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“I can’t tell you how much it hurts to lose him. His death is a bitter, cruel blow – I really loved that guy.”
Thirty-five years ago, on 8th December 1980, he left the world, taking with him the dreams of a more peaceful and musical world. However, his quirky looks, heartfelt songs, and that mystical voice remain embedded in our minds.
A feeling of hysteria spread worldwide when the man loved so much by everyone for almost 20 years was shot to death by Mark David Chapman, who is still serving his sentence in jail. Two people in the United States even committed suicide due to depression following his death. Tributes were given for weeks over various forms of media, playing his songs and issuing statements given by various prominent figures in the field of music. All the events further reinstated what a gargantuan loss the world had just witnessed.
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Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, was left to deal with not only his hapless death but also the difficult task of breaking it down to their five-year-old son and making sense out of it. Ringo Starr reached New York to stand with her as soon as possible, while George Harrison was so utterly shocked that he could not even fathom the situation. McCartney, saddened and at the same time scared, decided to stay in his home for days with increased security.
It is beyond gruesome to think that a man of such impeccable talents and a heart of gold had to experience one of the most unfortunate means of meeting death, being murdered in the courtyard of his New York home by a fan who ‘loved’ him immensely. But for the generations who saw the birth and rise of The Beatles, it wasn’t simply an act of one man killing another. Instead, it meant the annihilation of all that stood for everything noble in this world, of hope, and the possibility of dreams ever coming true. It doesn’t seem any different to the generations that followed either.
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Today, looking back at the life he led and the many contributions he has made to the lives of so many people over time given the few years he lived, one cannot help but wonder what all Lennon would have achieved if he were still alive, celebrating 75 years of his life. How would he have liked the kind of music that is being made today? Would he have thought of dabbling into some R&B or Rap himself? Would he have liked virtual interactive platforms like Twitter or Facebook? Oh, how he would have posted romantic selfies with Ono on Instagram!
Alas, we would never know! The man is gone. The one whose dynamic personality was loved and respected by all. The one who transcended all the evils that were known to have succumbed to the Rock ‘n Roll era musicians. John Lennon, the very man who was, and continues to be, the face of ‘oneness’ and musical intelligentsia.
Last Updated on by hamna
