Authors: Ken Bielen Ben Urich
of the passing of Lennon.
Heatley, Michael.
The Immortal John Lennon, 1940–1980.
Stamford, CT: Longmeadow
Press, 1992.
Hendrix, Kathleen. “Beatlemania Reached around the World—Even to the Jungle
of Borneo.”
Los Angeles Times
(December 12, 1980): II-11. An appreciation of
Lennon and The Beatles written on the occasion of his slaying.
Henke, James.
Lennon: His Life and Work.
Cleveland, OH: Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, 2000. The exhibit catalog for the retrospective hosted by the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Lennon’s birth.
Henke, James.
Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon.
San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 2003. The scrapbook format publication (including pockets of
reproductions of Lennon souvenirs) is a companion to the special exhibit about
Lennon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the author is curator. The
exhibit commemorated the 60th anniversary of Lennon’s birth. Includes a CD
of interview segments with Lennon from
The Mike Douglas Show;
the WNEW-
FM, New York, radio appearance with Dennis Elsas; the
Playboy
interviews; and
a live performance of “Imagine.”
Henry III, William. “Authentic Voice of the 60’s.”
Daily News
(New York) (December
10, 1980): 28. A well-written introduction to a 12-page retrospective put
together by the newspaper the day after Lennon’s death.
Hicks, Tony. “Out of This World: Séance Attempts To Contact Lennon.”
Seattle Times
(April 16, 2006). Accessed March 4, 2007, at http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/artsentertainment/2002930687_lennon16.html. A tongue-in-cheek
opinion piece about the scheduled séance with Lennon.
Higson, Rosalie. “Play Imagines Lennon’s Final Thoughts.”
The Australian
(February
13, 2006). Accessed February 13, 2006, at http://www.theaustralian.news.
com.au/story/0,20867,18126872-16947,00.html. The author speaks with
154 Annotated Bibliography
Valentine Pelka, who acts as Lennon in the play
And in the End,
which opened
in Sydney in March 2006.
Hilburn, Robert. “The Flip Side of ‘Lennon’ Bio.”
Los Angeles Times
(September 3,
1988): IV-1. The music critic’s thoughts on the
Imagine
documentary.
Hilburn, Robert. “A Heartless Portrait of Lennon.”
Miami Herald
(September 6,
1988): 7C. The
Los Angeles Times
’ music critic’s negative review of the Goldman
biography.
Hilburn, Robert. “John Lennon: No Secret Interior, Just Integrity.”
Los Angeles
Times
(December 14, 1980): 1. An appreciation by the newspaper’s chief music
critic written on the occasion of Lennon’s slaying.
Hilburn, Robert. “Making Up: McCartney Says in Song What He Wishes He Had
Told Lennon.”
Philadelphia Inquirer
(April 25, 1982): 7A.
Hinckley, David. “Night that Stopped City Cold.”
Daily News
(New York) (December
4, 2005): 38. The reporter talks with Vin Scelsa, who was on the air on New
York’s flagship FM rock station the night Lennon died.
Hinson, Hal. “ ‘Imagine’: The Artist as Nowhere Man.”
Washington Post
(October 7,
1988): B1. A review of the
Imagine
documentary.
Hinson, Mark. “Join Hands and Meet a Beatle.”
Tallahassee.com
(April 2, 2006).
Accessed April 2, 2006, at http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.
dll/article?AID=/20060402/COLUMNIST08/604020317/1005/
ENT&template=printart. After the announcement of an upcoming séance, the
author provides a mock transcript of Lennon’s angry words from the beyond.
Holden, Stephen. “Lennon’s Music: A Range of Genius.”
Rolling Stone
335 (January
22, 1981): 64–67 ff. The critic walks through Lennon’s recorded output from
the days of The Beatles to
Double Fantasy.
Hopkins, Jerry. “Genitalia Slips Quietly under the Counter.”
Rolling Stone
(March 1,
1969): 6. An article about the controversial
Two Virgins
album cover.
Hopkins, Jerry.
Yoko Ono.
New York: Macmillan. 1986. Not surprisingly, Lennon
is extensively covered in this grudgingly appreciative but often harshly written
biography of Ono.
