John Lennon was murdered 25 years ago today. That’s a long time; he’s been dead longer than he was a professional musician.
I had just turned 15 at the time and had only recently discovered the Beatles, whose brief but impactful tenure started shortly before I was born and was over well before I had any interest in music.
Interestingly, there’s relatively little coverage of the anniversary in the big papers. The New York Times, from the city where Lennon lived and died, has three pieces buried deep in the paper:
- Dr. Stephan G. Lynn recalls the night he held Lennon’s heart in his hand.
- Jack Mitchell reflects on a photo shoot of Lennon and Yoko Ono a month before the murder.
- Neil Harrison explains why he’s hooked on life as a Lennon impersonator.
The Washington Post has nothing today but has had a couple of stories in recent days.
- An AP piece, “John Lennon’s Death Lingers for Witnesses” from Dec. 4 with the recollections of several people–Lynn, the policemen on the scene, and others–who were there that night.
- Another AP story, from Nov. 28, “Lennon’s Killer Marks 25 Years of Infamy,” that profiles Mark David Chapman.
Bill Nienhuis has a long thought piece looking back on how Lennon’s death affected him and a roundup of other reactions.
Dean Esmay offers his own thoughts, focusing on how his on views Lennon and the Beatles have evolved over the last quarter century.
