John Lennon’s death; 40 years ago today

It’s something forever etched into the memory of millions.

The moment when Howard Cosell cut into Monday Night Football to break the news that broke the heart of music fans around the world.

“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, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt hospital, dead on arrival.”

It’s been 40 years since the world lost John Lennon.

A legendary musician and an advocate for peace and love. The famous Beatle was gunned down at the age of 40 outside of his apartment building in New York.

It was around 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, 1980 when Lennon signed a copy of one of his records for a fan as he was leaving his Upper West Side apartment alongside his wife, Yoko Ono. Upon his return just before 11 p.m. Lennon was shot four times, twice in the back and twice in the shoulder. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Lennon was killed by the same fan he had autographed a record for only hours earlier.

Ono issued the following statement the next day:

“There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him.”

The gunman, Mark David Chapman, was a 25-year-old obsessive fan from Hawaii who had staked out the building for days. Growing up as a huge Beatles fan, Chapman had become disillusioned and angered over Lennon’s lifestyle in his later years.

Chapman has been denied parole on 11 different occasions.

A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world. I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouser! X love Paul#JohnLennon

???? by Linda McCartney pic.twitter.com/oNL0ihzhvl

— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) December 8, 2020

At the time of his death Lennon was 10 years removed from his tenure with the most famous band in the world. The cultural impact that the group and Lennon have left on music, pop culture and music fans across the globe is impossible to measure.

A crowd of 50,000 people showed up for a vigil in Central Park days after Lennon was killed. Millions more across the globe observed 10 minutes of silence for the fallen Beatle.

The untimely death of left many of those fans stunned and many of Lennon’s rock contemporaries wondering what the artist had left to give.

“What songs were in his head that weren’t recorded yet,” says Graham Nash. “What songs that could have possibly changed the world once more were in his head when he was killed.”

Lennon was survived by his wife, Yoko Ono, and his two sons, Julian and Sean. He would have been 80 years old today.

Tuesday, 8 December 1980 we all had to say goodbye to John peace and love John. I’m asking Every music radio station in the world sometime today play Strawberry Fields Forever. Peace and love. ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/dAEgekrvmW

— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) December 8, 2020