTW), have three grown sons, and 40 seems like a lifetime ago for me. I think of all that has gone on in my life in the last 17 years, and think how John never got that. Many seem to lament the loss of potential great music he could have made, and there is that, but I just think about how he missed out on seeing his sons grow into men. I know it has been one of the great pleasures of my life, and John was denied that, by the whim of a madman, and to me that’s the saddest part of the whole thing. Perhaps lifestyle choices wouldn’t have allowed him to live to a ripe old age, but at least, like George, it would have been of natural causes, rather than the way he went. Our thoughts are always with him every year on December the 8th.

I finished the last part of Get Back last night and spent most of the night watching videos on Twitter from the folk who had gone to Strawberry Fields to sing Beatles songs. As wonderful as Get Back has been I don't think you can ever escape the sadness of two of them no longer being with us. It was the one constant I felt throughout. Although The Beatles finished, it has never felt like there was a full stop behind their work. Get Back, to me gave us that full stop. A chance to see them without banal questions being thrown their way, in their element, being who we always thought they were, and delivering a live performance that with each song puts a bigger lump in your throat. They changed us for the better and I wish them nothing but love wherever they are.

When John died back in 1980, my band were asked by people connected to the Beatles to play at a Tribute concert for John in Liverpool. Quite an honor for us. And so as we prepared to play, I noticed the crowd getting larger and larger and then getting out of control. People right in front of the stage started to suffocate and despite pleas from the organizers to move back nothing seemed to change. And so next thing the Fire Marshall shows up on stage and stops the show. And tells us to get out of the way as he was about to let the crowd come up through the stage area to alleviate the pressure and that was the end of it all. Paul had also sent us (via his brother Mike who was there also) a pre-recorded message to play for the crowd which we never did. I often wondered what Paul said on that cassette? Sad days to look back on forty years later. Roger Scott Craig, The Merseybeats/Liverpool Express/Fortune/Harlan Cage/101 South

It's strange Rick. This is exactly what I was thinking watching him in the studio. Looking at his face, seeing his innocence and his youthful exuberance but also his gravity, the immensity of that world he had created for us all and that he carried on his young shoulders. And each time I was tearing when thinking about the fact that 11 years later he would be shot and killed for no reason other than the beauty of all he had created. Such a tragedy, a loss I will never fully comprehend. I'm glad this documentary gave us the opportunity to see the Beatles being a band of brothers rather than that awful ending that we have been carrying these past 50 years. John must be happy knowing that we get to see Yoko just being at his side and loving him rather than being that caricature the world has been fed to explain their breakup.

I had bought Double Fantasy the afternoon John was shot, and so I was immersed in the album and then listening nostalgically to old Beatles albums; so the shock of the news was even more devastating because I'd spent the evening listening, appreciating, and missing them. Will never forget it. Such an incredible waste.

I’m just 14, but John’s music has connected with me in a way that I’ve never been connected with before. My great grandfather loved the Beatles, my grandfather does too, so does my dad, so do I and my children might even too. All my friends know the Beatles and love them (despite liking mumble rap, hip hop or modern pop as well). That speaks as a testament to how their music has surpassed generations and related to everyone at some point. John is my favourite Beatle, and I hope he’s enjoying the afterlife, as he deserves to very much. Peace.

I’m a history teacher and I teach about this every year. I’m also a musician and a huge Beatles fan. I unfortunately discuss many tragic events. However, this one always has me on the verge of tears. It feels like the loss of a friend. 😢

That 41 years later, I watch this with tears welling up says so much about the profound legacy that continues to grace and echo through the world over.

Amen Rick,. Dec1980 was one of the sadddest days of my life......

