Readers Share Their John Lennon Recollections

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the fatal shooting of music legend John Lennon, and Patch editors in Hartford and Tolland counties asked readers to share their memories of the famed former Beatle.

Here is a sampling of some of the replies, as well as a video clip of Howard Cosell announcing Lennon's death during a Monday Night Football game between the Patriots and Dolphins.

• "I was in 10th grade, my mom was in the hospital; which meant my sister and I had to take turns getting up earlier than usual to help make my dad's breakfast and lunch. It was my turn to get up early that day. My parents always listened to WTIC-AM radio with Bob Steele, so after the normal 6 a.m. (I think that's what time he came on air) wake-up with usual "hunt in the woods" theme, WTIC played a plethora of Beatles songs. I remembered they played "Imagine" just before the news; how I thought it was really odd this station was playing Beatles music because that was not their typical genre of music. The first news story Bob Steele mentioned was "..... Former Beatle, John Lennon, was shot and killed ......" I didn't hear the rest. I crumpled to the floor in shock, crying. I was, and still am, a huge fan of the Beatles and couldn't believe what I had heard. At school, my friends were equally in shock." - Mary Harlow
• "Friends of mine and I (attending seminary in NYC) had gone to the Rockefeller Center tree lighting and decided to walk back to 122nd street. As we passed 72nd someone point down toward the Dakota and remarked that Lennon's building was there. When we got to our dormitory 45 minutes later and flipped on the T.V. we were greeted by the news. How quickly a joyous event turned. The radio was playing "Imagine" and I can't hear it any more without being back in New York City." - Paul Goodman
• "I remember waking up Tuesday morning to get ready for work. I was devastated. I was and still am a big John Lennon fan. As far as I'm concerned he was one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His life was cut way too short and the world lost a truly wonderful human being." - Karen Deorio
• "I remember standing in my kitchen in Bolton folding laundry, we had an intercom throughout the house, I always listened to WAQY 102. That’s where I heard it. I remember just crying for a very long time." - Shelby Robson
• "I will never forget Howard Cosell in tears announcing John's death. My memory of John isn't necessarily a tune, it's something I call the "John lean." If you watch early Beatles, he kinda leaned into the mike when playing guitar and singing." - Jay Tulin
• "Please, Please Me is my favorite!" - Carolyn O'Connor
• "Went into Manhattan with a fellow college student and another friend to see the Rockefeller Street get lit up....and then WE got lit up at Sushiko, a West 54th St. sushi bar. I got drunk on sake for the first time, and leaving there to head back to the train station (my car was parked at the Westbury LIRR station after a college day earlier), I passed the rear wall of the Ziegfeld Theater where believe it or not the Wings concert film "Rockshow" was playing. I recall my drunky observation that Paul McCartney looked like he was mad in the movie poster, as he hit some high note probably. As I semi-stumbled alone to the subway station to head back to Penn Station, who knows - I might've heard a distant ambulance take John Lennon at that precise 10:30-ish time to the hospital, which was near 59th Street. But city sounds were everywhere. When I more soberly drove home after the train ride back to Westbury, I remember thinking that the string of Lennon songs I was hearing on WLIR seemed like, "Oh wow, what if something happened to John Lennon!" When I got to Laurel Drive around the corner from the house, the DJ started to list the songs just played, and I thought to myself "Whew! He's just mentioning the songs....nothing bad happened." Then he said the news right after the song titles, and I had just pulled up to the house. I was carrying my school books/papers, but they spilled out of my arms on my front lawn." - Bob Giovanelli

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