http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-09-07-johnlennon08_N.htm
By Edna Gundersen
9/7/10
Happy Birthday, John. It isn't a song. It's a non-stop medley. The
upcoming 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth has spawned so many
celebrations that the world's leading Beatles news website has
created an online offshoot to serve as a clearinghouse for
festivities pegged to the Oct. 9 milestone.
Lennon, who was born Oct. 9, 1940, and was shot to death Dec. 8,
1980, "holds a special place in the hearts of all Beatles fans
because of the way he was taken from us," says David Haber, founder
of BeatlesNews.com and now HappyBirthdayJohn.org, which launches
today with details of events from concerts to reissues. "What strikes
me is there's legitimate news about Lennon coming in every day. So
many people want to share in honoring him."
Haber, who taps official sources while also fielding tips from fans
and insiders, expects the calendar to grow through September with
book, concert and convention announcements.
"George (Harrison) was the religion of The Beatles, but John was the
soul, both good and bad," Haber says. "Fans want to continue that
human connection."
Appreciation for Lennon has broadened since he was gunned down, says
Beatles historian Martin Lewis, who is heartened to see the emphasis
shift from Dec. 8 to the birthday.
"Forget about the death day," he says. "It empowers the person who killed him."
Lewis, who's spearheading several salutes, including curating film
festivals and photo exhibits in New York and Los Angeles, isn't
surprised by the birthday hoopla.
"The Beatles, and clearly John Lennon, have defied the laws of
celebrity physics," he says. "The rule is you're popular for a bit,
you fade out, and then maybe there's a revival of interest. The
Beatles never had that trajectory."
And despite rock's obsession with youth, time hasn't damaged the Fab
Four's image. Paul McCartney is 68 and Ringo Starr is 70. Harrison
died in 2001 at age 58.
"They don't fit the 1964 notion of a 70-year-old man," Lewis says.
"Where's the rocking chair, the lack of fashion sense? More
important, one reason The Beatles were successful is that they were
always young in spirit."
Among the anniversary highlights:
•Eight reissued solo albums plus new collections, including a
stripped-down expanded version of 1980's Double Fantasy, arrive Oct.
5 as part of the Gimme Some Truth catalog campaign overseen by Yoko
Ono. The bonanza is an 11-CD John Lennon Signature Box.
•Nowhere Boy, a biopic tracing Lennon's teen years and the evolution
of The Quarrymen into The Beatles, opens in select cities Oct. 8.
•The reformed Quarrymen pay homage to their bandleader with a 16-date
Happy Birthday John! U.S. tour Sept. 23 to Oct. 9, with multiple
guests in New York.
•Ozzy Osbourne recorded How, from Imagine, and it arrives Oct. 5 at
iTunes as a charity single benefiting Amnesty International.
•Yoko Ono plans "We Are Plastic Ono Band" tribute shows, featuring
Lady Gaga, Iggy Pop and others, Oct. 1-2 in Los Angeles. She'll be in
Iceland on Lennon's birthday for a concert and the annual Imagine
Peace Tower ceremony.
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