I was on the air at CKLC in Kingston. It was the late evening shift. I had to break the news to my listeners.
It was 11:20pm. The news came across the wire that John Lennon had been shot. I starred at it thinking “Wow - what do I do? This is big. What if it’s a journalistic mistake?”John Lennon signs an autograph for his killer Mark David Chapman, hours before the murder on 8 December 1980. Photograph: Paul Garesh/UPI, Popperfoto
I hesitated and the next song played while I pondered how and what to say. Then, the wire followed up with the official death announcement.
Before I could crack open the microphone, the studio Batphone lit up. It was Terry Williams my boss. The national wire service was scrolling the news across the bottom of the TV screen and Terry got the news as he watched the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
“What do I do?”
“Just read the wire copy. And whatever you do - don’t play “Starting Over”!
"Starting Over" was Lennon’s new release on our playlist. I guess Terry thought it would be in bad taste.
My shift ended at 1am. Between 11:30pm and 1am I announced Lennon’s death only twice. That’s it. Twice! It scared me to talk about it on the air in case I didn't sound sincere, or real, or however I was supposed to sound.
A couple of days later there was a candlelight vigil in many cities, showing unity of mourning. Kingston held the vigil at Confederation Park by the waterfront. It was cold and it was packed. Janice and I were there.
Lennon’s death was the first rock star death of my generation. I was too young to remember the passing of Jimi, Janis and Jim, although since then I become a fan of each and have visited Jimi's gravesite in Seattle and Jim's in Paris. It makes them real to me. I guess I think that's as close as I will ever be to them.
Today, December 8th I can recall the event and my announcement of the murder with complete clarity. And to this day, whenever I hear the song “Imagine” - I cry.
Cool story .. Nice writing .. I had just finished the evening show at CHOK in Sarnia - got back to my apartment, opened a beer and tuned in 101 WRIF Detroit .. Ken Calvert made the announcement .. I listened to great radio and .. the end .. for 4 hours .. it was the end .. the end of the first year of the new decade .. the end that The Beatles might reunited and give us their magical music .. the end of innocence .. Two days later Terry Williams offered me a job at CKLC .. it was then end of a dead end and very depressing year for me ... Cool huh ... Merry Christmas Scott!
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