After returning from a recording session with his wife Yoko Ono on December 8th, 1980, legendary Beatles frontman and songwriter John Lennon was shot four times in the back and shoulder as he returned to The Dakota apartment complex where he and Ono lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The shooter, Mark David Chapman, turned out to be a man for whom Lennon had autographed a copy of his album “Double Fantasy.” Chapman has been in jail ever since, and in a recent transcript from a hearing with a parole board, which denied his release for an 11th time, said that he did it because Lennon was famous and he sought self-glory.
40 years later, Lennon’s legacy continues as both a rock and roll legend and troubadour. His discography, including songs like his anthem for world peace “Imagine,” continue to resonate with generations beyond his own.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll remember John Lennon on the 40th anniversary of his murder and explore how his musical and personal legacy live on in 2020.
Guest:
Kenneth Womack, professor of English and popular music at Monmouth University in New Jersey, author of the book “John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life” (Omnibus Press, September 2020) and co-host of the “Everything Fab Four Podcast” about the enduring influence of The Beatles; he tweets