1980 was a HUGE impact on me as a music lover. I remember I was a Freshman in High School and we were still trying to wrap our heads around the passing of Zeppelin's John Bonham when the news came down that John Lennon was assassinated. Understand, at the time, John had FINALLY come to terms w/ his fame and was in a happier place. He had just released probably his most hopeful and positive solo album, Double Fantasy. In it, he sang about his love of Yoko in one of the finest love songs ever written, "Woman". He wrote "Beautiful Boy" about Sean, his son, and he wrote "Starting Over", as positive and looking forward to life a song as he has ever written, I LOVED this album. Then all of a sudden, he was dead.... I was so sad that John never got to live this new perspective after being so 'angry' and combative, anti-establishment, most of his post Beatle life. What a loss RIP John.

John Henry Bonham had been found dead four months earlier. I was still reeling from that and to hear of Lennon being murdered almost put me over the edge. We were all crying. Even the people on ABC, NBC and CBS telling us what had happened, were crying. As a musician myself, it was a crushing loss. It still stings a little. Rest in Peace John Lennon. Thank you Rick for touching base on this.

John Lennon has had such a profound way of shaping the way I view life, happiness, love decisions, meaning, and individuality. I was one when he passed and I think about him all the time. I shocks me when I think I’m now older than he was when he was taken from us. He was and is so beautiful. I can’t imagine what a lousy world we’d be in without The Beatles and John Lennon. I love him and I love the creator that gave him to us.

The Beatles music, songs and solo career’s have carried me through my life.

I learned guitar by playing John's songs. Even though he had dropped out of sight for the previous 5 years, I was overjoyed when he resurfaced around the release of his new album. He was being interviewed everywhere and was so energized and pumped up about all that would come next... his embracing of fatherhood, his eagerness to rejoin the world of musicians. He had a lot to say about his time over the previous 10 years, the near meltdown of his relationship with Yoko, and how ultimately that relationship was what saved him. I always remember him describing New Wave music as just another wave in the ocean of music, and it excited him to see the evolution of popular music. The thing about his solo albums is they were so personal, and struck me right in the solar plexus when I'd listen to them after he died. The night John died, I heard it like millions of others, from Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football. I literally dropped to my knees in disbelief, and grief. I was living in Austin, Texas at the time, and I grabbed my wife's arm and said, we've got to get out of here. Within an hour there were thousands of people gathering around the Christmas tree in Zilker Park (a large tree made of lights around a tall tower.) We gathered with the crowd, most of them crying visibly. A van had pulled up with a large sound system and began playing Lennon songs, and especially when Imagine played, everyone sang. People embraced each other and we all knew... we all knew how much it hurt. I think it's not just because of the music, which was part of the tapestry of our lives, an integral piece of our frames of reference. It wasn't just because John and the Beatles were icons who put a hard timestamp on our lives. It wasn't just because we all knew we could never experience again the joy of that music without this awful nail to the heart from that day forward... it was because we truly loved the man, especially the man he had become. All that promise the future offered... squashed like a bug. Just BAM...! And to think it was simply because of the act of one depraved man, who consciously robbed not only John of his life and future joy, but he robbed all of us... he robbed humanity of the musical history that would never come to be... and it hurt. It still does. Thank you for talking about this. And may John, wherever he is, be smiling knowing he left us a treasure, even if it wasn't quite enough...

Even though I never met him, I loved John. I cried when he died and it still makes me cry. He was not just a great musician. He was a strong advocate for peace and love everywhere.

I feel so horrible for all who had to go through this. I was born in 1982. But when I was young, I saw John Lennon performing and I loved it. I wanted to know more about him. My Dad told me that he tragically had died and I was devastated. Today I'm 40, the same age John died. It's way too soon. I remember an interview where he said "Life begins at 40". That made me break down basically.

John Lennon is my favourite Beatle and they are still my favourite band of all times. He has trascended his life with a huge impact in the lives of most of us. In 2000, I have the opportunity to pay my respects at the Liverpool Musseum where his white piano was ocasionally on display. I stood there crying for 2 hours. This trip had been planned for my birthday. I could have not be in a better place. R.I.P. John Lennon, you are deeply missed.

