John Lennon, musician and one of the members of The Beatles, was murdered outside his home at the Dakota apartment building in New York City on 8 December 1980.
The death of John Lennon profoundly affected his fans, many of whom gathered outside his apartment on 72nd street to mourn the loss of the man who meant so much to them.
RTÉ reporter Pat Butler, himself ‘of the John Lennon generation’ travelled to New York and interviewed some of the mourners. One elderly lady ‘of the Frank Sinatra generation’ declares Lennon ‘a saint’.
Another man who arrived at the apartment building that morning found it difficult to leave as the spirit of everybody gathered kept him there. One woman summed up the general sentiment of those present saying
He’ll just live on in our hearts and through his music for the rest of our lives, even though his body’s dead, he still lives on.
An ‘Ireland’s Eye’ report broadcast on 12 December 1980. The reporter is Pat Butler.
