December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died

"Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, cultural, spiritual and philosophical dimensions."--Wikipedia

The death of John Lennon broke a lot of hearts. As Baby Boomers came of age, Beatles music accompanied memories for many if not most of us. When the four broke up at the end of the 60s, the music didn't stop. We had the albums and we were also able to latch on to their individual evolving careers. Each took a different path, and none went immediately into hibernation, and many Beatles fans began collecting the solo albums they each produced. 

Like the assassination of JFK, most of us knew exactly where we were when we heard the news. I was in Mexico City, standing on the Zocalo, also known as the Plaza de la Constitucion, a large central square where proclamations are made. The Zocalo can purportedly hold up to 100,000 people but on December 9 it seemed like I was the only one there.

Surrounding the plaza are magazine stands with newspapers displayed. As I walked toward the East I was able to read the headlines. In fact, the headline of each paper was so large it filled the entire area above the fold. All carried the same proclamation: LENNON MUERTE.

The book by Keith Elliott Greenberg purports to be about that singular day when Mark David Chapman shot and killed John Lennon. It's actually a retelling of John Lennon's life, but in a format that is probably familiar to you. The story opens at the beginning of December 8, creating a context for the events of that day from commuters on subways to the movies currently playing to the mood of New Yorkers heading into the Christmas season and, naturally, the feelings John & Yoko were experiencing as their newly released Double Fantasy album came out.

And then there's Mark David Chapman. 

Here's a summary written by one of the book's reviewers on Amazon.

John and Yoko

In a breathtaking, minute-by-minute format, December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died follows the events leading to the horrible moment when Mark David Chapman calmly fired his Charter Arms .38 Special into the rock icon, realizing his perverse fantasy of attaining perennial notoriety. New York Times bestselling author Keith Elliot Greenberg takes us back to New York City and the world John Lennon woke up to. The day begins with a Rolling Stone photo session that takes on an uncomfortable tone when photographer Annie Leibowitz tries to maneuver Yoko Ono out of the shot. Later Lennon gives the last interview of his life, declaring, "I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long time." We follow the other Beatles, Lennon's family, the shooter, fans, and New York City officials through the day, and as the hours progress, the pace becomes more breathless. Once the fatal shots are fired, the clock continues to tick as Dr. Stephan Lynn walks from the emergency room after declaring the former Beatle dead, Howard Cosell announces the singer's passing on Monday Night Football , and Paul McCartney is lambasted for muttering "Drag, isn't it?" -- his bereavement confused with indifference. The epilogue examines the aftermath of the killing: the considerable moment when 100,000 New Yorkers stood in silence in Central Park, the posthumous reunion of the Beatles in the studio with George, Paul, and Ringo accompanying the recordings of their old friend the unveiling of a bronze John Lennon statue in Fidel Castro's Cuba, and the durable legacy that persists today.

The chief criticism of the book (by those who disliked it) was that they expected more about the day Lennon was killed, but that much of the book was filler with details of John Lennon's life that everyone (they believed) was already aware of. I think these critics are people who have already read everything else about John, so when there was "nothing new" they panned it.

For the rest of us, it's got plenty to like, and when it gets to the shooting itself, the writing does make us breathless as we get a close up view of that horrible night.

The story of James Taylor's experience was brief but tangible. Taylor lived just around the corner from the Dakota where the Lennons lived. He was on the phone talking with a lady friend who was in California when he heard the gunshots. He didn't think much of it since this was New York and police firing guns is not entirely unusual. As they continued talking a news flash crossed the screen and Taylor's friend said, "Someone just shot John Lennon." It was a disturbing revelation and he understood that those were the shots he'd heard.

Earlier this week a friend sent me a link to this interview with James Taylor, who had become friends with John Lennon through his recording experiences with Apple. It's a half hour and you may not have time for all of it, but I found it authentic and worthwhile.

 

It's been 42 years now. The shooting occurred at a time when Lennon was emerging again. It seemed that things were coming together. But like the proverb says, "Who can tell what a day will bring forth?" It's a reminder to not take our tomorrows for granted.