RIP John Lennon: 12-8-1980 (Favorite Lennon Song Or Cover)

John Lennon - God

Instant Karma

Mother

Yer Blues (Dirty Mac Version w/ Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell)

I was a twelve year old kid who heard about it on Monday Night Football, I knew who the Beatles were by that time but didn't connect Lennon to the group. Just knew his face but not name. It was a big deal. Huge crowds around Central Park with people playing his music and singing Beatles songs.

I liked Lennon as a songwriter with the Beatles. I have always been a little put off by his hypocrisy as some anti-materialism, anti violence guy but then he was extremely wealthy with residences in some of the nicest places in the US and beat the shite out of women and children. I like John writing songs about his childhood and drugs.

Last interview

Last picture

Lennon was looking pretty rough at 40 years old.

I was only 14 but thanks to a brother 16 years older than me The Beatles were my favorite group (still to this day too my all-time favorite). And yes, I too heard it from Howard Cosell. Pretty wild how that has become quite a story of it's own. Millions of other people heard it from him too.

I remember it vividly. Was in the den with my dad watching the game and eating a nightime snack bowl of cereal, lol. When Cosell announced it I just looked over at my dad with my jaw dropped. I just got up, put my unfinished cereal in the kitchen, went to my room and turned the radio on -- WLCS. His songs were already being played and that's all any rock station played that night, and I cried myself to sleep.

I have two favorites. Imagine and In My Life. In My Life would get the nod if choosing just one. Definitely heard them both that night.

I Am The Walrus

Cold Turkey
Power To The People
Imagine
In My Life
Beautiful Boy
Just Like (Starting Over)
His cover of Stand By Me

I liked a lot of his stuff that my friends didn't...like John Sinclair, Luck of the Irish, Attica State, I Dont Want To Be Soldier, Mama.

I was really a big Lennon fan. Cried like a baby listening to the radio that night. A friend had come running to my dorm room and told me what happened just after Cosell announced it. I was fricked up for a while after that.

I've always been partial to Watching the Wheels.

(ETA: With the Beatles, it's probably Strawberry Fields Forever.)