Celebrating John Lennon, not his death

2010 has been a special year for the Beatle maniacs. Besides the fact that the legendary rock band finally got on board the Apple iTunes, for whatever reasons, the year has seen two particularly significant days, especially for those who worship John Lennon. The outstanding Beatle/musician/ political activist's 70^th birth anniversary and 30^th death anniversary happened to fall this year.

As is the tradition with all the birth and death anniversaries of all popular personalities, a slew of tribute programs and vigils surface to mark the occasion. However, Lennon's death anniversary is going to be unique and unprecedented. Surely, it will not be a day of big statements or elaborate programs.

The thirtieth anniversary of Lennon's death will draw distinction as his fans are in no mood to wail over the legendary's death as a consensus has emerged among them to make it an occasion to celebrate his life.

Violent End to a Peace Campaigner

Lennon was shot dead by Mark David Chapman outside his Dakota apartment building in New York City on December 6, 1980.

Chapman, who was 25 back then, first posed as a fan in front of the apartment to get an autograph of the musician on a copy of Double Fantasy. After getting a nod of agreement to his question Is this all you want?, Lennon carried on to Record Plant. Deciding not to dine out as he wanted to spend time with his five-year-old son Sean, Lennon returned to the Dakota at approximately 10:50 pm. Chapman, who was still waiting there, took aim and fired five hollow-point bullets from a .38 special revolver. While the first bullet missed Lennon, the other four inflicted fatal injuries on the man leading to his death. Chapman waited at the spot for the police and confessed to killing Lennon.

Fans have already begun arriving at the scene, many still unaware Lennon has died, a 30-year-old BBC report of what ensued on the fateful night said.

Thirty years later...

Thirty years since the world has mourned the death of the visionary artist - the 'dreamer'. With songs like 'Imagine' and 'Give peace a chance', John Lennon has etched a place for himself in the collective conscience of humanity. Even though his philosophy stemmed from the 1960s' Hippie movement against empty values, nuclear weapons and the Vietnam war, Lennon's words still remain true to humanity's struggle today.

Probably the most quoted, yet the most eternal words of 'Imagine' goes: Imagine there's no Heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky. Imagine all the people...living for today.

In a world torn by religion-fueled extremism, violence, hatred, hypocrisy and lack of clarity in human mind, these words prove extremely potent, showing the eternal nature of Lennon's world vision.

True to Lennon's ideology, now the fans are gearing up to celebrate Lennon for who he was and not for how he died. Scribes across all spheres of media have already begun writing tributes, which salute the brilliance of the musician and allude to the eternal nature of Lennon's legacy. One such headline reads: 'Lennon: Forever young, 30 years after death'.

Also, echoing the same attitude are the Quarrymen, a band comprising of Lennon's school friends who are set to perform on his death anniversary.

We're playing not to mark his death, but to celebrate his life, Rod Davis, banjo player with the Quarrymen, explained to Echo.co.uk.

To talk too much of his death casts a shadow. There's more than a bit of sadness this week, so we'll be trying to focus on celebrating the John, we knew, added Davis, who had known John since they were five years old.

In another attempt to keep the Lennon legacy alive, fan-promoted non-violence campaign has been conceptualized. To celebrate John Lennon's life aims and to promote non-violence, 'Imagine One Billion Faces For Peace' will take on the internet on December 8. The campaign endorses the symbol of the knotted gun.

Our aim is to take John Lennon's vision of a world in peace into the 21st century and cyberspace. We are using the Internet to spread this vision and to provide access to our peace education programmes, communications director Clem Leech told Clashmusic.com.

These exemplary initiatives are working towards not letting John Lennon's violent end cast a shadow over his life and his message, or in his own words - All we are saying is give peace a chance.