40 Years Ago Today, We Lost John Lennon

It's just one of those days I will always remember. A day where an extremely talented and influential musician and composer was taken from all of us by a nut job with a gun.

I had just moved from San Diego, CA to the booming city of Houston, TX. I had just found out that day that my first interview in town had gone well and I was starting a new job the next day.

It was a Monday night and, of course, I was watching Monday Night Football with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell announcing. In the past, John Lennon had joined Howard in the booth during Monday Night Football, so Howard and Lennon were acquainted.

All of a sudden, I heard something I wish I never would have had to. During the broadcast, Howard broke in and announced, to millions of football fans, that John Lennon had been gunned down in front of his home in New York City.

It wasn't until awhile later that it was announced that Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival.  The World had lost one of the greatest!

The gunman, Mark David Chapman from Hawaii, was lying in wait for Lennon to return home.  As Lennon exited his limo and started toward the entrance to the Dakotah Building, where he lived, he was gunned sown.

Chapman was sentenced to life for the murder. He is eligible for parole again in 2022 and has been turned down for parole 11 times, so far. If it were up to me, which it isn't, he should rot in jail for taking this peace loving, extremely talented artist and composer from us all.

The world misses you, John!