How I Won the War
. Directed by Richard Lester. 1 hr. 50 min. MGM. 2002. DVD.
Lennon plays a supporting role in this absurdist antiwar film released in 1967.
Hume, Martha. “Growing with … Grieving for.”
Daily News
(New York) (December
14, 1980): Leisure-1 ff. The author, wife of rock critic Chet Flippo, presents a
personal essay in reaction to Lennon’s death.
“Imagine.”
Rolling Stone
537 (October 20, 1988): 57–61 ff. Photo essay excerpted
from Andrew Solt and Sam Egan’s companion book to the
Imagine
film.
Imagine.
Directed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. 55 min. Joko Films. 1986. Vid-
eocassette. A film Lennon and Ono made to accompany the
Imagine
and
Fly
albums. The production consists of short films for each song that are linked by
footage of the couple doing a variety of activities around their home and prop-
erty. Some of the films are interesting, such as the one for “Imagine” wherein
Ono opens the windows in an all-white room as Lennon plays the song on a
white piano, and “Crippled Inside,” which is visualized as Lennon sitting for a
photograph portrait intercut with party footage.
Imagine: John Lennon.
Produced by David L. Wolper and Andrew Solt. Directed
by Andrew Solt. 1 hr. 46 min. Warner. 2005. DVD. A documentary film done
with the cooperation of Lennon’s estate. The feature covers his entire life from
Annotated Bibliography 155
his parents’ meeting until the immediate shock of his killing. Some remark-
able moments are captured on film and audio. They present Lennon in every
mood from thoughtful and passionate to vindictive and spiteful to an exhausted
state. The deluxe edition DVD has footage not seen in movie theaters or in the
original video release.
“‘Imagine’ Tops Favourite Song Survey.”
News.Scotsman.com
(December 30,
2005). Accessed February 4, 2006, at http://news.scotsman.com/latest.
cfm?id=2478072005. Article about U.K. survey conducted by Virgin Radio.
Lennon’s song “Imagine” was number one.
“In Praise of John Lennon: The Liverpool Lad as Musician, Husband, Father and
Man.”
People Weekly
(December 22, 1980): 26–36. The celebrity magazine’s
profile of Lennon on the occasion of his murder.
Infusino, Divina. “Yoko Ono Is Not Alone.”
McCall’s
112 (January 1985): 60 ff. The
author speaks with Yoko Ono about her first four years without her husband.
Ingham, Chris.
The Rough Guide to the Beatles,
2nd Edition. New York: Penguin,
2006. This handy compendium covers a variety of Beatles topics, with a nice
section on Lennon’s post-Beatles career and other solo activities.
Interview with a Legend: John Lennon.
58 min. Karl Video Corporation. 1981. Video-
cassette. This rare video is an edited version of the December 9, 1980, broadcast
of the
Tomorrow Show
with Tom Snyder on NBC. Snyder introduces Lennon’s
1975 appearance on the show, which then plays in slightly edited form. Lennon
amiably answers Snyder’s questions about Beatlemania and fame before being
joined by his lawyer to discuss his immigration troubles. The show then returns
to the 1980 segment as Snyder discusses Lennon with
New York Post
columnist
Lisa Robinson. Lastly,
Double Fantasy
co-producer Jack Douglas, still in shock
only 24 hours after Lennon’s murder, tells Snyder of Lennon’s mood during his
last day.
“Is It Worth a Fab $4M?”
Sydney Morning Herald
(February 1, 2006). Accessed
March 4, 2007, at http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/are-beatles-lyrics-
worth-4-million/2006/02/01/1138590540354.html. A short article about
the auction of Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to “A Day in the Life.”
Isfeld, Gordon. “Cynthia Lennon: In Her Own Write.”
CNN.com
(December
8, 2005). Accessed February 4, 2006, at http://www.cnn.com/2005/
SHOWBIZ/Music/09/28/cynthia.lennon.book/index.html. A review of
John,
the book by Lennon’s first wife. Includes comments from Cynthia Lennon
speaking about the book at a Foreign Press Association gathering in London.
“‘It’s a Hard Night,’ Says Springsteen.”