The day John Lennon died my father proclaimed: ¨One Less Hippie¨... Well, as destiny would have it, now I´m One Hippie More... and proud of it!

I was freshly 21, healing from a serious accident in the Coast Guard that required facial reconstruction and gave me bad headaches. To hear of Lennons murder sent me down a hole. Like others it made me physically ill. I cried. It still hurts and haunts me. Yes he made such an impact on us. Damn.

I am grateful that I got to meet both John & Yoko several times while living in Times Square half a block away from the Record Plant Studios. I was in my mid teens when I first met him face to face. No cell phones, never carried a camera on me (although in retrospect I wish I did) never asked for his autograph (although living in the theatre district I would meet many high profile celebs it was just never my thing to ask for autographs.) I recall when I worked at the Lowe's Astor Plaza movie theatre on 44th. st. and broadway (it was a state of the art 70 mm screen with a dolby surround system where Star Wars first premiered in NYC). John & Yoko would come out for the late night screenings and they would recognize me from my various encounters with them at Central Park, The Dakota, Record Plant Studios and other NY Spots. They were both very kind towards my younger brother & I and we would laugh a bit. One of my most memorable concerts I attended was the 1974 (i was 14 at the time) Thanksgiving Elton John concert at MSG, NYC. I was sitting 2 rows away from Elton John's piano and when Elton introduced Lennon the crowd went WILD!!! It was one of my most cherished magical musical nights in NYC (& I've had many over the years). Little did we all know that it would be his final large audience appearance. I was working a late night shift at "King Karol Record store" in Times Square when we heard that John was shot. When my shift ended at 1 am , several of my friends and I stood outside of the Dakota with hundreds of others praying for John...It was one of the saddest days of my life. A week later Yoko held a vigil at Central Park that I also attended, it was truly moving to say the least. Although I have my "suspicions" over the actual murder of Lennon (perhaps mk ultra involvement???) especially after watching the documentary "The U.S vs John Lennon". Watching the "Get Back" documentary made me love his spirit and his music even more. Thank you Rick for sharing your thoughts.

Watching the Get Back doc this week made me appreciate Johns songwriting ability even more, especially the likes of the guitar and musical arrangement on Dig A Pony for example. The song is a creative play on words which Lennon was amazing at, but what struck me was that considering John never rated himself as a guitarist, he pulls together quite a complex and interesting guitar arrangement which he plays as well as delivering a punishing vocal performance with Paul harmonising perfectly during the rehearsal. They were just so fucking good!

On a cold December evening I was walking through the Christmas time when a stranger came up and asked me if I’d heard John Lennon died, and the two of us went to this bar and we stayed to close the place, and every song we played was for the late great Johnny ace. My youngest son has the same birthday and plays bass. It brings me comfort. Oh and like your kids my son has reaped the reward of listening to me torture guitars and plays like a wizard with a natural ear. Rip John, rip.

After watching Get Back, the most impressionable moments for me of all that footage was when John and Yoko danced to I ME MINE, and when Beatles hit the rooftop to perform some of those songs. What i think people missed during the part when John criticized "I Me Mine" when George performed it for him was that he loved it. So did Paul. But John has a strange way of showing his love being a conflicted person. He may have felt threatened by Georges creativity as he was finding his own voice and writing beautiful music at that time. That descending pattern of the 2nd part sounds like 'Michelle' and the lyric "freer thank wine" is reminiscent of "Tasting much sweeter than wine" from A taste honey. As usual, Paul always had a movie star glow pretty much throughout his life. In the movie, this was no different. But when the fellas hit the roof stage, John just came to life as the consumate rocker and performer. He outshines the others and resembled more of a hard rocker that would define the 70s. I got emotional at this part, seeing him in his element and becoming the star that he was on stage, a special kind of glow and energy not visibly exuded and captured in the studio or behind the scenes. Never really appreciated that "Let it be" live stunt or the songs as much as their other hits, but in this newer production I couldnt help get emotional by John Lennons performance. He lifted my spirits and the sad reality brought them down. He is my favorite Beatle. What a roller coaster ride.

