December 8, 1980

Note:This blog was originally written December 8th of last year. This is a re-post of it with updates.

On this day 27 years ago John Lennon died at the age of 40.I wasn't alive to see the Beatles,I wasn't alive to see the break up of the Beatles,and I wasn't alive to see Lennon's death unfold.But,as a Beatles fan I understand what people must have felt that day.Lennon was about to begin a comeback,when tragedy struck.At 10:50pm that Monday night,John Lennon was walking with wife,Yoko Ono to their home at the Dakota when suddenly a man appeared behind Lennon and yelled out,"Mr.Lennon!".As John turned he was shot 4 times;twice in the left side of his back and twice in the left shoulder.

A doorman walked over finding the dying John Lennon and said to the killer,Mark David Chapman,"Do you know what you've just done?"Chapman responded by saying in cold blood,"I just shot John Lennon".Paramedics responded as John was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital.Chapman co-operated with the police and was arrested.25 minutes later at precisely 11:15pm,John Lennon was pronounced dead at age 40.

News broke out of Lennon being shot on CNN and his death had been announced to the world during the Monday Night Football telecast between the Patriots and the Dolphins.Howard Cosell received word from ABC News and stated as I quote,"This, we have to say it, is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon, outside 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."

The announcement of Lennon's death was a shock to a generation of fans.On December 14,1980 all around the world people stood together in silence to remember John Lennon.Since his death another Beatle has passed,George Harrison(who wrote the song "All those years ago" as a tribute to Lennon) passed away in 2001.Lennon's assassin,Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in 1982 has not gone a day without a single hate letter.His motive for killing Lennon was unnecessary and the murder itself was tragic thing to occur.

If there was a death penalty in New York then he should have been killed by a firing squad with what he did.I hate Mark David Chapman and the fact he's still alive(nevertheless in prison) just annoys me.The son of a bitch got what he wanted and I hope he's happy.He took away from us a musician who despite controversy over remarks was a great guy who believed in peace and helped contribute with Rock n Roll's growth.I wish I had been alived to meet John and when I first became a Beatles fan around 2000 or so I was upset when I found out he had been dead for a while.

If I had a choice to have all the money in the world or a chance to just meet John Lennon,I'd chose to meet John.In 2005,Pink Floyd reunited for the first time in 20 years at the Live 8 Concert.As I witnessed their reunion I wondered what could have been if we had say the Beatles there together with Paul,Ringo,John,and maybe George(if he hadn't passed).