Philadelphia Inquirer
(December 10, 1980):
A14. A review of a Springsteen concert held at the Spectrum in Philadelphia the
night after Lennon’s murder.
Ivins, Molly. “Lennon and Gun Laws.”
Texas Observer
(February 27, 1981): 24.
Jackson, John Wyse.
We All Want To Change the World: The Life of John Lennon.
New
York: Haus, 2005. Breezy canonical biography of Lennon, heavy on well-chosen
photo illustrations with a good index and thorough citations.
Januszczak, Waldemar. “Albert and Lennon.”
Guardian Weekly
(September 25,
1988): 27. An article about the controversy that swirled around the Goldman
biography.
Jenkin, Eve. “Psychics Get in Touch with John Lennon.”
undercover.com.au
(March
14, 2006). Accessed March 4, 2007, at http://www.undercover.com.au/
156 Annotated Bibliography
news/2006/mar06/20060314_johnlennon.html. Report about an upcoming
pay-per-view séance during which psychics will attempt to communicate with
Lennon and gather music from him.
Jennings, Nicholas. “The Storm over John Lennon.”
MacLean’s
101 (October 17,
1988): 40–43. The author discusses the controversial Goldman biography as
well as Lennon’s half-sister Julia Baird’s biography.
John and Yoko Give Peace a Song.
Produced and directed by Alan Lysaght and Paul
McGrath. 1 hr. 40 min. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005. DVD.
The story of Lennon’s peace anthem and first non-Beatles song release is
thoroughly documented by the same team that covered the entire 1969 year
in an earlier film. The song’s instant absorption into the counterculture is
remarkably portrayed. The DVD contains additional interviews not seen in
the original 50-minute broadcast.
John and Yoko’s Year of Peace.
Produced by Alan Lysaght. Directed by Paul McGrath.
52 min. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2000. Videocassette. Lennon and
Ono’s campaign for peace is put in a sociohistorical context, focusing on global
events taking place in 1969. The same team later did a CBC television special
about the composition of “Give Peace a Chance.”
“John Lennon.” In
The New Dakota Dictionary of Skiffle,
eds. Fred Stanley and Keith
George. Liverpool, England: Merseytime Press, 1999. An encyclopedia entry
about Lennon’s skiffle years and its influence on his career, making much of his
irreverent humor.
“John Lennon.” In
The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music,
ed. Donald Clarke.
New York: Viking Penguin, 1989: 696–697. Includes an informative entry
about Lennon.
“John Lennon and Yoko Ono.” In
The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll,
eds. Holly George-Warren and Patricia Romanowski. New York: Fireside, 2005:
557–560. A long, informative entry about Lennon and Yoko Ono.
“John Lennon: Dominant Role in a Pop Music Revolution.”
The Times
(London)
(December 10, 1980): 17F. An obituary and profile of Lennon.
John Lennon Live in New York City.
Produced by Gerald Meola. Directed by Steve
Gebhardt (1972) and Carol Dysinger (1985). 55 min. Capitol. 1985. The afternoon
show of the One to One concerts is presented, including a few songs performed
by Ono that were not available on the simultaneously released album.
John Lennon: The Rolling Stone Interview.
Podcast, December 3, 2005–January 17,
2006. I-tunes.
The John Lennon Video Collection.
Produced by Martin R. Smith. 1 hr. 17 min. Picture
Music International. 1992. Videocassette. A handful of television appearances
and promotional films for his songs made by Lennon are included with several
newly made films to provide videos for the bulk of Lennon’s hits and few of
his other recordings. Most welcome are Lennon’s experimental film for “Cold
Turkey” and his television performances of “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),”
“Imagine,” and “Slippin’ and Slidin’.”
“John Lennon’s Death.”
Columbus Citizen-Journal
(December 11, 1980). Thoughts
on the passing of Lennon.
“John Lennon’s Death Memorialized by Atlanta Global Peace Project.”
Emediawire.
com
(December 8, 2005). Accessed February 4, 2006, at http://www.
emediawire.com/releases/2005/12/emw319433.htm
accessed
2/4/06.
Annotated Bibliography 157
A peace organization, Friends of Gandhi-King-Carter, uses the occasion of the
anniversary of Lennon’s death to promote upcoming events related to their