Photo Credit: Aaron LeeToday marks the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's passing. One can only wonder what continuing contributions he would have made to music, to culture, to society. My friend Lydia Hutchinson from Performing Songwriter Magazine did a story about John's last performance in NY, appearing as a surprise guest of Elton John's during his Thanksgiving night concert of 1974. Elton played piano and sang harmony vocal on the original recording of the song, and bet John it would hit number #1. He got Lennon to promise that he would appear with Elton on stage if that should happen. The tune wound up being John's only solo release to get to the top of the chart.
Among the tributes and remembrances this week to John Lennon was a sobering and somber documentary on CNN called Losing Lennon hosted by John Roberts. Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Time, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post; there is a virtual avalanche of coverage. Whatever John might have done had he had a longer life, he left us with such an amazing musical legacy. He also opened the door to the new era by using the media to advance political and social commentary.
Let us stop for a moment and soak in the exuberance of John Lennon with Elton John and The Muscle Shoals Horns on "What Ever Gets You Through the Night," from Thanksgiving 1974 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
- Jessie Scott