Its really hard to talk about John lennon death, he was our soul inspiration and the reason to get excited and play music.

John's death was so uncalled for,,Such a sad day for music and a human being only wanting peace. it bothered me and still does make me cry today in 2023. I'm almost 72 and remember it well. I was stunned.

That was a very sweet tribute to John Lennon, Rick. I first heard the Beatles in 1964 when I was 11. It wasn't long before my twin brother and I switched from trumpet and trombone (respectively) to guitar and drums. Like so many other musicians my age, once we saw the movie "Hard Day's Night" we knew what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives. Like you, John's music spoke to me in a special way. The sound of his voice had that edge that was so compelling. A few years ago while in NYC, I visited his "Imagine" memorial in Central Park and then walked to the Dakota and stood at the entrance where he was shot. I always remember December 8th.

John's output from 65-68 is still today one of the most genius songwriting eras in Western music....Nowhere Man...Norwegian Wood...In My Life...Tomorrow Never Knows...She Said She Said.. Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds.. Strawberry Fields...Day In The Life.. Dear Prudence.. Happiness Is A Warm Gun...just a sampling. Only Paul had similar output but totally different styles IMHO. John created a style that is still heard today, by forging Dylan's wordplay with his own humor and brilliant sense of melody over sometimes angular chord progressions, sometimes simple like chord progressions but always unique and literally created a style of music/songwriting that is often imitated but rarely duplicated. He is greatly missed

I was 19 (born in 1961) then Lennon was killed. I was listening to the radio (WDVE) when they made the announcement, they then proceeded to play a Beatles marathon for the next 24 hours. I stayed up the entire night listening to the Beatles, sick to my stomach stunned and in shock. I was heart broken for years and could not listen to Lennon's solo work for over a decade because it was just too sad. I couldn't enjoy the music because it just reopened the wound.

Hey, Rick! It was great meeting you last Friday at Buddy Holly Hall! I was at the Dakota Hotel the afternoon of Dec. 8, 1980. I chatted with Paul Goresh, the photographer who took the photo of John signing his assassin’s Double Fantasy album. I also saw the guy who shot him. For me, that was the Day the Music Died

Rick’s story definitely resonates with me. I was in high school at the time. 41 years later I still remember the feeling of horror, learning from Howard Cosell that one of my heroes had been senselessly killed. I was (and am) a huge fan of the Beatles’ music, and John’s songs were the ones that most affected me. His loss devastated me. And, yes, in watching “Get Back,” I was definitely struck by the youth of the lads - and it certainly occurred to me how little time Lennon had left; at that point, he’d already lived almost three-quarters of what would be his life. When Macca sang the line, “You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead,” while performing “Two of Us,” it had a bittersweet poignance that we can only see in hindsight.

Rick- I’m still not over it- it cuts very deeply. I get everything you shared. The ending for him was so… so evil, wrong, devastating… like you, I’m watching Get Back- wishing we could warn him somehow…..

John was my favorite and his songs spoke to me as well. I am still saddened by it to this day.

John Lennon was some kind of special. He was a legend and his story will never die. I don't think we will ever have another band like the Beatles nor a star like Lennon. I still love songs like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Working Class Hero," "Power to the People," "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," "Watching the Wheels," and "Just Like Starting Over".

Lovely words, 41 years ago, he remains my hero, thankfully we still got Paul

It knocked my feet off at the time. At the thought I am still very, very sad

Dear Rick, Your tribute to John Lennon sums up succinctly how I feel about John Lennon’s untimely death. I was almost twelve when he was murdered and, like you, this was the first time that someone’s death, other than a family member, really effected me. I can’t help but think how much more music he had yet to create and of course one can’t help but think would the Fab Four have collaborated once again, even if for a brief moment. Every December 8th I find myself reflecting on that terrible evening in 1980 and I continue to ask myself “Why?” Thank you for sharing your love of music.

