Today, December 8th, marks the 34th anniversary of the tragic death that met the peaceful and loving legend, John Lennon.
The former Beatle was shot to death by Mark David Chapman in New York City in 1980. Yoko Ono recalls the tragedy by stating: “I learned the intense pain of losing a loved one suddenly, without warning, and without having the time for a final hug and the chance to say, “I love you,” for the last time. The pain and shock of that sudden loss is with me every moment of every day.”
John Lennon was the lead singer of the most popular rock band in history, The Beatles, who succeeded in regenerating the basic rock "n’ roll derived from Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. Unfortunately, after about ten years, followed by a long, winding road, they broke up. The first cracks were shown after the death of manager Brian Epstein in 1967. Things got worse by the time of the recording of the album "The White Album’ in 1968. The Beatles were more focused on their own compositions rather than working like a band. The causes had been there for a long time, in a history full of hurts and transcendence. Lennon described their heart-rending ending, stating, “I was thinking, ’Well, this is the end, really. There’s no more touring. That means there’s going to be a blank space in the future…’ That’s when I really started considering life without the Beatles — what would it be?”
John Lennon was also known as the “smart Beetle”, who brought an incisive intelligence to the band’s music. He also composed incredible melodies, such as songs like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “In My Life”, creating a dreamlike world-weariness. Such work portrayed him as a musical genius and an artistic immortality.
It was after the breakup that John Lennon truly became into being. He became known as a progressive hero in the 1960s and 70s due to his anti-war activism, and is still viewed this way today. From engaging into social activism, giving passionate interviews or writing and recording songs, Lennon viewed life as a work of art. He was known as "a gentle prince of peace’, clearly shown in his best-known song and international anthem of peace, "Imagine’: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one”.
John Lennon will remain immortal through his work of art in melodies as well as beautiful poetry. Thus, he was and will remain an artistic genius.