Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono were among those remembering the great John Lennon on the 40th anniversary of his tragic death. “A sad sad day,” wrote McCartney, Lennon’s songwriting partner, friend and often artistic rival, “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!,” McCartney concludes, with a reference to the nickname for folks from Liverpool.
Lennon was shot dead on Dec. 8, 1980, by Mark David Chapman, who remains in custody after repeated requests for parole.
Starr, the only surviving Beatle besides McCartney (George Harrison died in 2001), tweeted 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.”
Ono used the occasion to call for peace and and gun law reform.
“The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience,” she writes. “After 40 years, Sean, Julian and I still miss him. ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace.'”
Ono’s tweet also includes the famous photograph she took of Lennon’s blood-splattered eyeglasses, accompanying a message that reads: “Over 1,436,000 people have been killed by guns in the U.S.A. since John Lennon was shot and killed on Dec. 8, 1980.”
Lennon’s sons, Julian Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon made their own statement: Julian posted a photo of his dad with the words “As Time Goes By”, which Sean hearted.
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
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
The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience.
After 40 years, Sean, Julian and I still miss him.
'Imagine all the people living life in peace.'
Yoko Ono Lennon#enoughisenough #peace #guncontrolnow #gunviolence #nra #guns #gunsafety #firearms #endgunviolence pic.twitter.com/TsHWuCdu2Y— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) December 8, 2020
❤️
— Sean Ono Lennon (@seanonolennon) December 8, 2020
