John Lennon - Never Forgotten

John Lennon was murdered in his adopted home of New York City on this day in 1980. I will never forget it. John was my hero and he was cut down senselessly just as he resurfaced from five years of musical exile.

What is it exactly that keeps me memorializing John on this day every year? Is it the shock of his sudden death? After 31 years it still burns, as I imagine, December 7th must to a generation that remembers Pearl Harbor. I don't want to imply that these events are similar or of equal importance (John is famous for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus and getting in big trouble for it). But, in my life, safe and protected by those who did fight in WWII, having my hero killed was and is a big deal.

Although I loved (and still love) the Beatles as a group, and believe that their unique chemistry is what made them so great, John still stands out. There was something about his personality that made him the leader of the band--at first. As time went on, various factors caused him to step back while Paul took the controls, but by then the Beatles were becoming four more developed individuals, and John's songs stood out even more.

In the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team, while Paul supplied the sweet, John provided the savory, for a perfect blend--kind of like a chocolate-covered pretzel or a good sweet and sour chicken.

Although I mostly play the bass today--Paul's instrument--I still celebrate John more. His songwriting, singing and guitar playing were special--and his heart was in the right place.

I'll think about John today and, tonight, with my band, Red Paint, will play something in his memory--probably You've Got to Hide Your Love Away--but there are many more. Being in a four-man band helps me preserve the memory of the Beatles, even though they are not heavily represented in our repertoire.

And in 2012, Two of Us, a duo, will continue to celebrate the music of John and the boys. More on this soon.

Rest in Peace, John. We will never forget you or your music.

Three Beatle Weekend

What a musical/Beatle oriented weekend! Saturday night, I watched both parts of the Martin Scorsese special on George Harrison, Living in the Material World. In it, Scorsese features interviews with those who knew and loved him, including the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as both of his wives and his son, Dhani, who resembles his father a lot. Racecar champ Jackie Stewart spoke of George, too. George, besides spiritual activities, was a racing enthusiast. You may not have known that. There was significant footage of conversations with his friend Eric Clapton and fellow musician Tom Petty (from the Traveling Wilburys period).There were many photos I had never seen, and we gain more insight into George's post-Beatle and nonmusical activities.

Sunday, October 9th was what would have been John Lennon's 71st birthday (imagine an elderly John), which I commemorated by playing "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away in front of a party crowd with my band, Red Paint. The 9th was also the day that Paul married his third wife. We'd gotten word of this in the Spring. I wish him happiness, and things appear to be good so far.

Fab Four forever.

The Beatles Live On Forever in their Music

What did you do today? It was Sunday here--and I spent the afternoon on an outdoor stage playing Beatles songs. We even played some songs the Beatles played before they were well known--in Hamburg and Liverpool. The audience enjoyed it and we certainly did too.

Yes, we're men and women in our middle years, who remember the band when they were young and active. But what could be better than getting to do what you always wanted to do--like your heros?

When I was a teenager I listened to the Beatles on the radio and on records. I saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show. When I was 14 I got my first guitar and started playing their songs in my room on my own. I wanted to be in a band but never quite got it together to do it. But now, I have.

What does it mean to perform like your idol? My son dunks the basketball in our driveway and I'm sure he's thinking about Michael Jordan and, especially his favorite--Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Same thing.

Today, as I sang "I'm Down" and "Things We Said Today," I'm playing bass and singing--just like Paul McCartney. It's not easy, you know, to do them both, but Paul did. I also sang and played "Think for Yourself"--a George song, I Should Have Known Better--a John Song, and "Matchbox"--a Ringo song. It doesn't get much better than that.

Beards

I've had a beard most of my adult life. It started with the optimistic dusting of hairs that I attempted right after high school. By 20 it was full. Since then, I've rarely shaved it, although it is normally trimmed close to my face and I shave my neck.

At 20, I liked the full face hair look--I thought it made me look more grown up, and more "cool." By then, Jerry Garcia had a beard (much thicker than mine--or most people's). John Lennon had a big bushy beard in 1969, but it's not a look that he is identified with.

