World marks 25th anniversary of Lennon murder
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-08 14:39

New York was the centrepiece on Thursday of the bitter jubilee of the murder of pop icon John Lennon 25 years ago - an act which became one of the defining moments of the 20th century.

Linda Wright, from Redditch Works, England, leaves flowers in memory of John Lennon at Strawberry Fields in New Yorks Central Park Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005. Craig Vallance from Winnipeg, Canada, plays his guitar and sings Beatles songs. The 25th anniversary of Lennons murder is Thursday, Dec. 8. The Dakota apartment building, where Lennon was shot, is barely visible at right in the background. [AP]

A memorial service was to be held in Liverpool, Lennon's birthplace, before the focus of commemorations turned to New York where the ex-Beatle was gunned down, two months after his 40th birthday.

There was a risk of confrontation however as New York authorities have declared that Lennon fans will not be able to stage an overnight vigil in the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park, outside the Manhatten apartment block where Lennon lived and was shot.

But hundreds, if not thousands, of fans are expected to go to the park to pay tribute to the writer of "Imagine" and countless Beatles hits of the 1960s.

The mentally deranged Mark Chapman was waiting on the steps of the Dakota apartment block on the night of December 8, 1980 as the musician returned from a recording studio.

Chapman had asked for his autograph hours earlier. "Mr Lennon!" he shouted and a handgun was aimed and five bullets fired at the rock world's preacher for peace.

"I'm shot," Lennon declared in his final gasp.

Lennon will be remembered at events around the world, ranging from a concert in the Cuban capital, to exhibitions in Paris and other cities on top of the commemorations in Liverpool and New York.

The Sirius Satellite Radio network in the United States was to host a four hour-long "Lennon Live" tribute which will feature live performances from rock and pop stars Dave Matthews, Paul Weller, Dr. John, Daryl Hall and Stereo MC's and Lulu.

The performances were to be staged at London's Abbey Road Studios and the Sirius studios in New York.

But fans who converge on Strawberry Fields will not be allowed to stay past the park's usual 1:00am curfew, despite the pleas from vigil organisers.

Candido Bonilla, who helps organise the annual gathering, said New York should make an exception to the rule given Lennon's worldwide appeal, the Newsday newspaper reported.

"He was a great leader of our time," Bonilla said. "We feel the least the city should do is to allow the vigil to go uninterrupted, to let it run its course."

A quarter century after Lennon's death, a struggle remains among his family, friends and fans for control of the former Beatle's legacy.

Defining Lennon has become a cottage industry with exhibitions, memoirs, album re-issues, documentaries and even a Broadway musical and a looming film.

His widow, Yoko Ono, now 72, remains the gatekeeper of the Lennon legacy and chief protector of his posthumous image.

Ono has marked the anniversary by editing a compilation of tributes from celebrities such as Elton John and Mick Jagger.

Widely believed to have been a major factor behind the Beatles' break-up, Ono has always divided public opinion and her pronouncements on Lennon's behalf have been received with a mixture of respect and irritation.

In the run-up to the anniversary, other voices have sought to challenge Ono and offer a more earthy image of a cultural hero.

In her memoir "John," published in October, Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Lennon, wrote of the "pain, torment and humiliation" she suffered in her marriage with a man who could be as cruel as he was loveable.

In a statement for the 25th anniversary, Lennon's son, Julian, admitted to "very mixed feelings" about his father.

"He was the father I loved who let me down in so many ways," he said.

Meanwhile, Chapman, who was arrested at the scene, is serving a 20 years to life prison sentence. His parole appeals have been turned down three times.

In an interview recorded more than 10 years ago, Chapman described how the search for his own personality compelled him to shoot Lennon.

"It was like a train, a runaway train, there was no stopping it. No matter - nothing could have stopped me," he said.