When the Get Back documentary ended I started to feel this really heavy sadness - it took awhile for my wife and I to finish watching all 3 episodes because of the sheer excitement and we did a lot of pausing and rewinding to catch special moments and relive them once again. But for the 4 days or so that we would come together after a days work and just sit in awe of the genius of those 4 beautiful souls from Liverpool - it was like literally being in that moment, in the room and in that era. And when it all ended it was like realizing once again that John isn’t in the world anymore. The passion in his voice when he sang Don’t Let Me Down when it was just him and George jamming in the first moments of the documentary sent chills down my arms. We couldn’t help but to just cry at the end - I love John Lennon.

I was around the same age as you, but in high school, a senior. I also lived about ten blocks from the Dakota, so we who lived in the neighborhood thought of John as one of our neighbors. People who lived there then always speak about spotting him and Yoko and how warm and lovely they were when they were stopped by fans. And fans for the most part kept their distance and were respectful of them. I too thought to myself that he has eleven more years to live while watching the documentary. It's hard not to be filled with rage and sadness at the uselessness of his death. But we can also thank Peter Jackson for giving us this tremendous gift..MORE footage of John Lennon than we ever thought possible! It's wonderful to go back in time as a silent spectator and watch these four unique human beings create music the likes of which will never happen again. We can count our blessings that we had John in our lives and just try to hang on to the goodness in him.

Touching recollection. John was my favorite Beatle and I picked up the guitar at age 11 because of them back in 1979/80. One of the great things about John Lennon as a famous artist/musician or personality. Is that from watching him in interviews. He was really himself. He always came across as a genuine, honest, and sincere human being. Funny, intelligent, and very charasmatic. Good old Johnny boy! RIP

In the movie "Yesterday" it showed an amazing scene of John in his 60s or 70s and that pulled me. The actor was a dead ringer for what he would look like and the role portrayed him masterfully. I am 75 and the Beatles were an enormous blessing in my life. More than just a band.

I’m 69 and the The Beatles were THE band throughout my school years. They broke up in my last year. I tear up whenever the anniversary of his death comes round. Just you talking about it makes my eyes moist. Miss him so much. Thank you for this compassionate video. 💜

Thank you for this intimate conversation on how John's death impacted you. I had a similar thought watching Get Back, thinking about how he didn't know that he had 11 more years. One of the things that happened for me is that it helped me to get out of my head when it came to Yoko's presence and into my heart . . . so rather than judging, I suddenly wanted them to have as much togetherness as humanly possible.

Every time I see a performer, if they died young, I think about it. How much time they have left and don't know it. Buddy Holly, Jim Croce, Elvis, John Lennon, Ricky Nelson, John Denver. Yes, we never know how much time we have.

Yes Rick, I was hit with the tragedy of his then impending death while watching Get Back, and him not knowing what was coming. Combined with the joy of watching it, made for a bittersweet experience of the film.

I was born in May 1962. It’s so nice to hear Rick’s thoughts as someone of my age…they are so similar and familiar at the same time.

I was 22 when that news broke and I just cried. I’m currently reading Paul’s book, The Lyrics which explains even deeper the relationship between John and Paul. They came from two completely different backgrounds and it shows in their writing and while I love Paul’s lightheartedness, John’s seriousness and depth are what have always roused me, for lack of a better term. Songs like, imagine and happy Xmas to this day bring out emotions in me of hope and sadness. Watching, Get Back was a real class in their creativity and while there was frustration, the one thing that really stood out to me is all four of them really listened to each other. True collaboration at its finest. They changed the world for the better in my opinion. We haven’t seen anything close to The Beatles and I doubt we ever will. RIP John and George.

