Last 24 Hours of John Lennon

Yoko Ono and John Lennon were preparing an album called Double Fantasy to symbolize their come back 5 years later.  John Lennon said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if people say, there is nothing these two will not do for promotion when people listen to this album.”

But the things happened on 08 December 1980 changed everything. John Lennon from The Beatles was murdered as they celebrated the completion of Double Fantasy.

He was really happy with Yoko Ono… The famous photographer Bob Gruen tells these days like this:

“John Lennon was calmer than his previous life and he dedicated himself to his family…”


LENNON WAS GETTING READY FOR A NEW BEGINNING IN HIS LIFE

On 8 December 1980 morning, Radio 1 listeners woke up to a sweet melody in Breakfast Program by Dave Lee Travis. At 08.15, the DJ released the joyous Christmas message by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The famous couple announced the good news that they will be back to the UK soon. After 24 hours, Radio 1 started to play John Lennon songs. This time the mood changed. The country was mourning. John Lennon was dead.

Actually, that day was the beginning of the re-movement for Lennon. The famous artist woke up at 07.30 and had breakfast in La Fortuna, Westside. At 09.00, he went to his barber Veez. He had a haircut to match the model he had in his Hamburg days. At 10.00, he gave an interview with Yoko Ono for RKO Radio.

When they mentioned Double Fantasy during the interview, John Lennon said, “I dedicate this album to all the people who grew with me.”

As the day continued, Rolling Stones magazine photographer Annie Leibovitz arrived at Dakota Apartment for the interview and photoshoot. Leibovitz planned a cover photo to shoot the famous couple while making love. John Lennon immediately loved this idea.

This photo will be the last photo of the famous couple together!

At around 16.00, John Lennon and Yoko Ono went to The Hit Factory with the rented limousine. They were going to prepare the Walking on Thin Ice album soundtrack in the giant recording studio. At 22.30, John Lennon told to producer Jack Douglas, “Hey, isn’t it enough for tonight? We will stop by and eat something with Yoko”.

But the couple didn’t stop by and went to home. Yoko wanted to take care of his 5-years-old son Sean. John Lennon got out of the limousine in front of the Dakota Apartment and he was holding a bunch of cassettes and tape recorder.

Yoko Ono was walking a few steps behind her husband. When John Lennon was about to enter to the building, Chapman came out of the shadows, stopped in from of him and said, “Mr. Lennon”. Then, he shot John Lennon with 5 bullets.

The first 2 bullets hit Lennon from the back and he turned back with pain. The last two hit to his shoulder. The last one hit the target.


MURDERER CHAPMAN CALLED HIM MR LENNON

Lennon was covered in blood and he hardly climb the 5 stairs of the Dakota Apartment as he went to the doorman’s room Ono immediately run to her husband, hold his head in her arms and started to shout, “John Lennon is shot. John Lennon is shot… Help me!”

Jay Hastings who was on duty called the police. He took his uniform and covered Lennon. Police officers Steve Spiro and Peter Cullen came to the crime scene. The officers immediately wanted to arrest Jay Hastings. Another doorman said his friend is working there, pointed the killer Chapman and said, “he is the one who shot Lennon.” Chapman didn’t run away from the crime scene. He was standing on the left of the door and reading a book.

“I have a big guy and a small guy in me.” “The small guy shot him.”

Lennon started to lose his power and he was saying, “I am John Lennon, John Lennon from The Beatles.”

There was no time to wait for the ambulance. Police officers took the famous singer to Roosevelt Hospital in St. Luke with their own car. They asked John Lennon questions to keep him conscious. The doctors transfused blood but it was too late. John Lennon was declared dead at 23.07. Yoko Ono was devastated with this news.

THE KILLER WANTED JOHN LENNON’S FAME

Mark David Chapman who was claimed to have a psychiatric disorder was born in 1955 in Texas, Fox Worth. He was calm in his childhood.

His only passion became music as he grew up. Since he thought he was like John Lennon, he married to Japanese descended Gloria Abe whom he believed to look like Yoko Ono.

He started to believe that Lennon is a liar and deceiving people. He returned from Honolulu and he started to monitor John Lennon’s home.

One day he called his wife and said he will kill John Lennon. The wife worked hard to change his idea but she wasn’t successful.

Chapman was in the court with second degree murder on 23 December 1980. Everyone thought that he will claim to be mentally ill. But he accepted his crime.

Chapman was sentences to 20 years in prison and in 2004, he told the parole team that he killed John Lennon to take over his fame. He said he kind of achieved that.