One of the most tragic musical deaths occurred when John Lennon, co-lead singer and guitarist of the Beatles, was shot dead outside his apartment by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980. The Beatles were one of the most influential bands in history and went on to very popular solo careers when they broke up. John Lennon not only impacted the world with his music, but also with his activism and his fight for peace. Lennon was undoubtedly one of the best artists the world had ever seen and his music was just one of his ways of conveying his message. His death was a shock and was felt around the world. People consider the day John Lennon died the day music died. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Mark David Chapman was a fan of and obsessed with the Beatles, especially Lennon. Although later in life Chapman began a hatred for Lennon which began in October 1980 when Chapman read an article published by Esquire magazine that talked about Lennon. The article stated that Lennon is now a "drug-addicted millionaire" who is no longer in touch with his fans or his music. Preparing for the December assassination, Chapman made a trip to New York in late October with the intention of killing Lennon then and there. He had just quit his job and bought a .38 caliber revolver and hoped to buy bullets when he arrived in New York City. Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono were living in the Dakota Apartments at the time and were often visited by fans and Chapman. After a brief change of heart, Chapman returned home to his wife in Hawaii, but would soon return to New York on December 5. Between fifth and eighth he visited several times and mingled with other fans while waiting for Lennon. On the morning of December 8, before leaving the hotel, he placed some of his most cherished objects on a table. Among these things was a copy of the New Testament in which he had made up the name "Holden Caulfield" (as in the character in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye) and the name "Lennon" after the words "Gospel according to John". . Before arriving at the Dakota, Chapman picked up his copy of Lennon's latest album, Double Fantasy, and bought a new copy of The Catcher in the Rye. He would later show police this statement: "Chapman's plan was to say nothing to the police after the shooting, but simply to give them a copy of the book to explain his actions." When he arrived at the apartments, Lennon signed Chapman's copy of his album and headed to the recording studio with Ono (Rosenberg). Although many wonder why Chapman didn't kill Lennon when he first met him that day, it was clear that his fixation on Lennon's murder had not abated. Chapman waited at the Dakota for Lennon to return when he shot him at 10.50pm. Yoko got out of the vehicle first, followed by John. Chapman greeted Ono with a simple “Hi” as he passed. As Lennon passed him, Chapman heard a voice in his head demanding, "Do it!" Foul! Foul!' When Chapman finally did, he fired two shots into Lennon's back. He fired three more times, twice hitting Lennon's shoulder and the third missing, before Lennon crawled into the building. The cops found Chapman reading his copy of The Catcher and The Rye and handcuffed him as he continued to apologize for what he had caused. Lennon died that night at around 11.07pm “due to massive internal bleeding”. What made Lennon's death so important in the 1980s was what he was doing as an anti-war activist. Lennon was the voice ofa generation and everyone, fans and critics, listened to what he produced. He challenged listeners to take action with his songs. John wanted people to embrace love as a guiding concept in our lives and would consistently spread that message throughout the years. Many of his songs were political with messages such as pay attention to what is happening, be engaged in the world and have opinions. He hoped that people would actually listen to his music and engage with him. his life. He used both his music and his actions to express his opinions. Lennon played a very active role from the beginning in spreading peace awareness among people. It all started during the Vietnam War, when he and Oko began a "bed-in" instead of honeymooning. Bed-ins were to be held, one in March and another in June and the bed-in was intended to promote world peace. Lennon wrote “Give Peace A Chance” in bed in June and two years later wrote one of his most famous songs about peace, “Imagine” (Behnke 20). His activism did not stop as the Cold War continued. Lennon continued to persuade fans and others about world peace until his death. In one of his last interviews with Rolling Stone, Lennon talks about his music and how it helps people understand world peace: I'm not claiming divinity. I have never claimed purity of soul. I never claimed to have the answers to life. I just post songs and answer questions as honestly as I can, but only as honestly as I can – no more, no less…. Now I see the world with different eyes. But I still believe in peace, love and understanding. (Cott) He encouraged fans to take a stand with him and help bring understanding to everyone about peace, so when Lennon rallied, his fans did too (Rosen 47). His music has spoken to his fans around the world. His dedication to peace has truly inspired so many people around the world to step up and use their voices to stand up for what they believe in. During times of violence, war, greed, and hatred it was Lennon who stood by people and helped them understand what was happening around them (Rosen 51). Fans carried on his legacy after his death, continuing their fight to honor Lennon. He influenced many people with the way of his music, his thoughts and his actions. The fact that Lennon was part of the Beatles gave him an incredible start in the music industry. Well after the Beatles broke up, Lennon continued to be one of the best rock artists who ever lived. He made a musical return in November 1980 with the release of a joint album with his wife, Double Fantasy (Cott). Lennon with Double Fantasy was the first time in five years that he reconnected with the fans, "right now, the audience is our only criterion: you can aim for a small audience, a medium audience, but for me, I like a large public". Hence, Lennon's death came as a shock to people all over the world. There is no doubt that John Lennon was loved around the world, and it was clear that when the news broke. We can tell how much it has affected the world by the ways people have discovered it. The night Lennon died, the Miami Dolphins were playing the New England Patriots and announcer Howard Cosell said, “remember this is just a football game, now it matters who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy... John Lennon outside his apartment building on the west side of New York City... shot twice in the back... dead on arrival" ("John Lennon Shot 12-8-80 Howard Cosell Tells the World twice John Lennon was dead.” 00:39-01:04). The day after people found out about the news, fans held a vigil outside Lennon's apartment building.