John Lennon, the composer of 3 of the most important songs ever written, obviously many more but Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields and Walrus are my top 3 Beatle songs. 3 Great seeds which flowered right into all great Prog Rock and everything else what followed. Out of his Solo career also a incredible amount of great songs, the highlight from that period allways was "Remember". That song impressed me so much, the piano( I think an educated pianist would never come up with this) the drive, the Bass the Drums, just a live trio. And then the lyrics, the man is able to describe all your growing up hick ups in just about 5 lines. That song always hits me like a sledgehammer

I was practicing with my band in my parents basement in Canada when my Mom yelled for us to come up stairs. When we saw the news we were all shocked in disbelief. Hearts broken. I was so angry at America for their love of guns. If he hadn't been living there he might still be alive today. But he loved New York and the city loved him back. 20 years later I moved there. Standing at the Dakota where he was gunned down brought all those feelings back. Such a huge loss to the world and my Innocence.

“It was a staggering moment when I first heard the news. Lennon was a most talented man and above all, a gentle soul. John and his colleagues set a high standard by which contemporary music continues to be measured.” - Frank Sinatra

The death of John Lennon hit me even harder, than when friends and members of my own family died. I was 15 years old, when John died. The Beatles had been my introduction to music, when I was 2 years old, and my uncle had bought the Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, which had just come out. I sat at my nan's dining room table listening to the music, while looking at the album cover with all it's strange looking people on it. Then, instantly had crushes on all 4 Beatles, when I saw the photos of the band. Those crushes have never gone away 54 years later. In 1980, I was watching TV with my mom, when the news broke about John being killed. I remember not only crying, but screaming into my pillow that night. The next day, I was a bit like a zombie. I got dressed for school, walked out the door, and was amazed that life was going on as normal, when to me the whole world had changed. It was raining and I was standing at the bus stop, but never even thought to open the umbrella I was holding, because I was so zoned out. I've always felt lucky, that my introduction to music was from the best band of all-time, in my opinion. It broke my heart, when George Harrison died too. But, the cruel way John died made it just so much worse. 💔

Watching Ed Sullivan was our family routine when I was a kid. I was 8 and smitten immediately by the Beatles. Had a guitar by 9 and learned to play Beatles songs. It didn't take long to discover John songs were my favorite. And so was the man. My Working Class Hero. Not perfect but cool, the first 'artist' I ever watched develope as I, too, was maturing through the 60s and 70s. The announcement came on my car radio as i was driving through snow on that cold day followed by 'Love Is All You Need'. I pulled over to cry as the world felt a little more empty of the people that matter. Thank God for the songs...R. I. P. John.

Awesome piece this. At the time I was a 20 year old med student in Liverpool, living in university accommodation at the end of Penny Lane. Woke up and turned on the radio. Thinking back to that moment still brings tears..

So senseless and tragic. The Get Back doc really brought home to me what gentle, vulnerable and lovely people they all were/ are. For all John's edge and candidness, it's easy to forget what a warm and compassionate person he was. So great to see him and Paul creating together - being best of friends. So inspirational. Thankyou for all you do Rick. ❤

My Mom was 33 when John Lennon was shot. I was 2. My folks still have a cassette portion of a day-long Lennon tribute on a local radio station on 12/9/80. At one point, my Mom can be heard crying on the tape. In reaction to her, one can hear that I started crying, too.

Everytime i listen to "all you need is love" i instantly remember John...but in a sad way. Never forget.

I was in third grade, home sick from school, but remember it vividly.

I was 15 years old on December 8, 1980 and had only discovered The Beatles in mid 1977. They immediately became my favourite group and for Christmas in 1977, one of my gifts was the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. I played that record to death over the next 2 years and really began to identify in some small way with John Lennon's songwriting. Love McCartney's songs as well but John Lennon's lyrics and style of songwriting hit me right in the gut. When John was murdered, I was in a state of shock for literally several months. Like you, I watched Get Back with a sense of both great joy and deep sadness. Joy because these 4 guys gave so much to the world and here they were having fun and joking around. Sadness because John had 11 years left. Also, George, Billy Preston, Linda, Maureen, George Martin, Mal Evans were so present and happy in the Get Back series and are now all gone. At this time of year, I always think about what might have been. Hold your loved ones close. By the way, I still have the Sgt. Pepper's album I got for Christmas all those years ago. The vinyl is trashed but I'll never part with that album.

