Devoted followers of the legendary Beatles musician John Lennon converged on Strawberry Fields in Central Park Sunday to bounce, sing and keep in mind the icon’s tragic demise 44 years in the past.
The grassroots gathering — which drew Beatlemaniacs from across the globe — sprung forth because it does yearly on the two.5-acre tract of impeccably manicured garden named for one of many Beatles’ most well-known songs.
“For the final 44 years, we’ve celebrated his life,” stated Quent Kelleher, a 60-year-old native New Yorker who involves the identical spot yearly on the anniversary of Lennon’s Dec. 8, 1980 homicide outdoors his residence a brief distance from the park.
“My finest buddy referred to as me up that night time — he lives across the nook — and instructed me [Lennon] was shot,” Kelleher instructed The Submit. “And we got here out right here that night time, and we’ve been popping out right here [since].”
“We’ve even had binoculars and seen Yoko Ono looking the window up there watching,” Kelleher stated, gesturing to The Dakota Residences on 72nd Avenue, the place she and Lennon lived earlier than his demise.
The music icon was fatally shot simply earlier than 11 p.m. that night time below an archway in entrance of his constructing by Mark David Chapman, who later stated he killed the 40-year-old Lennon as a result of he wished fame and had “evil in my coronary heart.”
The convict is presently serving a 20-years-to-life sentence at Inexperienced Haven Correctional Facility in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Equipment Stolz, a 70-year-old Californian, who was amongst some 300 folks at Strawberry Fields, got here with accomplice Valeria Levette. He can always remember that day — it’s, in any case, his personal birthday.
“I’m an enormous Lennon fan, and naturally it’s very unhappy,” he stated. “He was killed on my birthday. So I believed, ‘Effectively, this can be a option to take the taint off the day.’”
“That is the primary time [I’ve come] … it’s such a joyous event.”
“There are such a lot of several types of folks, actually, very various,” Levette added. “However simply to take part on this communal celebration of John … it’s beautiful.”
The social gathering continued late into the day, with folks passing round joints, taking part in devices, harmonizing to “Think about” and portray photos of their long-fallen idol.
“John Lennon’s spirit is right here!” Landy Kosmik cried, pointing to a hawk that soared above him as he rocked out together with his solar-powered electrical guitar.
“This was on my bucket record,” added a person named Pierre, who got here from France to participate within the gathering. “I’ve been seeing it on YouTube and I stated, ‘I have to go there!’”
Marty Trent, a 64-year-old from New Jersey, has even made the pilgrimage a household custom.
“After I was 20 years outdated, John handed, and I used to be right here with some associates, and I purchased this shirt,” he stated, referencing the Beatles shirt he wore.
“You see this candle?” he continued, holding a two-inch stick of wax.
“They handed this out to all people on the vigil 44 years in the past,” he stated. “And yearly, we burn it somewhat bit. As you may see, it’s getting somewhat shorter … my son, he’s the keeper of the holy flame!”
“It’s been a good time,” he continued. “Everybody’s in good spirits. Then we exit in Chinatown and we eat.”
“It’s a day, you realize? A day for the household.”