Fidel Castro--now THAT'S someone we always associate with a beard. How about some of those 19th-century presidents? Big hairy clouds. The last 100 years--no.

Orthodox Jewish men are known for their beards--often quite unstylish. They fiddle with them while studying the Torah. I'm afraid that's what I would look like with a few years growth.

The latest beard news: Brian Wilson (no relation to the Beach Boys) of the San Francisco Giants. His hirsute face is the closest to Rutherford B. Hayes that we've seen in a while.

My problem now is that while the remaining hair on my head is "salt and pepper," the hair on my face is overwhelmingly salt these days. And at this point, looking older isn't that appealing, frankly.

The problem is, if I shave it off, it'll make me look younger, but my non-George Clooney chin will be exposed. I feel like I look naked without a beard. And, there's the maintenance issue. A three-day growth of gray isn't hip--it's homelessness.

Luckily I don't have to do anything right now, so I won't. But it crosses my mind--normally right after seeing myself in a mirror and registering the disconnect between what I observe and what I feel.

George Harrison - New Bio this Fall

The Beatles franchise will never die, even though two of the four members are long gone. I grew up with and have always loved the Fab Four, so I was happy to hear today that a George Harrison biography will appear on HBO this fall with new images and material, including interviews with the two surviving Beatles--Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

I loved the Beatles as a group--their interaction and chemistry--even more than them as individuals. Yes, they are my personal heroes, true, but there was "something" (a George Harrison pun) about the four of them together that didn't work with them as single artists. There has been individual greatness from each - All Things Must Pass and Cloud Nine bracket George's career nicely; Ringo had some great 1970's hits (Photograph is my favorite of them); John had made a fine comeback with Double Fantasy before he was murdered in New York in 1980; and Paul, well, he keeps working, although his best material is probably long behind him. Just having him out there performing keeps the Beatles alive today.

I had a George period in 1968 when I selected his Richard Avedon poster for my wall. I was entranced by "Within You, Without You" from Sgt. Pepper's and his mystical qualities at the time.

In a slightly related note: Ron Grill, the lead singer of the Grass Roots, an iconic 1960's pop band, has died. He suffered a fall (no details provided) and was in a coma. He's been replaced in the 2011 touring version of the Grass Roots but it would be a little like seeing the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger (unimaginable) or Creedence without John Fogerty (this has actually been done). Lots of neat little numbers from the band--Live for Today, Temptation Eyes and Midnight Confession are among my faves.

Double Graduation and Memorable Dates

May 27th marks the day I graduated from high school--and college too. Yes, the diploma-receiving walks were eight years apart. But I was a busy guy--spending a year on a kibbutz in Israel and earning my way through school.

Despite the fact that high school was more than "two score" ago and the day I snagged my English degree is also ancient history, I commemorate my double graduation day every year--by myself. No parties, no special activities. I just remember with some gratitude.

Graduations are interesting in that the date itself really isn't what's significant. It's that it normally indicates the end of something and the beginning of another. After high school, I embarked on a little adventure in guitar strumming and working that lasted a year and eight months. By the time I went to college, I was ready. After college, I stepped immediately into a fulltime job that lasted three and a half years.

Some dates are obvious--birthdays--yours and your significant other--and your kids' (especially young ones, who have great expectations). Some are more significant to the world--sometimes horrible too. What about D-Day (good), September 11--(bad), November 22 (JFK shot--bad). For me, December 8 is a bad day--when John Lennon was murdered. That one hurts me every year. How about May 1, 2011--the day Osama Bin Laden was found and dispatched? I'm guessing that most people consider that a "good" day. It probably won't become a Hallmark holiday, however.

Or course, January 1 is always important as a new beginning, and December 25 is significant to Christians--and most of the rest of us too--as a time to do something a little different beyond it's religious significance.

The first day of the each new season is recognized. When June 21 arrives, we expect summer warmth and long days--but maybe we're remembering school being out and the "freedom" that came with it.

For me, November 25 and 26 together are very significant because the first date is the day I met my wife and the 26th is--her birthday.

I'm glad I graduated (twice)--my college degree especially has been useful to me, as has the effort I had to put in to earn it.