I was 15 when I heard the tragic news on Monday Night Football, one of those memories I'll sadly never forget. It took less than 6 years for John and the Beatles to change popular music, I truly believe people will be listening and praising their work in 100 + years..... We're so fortunate to have experienced their brilliance during our lives.

I cried once for john in 1982 in a pub while havine a beat in Ramsgate just before crossing the chanel. Woman was playing on the jukbox.

I remember hearing "Imagine" being played over and over again on the radio after his death. I sat down at the piano and figured it out by ear around Christmastime. I remember thinking how simple it was and yet so powerful. Was it the strings, the dark piano sound, the lyrics, the double tracked voice on the chorus that drew me to the song? I've been writing songs ever since.

It's a day I can Never Forget! for an absolute Fact. I'm sitting here with Tears running down my cheeks. Thank You very much for this Video! You have Provided me with SO much Great Stuff, but I'm Grateful 🙏 for This Feeling at this point in time!

John always went out of his way to meet people at his door and to sign autographs, once seen, it was immediately recognisable how much he loved his fellow man. It's heartbreaking to think it was this simple virtue that ultimately put him in harms way.

Still moving, remembering the moment and watching your video😢

Amen. I still have the TV guide with John on the cover. I'm 69 Years old and I wept.

I too, couldn't help thinking about how John had just over a decade left to live while watching Get Back. I was 12 years old when John Lennon was murdered. I was shocked and horrified to hear it on tv as I'd grown up (in my 12 short years) LOVING The Beatles. I found out my Dad was terminally ill 3 days after John Lennon was shot. He died on Christmas Day, 1980. I spent the two weeks before my Dad died hearing so much of John Lennon's and The Beatles music, particularly Double Fantasy as it had just been released, that John Lennon's death is intrinsically linked to my Dad's death. This time of year is always one where I contemplate John Lennon's and my Dad's contributions to the world. Both musicians, both full of curiosity and talent and both fathers who were taken from their loved ones far too young. RIP John Lennon and Richard M Western, my Dad. Thank you for doing this tribute video because it is comforting to know others are grieving at this time of year in a similar way to me.

His way of singing during the Get Back rooftop concert was so pure, and hearing him on Dig a pony singing “Because…” made me immediately think what a genius he was and how tragic was his death. I recall that in 1992 the death of Freddie Mercury was a real shock for me. Thank you Rick for the video!

Nice video Rick..... I also counted the years while watching 'Get Back' and thought about all the music we never got to hear because it never existed..... What an incredible thought that is. I was 19 years old when I woke to the 6am news on that cold December morning in 1980. It was like a death in the family. It was my sisters 21st birthday, but I don't remember much celebrating I had to travel into central London on that day for work and every news stand said the same thing and everybody was talking about the same thing. The Beatles had long been a big part of my life and still are. And when I think about it I realise that not a day goes by when I don't listen to them or read about them or think about them. I often walk along Savile Row and when I see people not looking up at the rooftop I want to shout at them and say, "Don't you know where you are?" Of course we will always feel sadness for John, but we have to appreciate how lucky we are to have lived at the same time and on the same planet as Lennon & McCartney.

Extremely touching, Rick, to hear you talk so passionate about John. I really feel you and his loss. He was astonishing.

I remember watching that football game. My ex-wife was sewing, I was attending NTSU for a Jazz Education degree. We walked into our campus and literally stood around singing and listening till the sun came up... This was my first real loss of a musician yes I grew up with. The next one was hearing about Jaco. These two people will always be engrained in my mind for their wonderful talent.

