WASHINGTON — Tuesday, December 8, 2020, marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Beatle legend John Lennon.
Lennon rose to musical stardom in the early 1960s along with Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
He died when he was 40 years old, after he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on the night of Dec. 8, 1980, as he and wife Yoko Ono were returning to their Upper West Side apartment in New York. Lennon had signed an autograph for Chapman on a copy of his recently released album, "Double Fantasy," earlier that day.
Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison and was last denied parole in 2020. His next parole hearing is set for August 2022.
Following his murder in 1980, Lennon's remains were cremated and his ashes scattered in New York's Central Park.
Many shared memories and condolences to the legend on Tuesday, including his former bandmates Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.
Starr tweeted, "I’m asking Every music radio station in the world sometime today play Strawberry Fields Forever. Peace and love." It included a photo of the pair sitting on the front bumper of a car.
McCartney also tweeted out another photo with the caption, "A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world. I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouser! X love Paul"
