“December 1980. I heard the news from the guy running a backpacker hostel in Venice, Italy. He came in shouting: “Crazy man shot Beatle George Lennon.” This made no sense. So I replied: “John Lennon?” Yes. Him.”
“Within days, vigils were held all over the world. I ignored my budget and bought a copy of Time magazine with a cover portrait of Lennon and the headline ‘When the Music Died’.”
Forty years on and fans world-over remember exactly where they were when they heard the news of Lennon’s passing. In our cover story, Alan Attwood celebrates the songs, the life and the legacy of this flawed musical genius, and his enduring message of peace, love and imagination.