Where Were You When You First Heard John Lennon Had Died?

[Jah Lush]

John Lennon was shot dead 30 years ago today. Where were you when you first heard the news?

I was in the back of taxi coming home in the early hours after a very late night out uptown. As I settled into my seat the cabbie said "have you heard the news? John Lennon's been shot dead." He had the radio on and we couldn't believe what we were hearing.

At the time I'd just moved into a flat in Townley Road and I had to get up a few hours later to go to work and I heard it again on the radio when the alarm woke me up and it was only then through the alcoholic fog in my brain that it started to sink in because they were playing his records non-stop.

[felt-tip]

I shat myself and then vomitted everywhere.

[Jah Lush]

Yes, I suspect a lot of the people on this forum were very young or not even born at the time. Obviously you were still a baby.

[Narnia]

I was in Miami Beach. Funny we remember these things.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Alas, I'm old enough.

First thing that happened was that my photo of George Harrison fluttered off the bedroom wall on to my head and woke me up. Second was dear old Jimmy Young played my fave Beatle track on the way to school (There are places). Lastly, when I got home from school, I heard the news - couldn't believe it.

[Ant]

I was six years old and oblivious; I've only ever known of him as dead.

Kurt Cobain was probably the version for people my age.

[Santerme]

At University and there were a lot of highly emotional lecturers swanning around the place.

[Atticus]

I was 9, heard it on the radio whilst getting up for breakfast. At school that day there was only one topic of conversation.

[Keef]

I was 2.5, so way too young. First big star's death that I really remember was Freddy Mercury, for which they put on a blinding tribute concert!

[DJKillaQueen]

I was 13 and was sitting at home in Liverpool watching the news. That evening the Liverpool Echo was filled with just that story and I still have my copy of it (although it's yellowed a bit over the years).

[Emerson Crane]

I was buying fruit and veg at the old spitalfields market, it was about 4.30am and I was genuinely stunned, especially by the manner in which he met his death. A working class hero is something to be.

[Dickensman]

I found it a loss to my life, it left a hole, what a waste of talent.

Do you know Lennon was considered to be in the top ten most dangerous men in the US, not bad for a scouse balladier.

It made me realise just how paranoid some people are in the states.

When there are all those mafia characters, and the Watergater's, and numerous others involved in who knows what,

but John Lennon was number ten.

[plimsoul]

my dad picked me up from brownies and told me. i was gutted, i loved them and grew up listening to their music. i was 9 years old and still remember it well.

[Loz]

14 and lying in bed listening to the radio late at night (as I was in Oz).

[Kingy]

Is he ? when did this happen ? nobody tells me anything - always the last to know

[VeryBerryCherry]

felt-tip Wrote:

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> I shat myself and then vomitted everywhere.

At just under three months old I would add some dribbling and crying into that mix.

Although not remembering the actual event, growing up his death was one that I was very aware of. I think that originally stemmed from my dad looking like him, having all of his albums and being quite obsessed with his music and him as a person. I remember being quite miffed about the fact that I would never get meet such a cool person and that made me very sad.

[huncamunca]

stuck in Thatchers Britain, in a grim downtrodden Northern shithole. Lennon was a news item, nothing more. The only salvation was that at least TV was then still primitive enough to avoid the one week of 24 hour in your face mawkishness that reared it head when other worthless celebs died - eg Saint Diana.

[Marmora Man]

Just completing a naval training course, setting me on course for command and living in a flat I had borrowed from a mate who was at sea - I also had use of his MGBT. I was young, free, successful and single - life was good and I was getting up early for the penultimate day of the course when I heard it on the news at 6.00am. It was a moment when the soundtrack to my life changed.

PS: I was watching TV, having arrived home from school and done my homework, waiting for a John Wayne B&W movie when I learned of Kennedy's death

[Emerson Crane]

This always strikes a note with me, taken from a Paul Simon LP called Hearts & Bones

On a cold December evening

I was walking through the Christmas tide

When a stranger came up and asked me

If I'd heard John Lennon had died

And the two of us went to this bar

And we stayed to close the place

And every song we played

Was for The Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Jah Lush]

Johnny Ace shot himself whilst playing a game of Russian roulette.

[Emerson Crane]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Johnny Ace shot himself whilst playing a game of

> Russian roulette.

Yeh I know Jah, but Simon used the name Johnny Ace in this instance as a nod to Lennon, if that makes sense.

[flapjackdavey]

Sixth form college common room ... lots of girls crying their eyes out. :'(

[Dorothy]

I was 18 and off sick from 6th form college. I had cold/fluey thing and was lolling on the sofa. Heard it on Radio 2, more or less as it happened. I was a huge John Lennon fan and it affected me greatly.

I remember the announcement of his death and John Peel's with great sorrow. Also know exactly where I was and what I was doing at announcement of death of Diana and Elvis, but those were more because they were of historical importance.

[Ann]

I remember it well. I was a student and had spent the night in my sister's (student)room. We woke up to Capitol Radio mid report, we sat in silence not really comprehending what we were hearing and not believing until the report confirmed the assasination of John Lennon. He was dead.

I'm just about old enough to remember The Beatle's last appearance on Top of The Pops when they performed Hey Jude live on stage, without the remotest clue as to the importance of that iconic performance. But I remember it.

[aquarius moon]

I was still living in the 60's/70's love and peace era, 20 years old, into flower power, psychadelia, playing Beatles/Kinks/LOVE/Roy Harper etc.

John Lennon topped my playlist. He was my hero.

Thirty years later, I'm still there!

Love the same things,

And John Lennon still is,always will be, my hero.