His death affected me like no other; tears still come, where they don't even for close family members gone.

I was 7 years old in 1980 and I remember my parents being very upset. I remember asking if we would still be able to hear his music, not quite understanding what a recording was! When my parents said we could still listen, it took off a little of the sting but I do remember being very sad.

It’s strange, when I first heard the Beatles in high school I didn’t like them. Since then I fell in love with them and probably listen to at least one Beatles song every day. I had an overwhelming feeling watching this video and I wasn’t sure what it was. Then I realised it’s grief. Funny how you can grieve someone who you never even met and who you’ve known has been dead for so long. But when you listen to his songs you feel all of his life. It’s a tragedy that was taken away so early. RIP❤

Watching John in Get Back made me feel joyous for his life, like it was like a gift and a celebration seeing this precious footage for the first time. What I found really heart-breaking was listening the Dave Sholin interview he did in his home with only hours left to live, where he seemed to be in a really good place in his life and was so optimistic for the future.

My dad, WW2 generation, came running into my bedroom I was studying and told me John Lennon had been shot/killed. My dad couldn't stand the Beatles, or anything past 1950 musically, but he was shook so bad he came running to me. About as impactful as JFK's death. Beautiful tribute Rick, you had me crying, again.

❤ Really well said Rick. Here in the UK I woke up to it on the radio and thought I’d just had some really weird nightmare… yeah, that’s all, until Mum came in to the room, some minutes later, as she always would, to check I was awake, repeating what I thought wasn’t real. There I lay in absolute numb silence and shock. Finally, I’d just about really caught up with John and his music, in the now, if you get what I mean, right now, as it was released and what it must have felt like in some ways, in the sixties as it was first played on the radio. Now I’m hearing Watching The Wheels as it came out and now suddenly that joy, this genius is taken away. What may, could or should have been yet to come or, been continued, any chance to meet, any hope of a reunion, on hearing this, now bang, gone and, knowing, no matter how hard I tried or prayed, as the minutes ticked by so slowly, that this time, the dream was really over. Our songs, our studios, our choices in life and lyrics we’ve written, etc, etc, etc. How much of this was built and done, in varying degrees because of John Lennon. As the years tick by videos like this can stop me in my tracks and yes, in some ways we can only share and grieve at the indescribable loss but, that’s why we, the light, must live on, as they live on in us and yes, stay free to Imagine ❤

Thank you for sharing that solemn moment. We are with you in your grief.

I was just like you, Rick. All I kept thinking about was that he only had eleven more years. It was so bittersweet to watch him on “Get Back,”. I loved every second of it. He was so very funny. They all were, but he just had a way about him. Always made me laugh. He is my favorite singer and songwriter of all-time. BTW, I’m a 1962 baby, too. I’m turning 60 next month. :)

John Lennon's songs, especially within the Beatles just got into your soul. Through his music, he had a way of communicating human emotions that was unsurpassed.

remember the moment ... that day changed the game for us, Dec 8... I was on it from Ed Sullivan Sunday night first show... through to today. That Monday, after the Ed Sullivan show, the school bus was united in talk- like it was for JFK, a singlemindedness... and it never went away. The records, on the turntable, the talk, the singing and then learning guitar so I could play all the songs... its been a great journey.. we never forget the joy of hearing those songs, jump off the needle and become fixtures in our minds... always a good listen, and a sing! Peace and Love

I was in Primary (junior) school. I remember my teacher crying and then going home to find mum and dad in the lounge room listening to their (now my) copy of the White Album and crying. I was a huge Macca fan at the time, it prompted me to listen to John's solo work and get an appreciation for it. Double Fantasy remains in my personal pantheon.

I, too, was a college freshman when John was assassinated. Still remember the hallway of the dorm where all of us gathered after the news broke. Still tearing up about it.... It was great to see him smiling and joking and creating endlessly in Get Back. The love between the bandmates is palpable....