John Lennon

In his Icon New York City T-Shirt

 

Former Beatle John Lennon loved New York, So much so that he made it his home. Moving into the famed Dakota apartment building on West 72nd Street in New York. He moved in  with his wife Yoko Ono in 1971. Yoko gave birth to their son Sean Ono Lennon on John’s birth date on October 9, 1975. Yes John Lennon and his son shared the same birth date of October 9th.

Tragically John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of his beloved New York home (The Dakota) at 5 PM on December 8th 1980. Naturally most of the World mourned the loss of the former Beatle John Lennon’s. I can remember the time very well. I was still living in New Jersey and in college at New York Technical College in Brooklyn. It was a Monday Night, and the height of Monday Night Football. I was watching the football game and having a couple drinks with my friends at the VFW in Carlstadt, NJ. I left before the end of the game, got into my car and was driving home to Summit Street. I had just pulled out of the parking lot and had only driven one block when I heard the tragic news on my car radio, when it broadcast a Monday Night Football over the radio and Howard Cossell announced that, “An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon, outside his of his apartment building on the West Side of  New York City. The most famous perhaps of all of The Beatles, shot twice in the back. Rushed to Roosevelt Hospital. Dead on Arrival. Hard to go back to the game, after that news flash, which in duty we had to report.”

Cossell : “In case the folks missed the earlier news flash, ABC New has confirmed that John Lennon, a member of the famed Beatles. Maybe the best known member, was shot twice in the back, outside his apartment building on the West Side of New York tonight. Rushed to the New York Roosevelt Hospital, Dead on Arrival. An unspeakable tragedy. Details on Nightline, 30 minutes after this contest.”

I could hardly believe my ears. I was shocked. I continued to drive home. Parked my car and ran upstairs to my apartment. I immediately got on the phone and called my brother Jimmy, and told him the sad news. We were big fans of The Beatles and especially of John. A senseless, stupid act by a moronic idiot Mark David Chapman. Why? Just to gain some notoriety? “What a No Good Moronic Bastard,” is all I can say. And I must say it.

I went to school the next day. Classes at New York Technical College on Jay Street Brooklyn. As I’ve said, I was still living in New Jersey, and I got on the # 35 Bus to take me to the Porth Authority Bus Terminal, where I went donwstairs and into the New York City Subway System to catch the A Train to Jay Street / Borough Hall, Brooklyn to get to school, 3 blocks away. I attened my classes, then got on another A Train out of Brooklyn to Manhattan, but I didn’t leave the subway system their. I got off the A Train at 42nd Street and waited on the platform for a C Train to arrive on the local track. One came a few minutes later, and I hopped on to take to West 72nd Street where I got out. I got off the C Train and walked up the stairs and on to West 72nd Street, but not before emerging from the station, I could already hear the sound of people singing one of John’s famous songs, “Give Peace a Chance.”

When I walked up out of the subway and onto West 72nd Street, I saw a sea of humanity, hundreds of people out on the street in front of the Dakota where John Lennon had made his home with his wife Yoko and son Sean, and the day before he had been gunned down at the place where he lived in his beloved adopted city of New York.

The crowd started singing what had become John’s Anthem song “Imagine,” and I joined in, sing with a couple hundred people paying tribute to one of their heroes, the great John Lennon, who Imagined and just wanted the World to Give Peace a Chance. We salute you John, and your memory lives on, and we thank you for all you did. May you Rest in Peace Brother John.

 

 

 

Give SUNDAY SAUCE a CHANCE

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