John Lennon died forty years ago tomorrow.

[WildRosie]

He would have celebrated his eightieth birthday in October. I wonder how he would have spent those years had he lived ? He, Yoko and Sean were already moving towards a life of simple domesticity in New York and there was already about a six year gap between his new albums (Walls and Bridges in 1974 then Double Fantasy in 1980). I think he would have continued a relatively low profile life, making new music occasionally and perhaps speaking up for the Peace movement he'd championed several years before his death.

That's just my twopenn'orth anyway. We will never know for sure.

I remember reading articles in the 1980,s ,him and Yoko were apparently heavily into drugs and allegedly neglected Sean quite a bit ,would they have stayed together ?

He had a mistress during their relationship and a history of domestic abuse, I doubt their relationship would have lasted. His treatment if Julian was appalling. I think he'd have ended up as one of those sad old notorious men who pops up in interviews every now and again to say something deliberately controversial in a last ditch attempt to stay relevant.

May Pang was John Lennon's mistress for a spell during the early 1970s - I think it ended up being dubbed The Lost Weekend. Sean was born in 1975; word is Yoko managed to conceive because she and JL had cleaned up their act - sober and no drug use. I think JL was still a smoker up until his death but was otherwise clean.

JL's marriage to Cynthia Twist was tempestuous, apparently. No doubt Julian would have been at least collateral damage, as it were. But my understanding is that JL had grown out of the angry young man that was a Beatle and matured somewhat by the time he reached his mid-thirties. And I maintain he would have carried on at least a low-key musical career.

I think he would have become an annoying twat like Bono.

I remember the day clearly. The only time I've ever seen my father cry.

I was a fan of Lennon but the more I hear about how he treated some women, I'm not so sure anymore.

I think he could have ended up a ranting ex-pat Brexiter. Whenever I see Julian interviewed though, he always seems like a decent measured bloke.

He apparently hadn't grown out of that much. He was violent towards Cynthia, made many homophobic and anti-semetic slurs towards Brian Epstein, and attempted to strangle May Pang. He went on record to say that his love for Sean was different to his feelings for Julian as Sean was planned. Julian was more or less left out of the will except for a trust of £100,000 to be shared with Sean and had to sue to get a share, he has also said in interviews that he considers his father to be a hypocrite who was publically trading in peace and love but showing a very different attitude in private.

@FoxyTheFox

He apparently hadn't grown out of that much. He was violent towards Cynthia, made many homophobic and anti-semetic slurs towards Brian Epstein, and attempted to strangle May Pang. He went on record to say that his love for Sean was different to his feelings for Julian as Sean was planned. Julian was more or less left out of the will except for a trust of £100,000 to be shared with Sean and had to sue to get a share, he has also said in interviews that he considers his father to be a hypocrite who was publically trading in peace and love but showing a very different attitude in private.

Completely unsurprised. I knew about the violence and homophobia, but not about his kids. Never liked his music either, sorry to his fans for not buying into the hype. I can't sign up to the hero grief.

John Lennon - and quite a few other male celebrities - reinforce my opinion that society will forgive men of pretty much anything so long as they happen to be good at whatever it is they do and/or rich, if they could die tragically early then even better as God-like status will immediately be imbued and anyone who points out "well, yeah, its tragic but he was also a bit of a cunt..." can be instantly shut down with the "he DIED, have some respect!".

Sorry, Lennon fans

@DioneTheDiabolist

I think he would have become an annoying twat like Bono.

Yep!

👍^ yep. Bowie is a prime example. John peel too. When iggy and bill wyman go its going to be grim

Hope you found peace, John .

I think he'd have coasted on his Beatles fame. Say some controversial things every now and then and just generally be a hypocrite.

Gosh, this makes me feel old. (Well, I am old....).
I remember the day very clearly. I was in 4th form at school. I was in a small, slightly "alternative" friendship group and were really into the Beatles and other 60s/early 70s music. We were all devastated, then angry when all the "cool" girls who had mocked our musical taste previously were all heartbroken Lennon super fans by the next day.
I do sometimes wonder what he would have been like as time went on, having just started recording again. Hopefully he would have known when to call it a day, unlike Paul McCartney, but who knows?

The last thing JL ever recorded was Yoko's record Walking On Thin Ice, which is an absolute banger. Had he continued in this vein, and steered away from nostalgic nonsense, he could have had an amazing second wind, especially given the exciting producers in NYC at that time.

From a personal-life point of view, things would probably have soured quite quickly. He used to burn his bridges relatively often.

Say some controversial things every now and then

Seems to work for Ringo Starr.

DH grew up in this era and preferred The Rolling Stones

He didnt mind the Beatles. His fave was/is George Harrison.

I never liked him much, he was definitely a hypocrite. I do remember the day he died, though, I was on my lunchbreak from work and saw the headline on a newspaper stand.

My husband committed suicide 17 years ago tomorrow. I am sure there was a connection.

@DioneTheDiabolist

I think he would have become an annoying twat like Bono.

I could see him taking centre stage at Live Aid over Geldof with The Beatles reforming to headline the whole thing. If only.

I was just 11 and remember being stunned by the news...I had just started to get into pop music and knew the Beatles had been massive. Felt so sad and unsettled that day. A flawed character but made some wonderful thought provoking music.

I remember the day. That morning I heard the news I knocked on my sister's door, "John Lennon has died" and she shouted back, "so what!" Always remember that and thinking how could she say such a thing and not care.

However much of a hypocrite he might have been, he was massively talented. In fact, I don’t think he was a hypocrite at all, he never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. He was cynical, abrasive and sharp witted. He was also a product of his time and upbringing.

thequietus.com/articles/06785-north-sea-scrolls-cathal-coughlan-luke-haines-andrew-mueller

"Another song, Cathal Coughlan's 'Mr Cynthia', concerns how (in the north sea scrolls rewritten history of England concept album) Mosley's Minister of Culture, Sir Joseph Meek, placed the troublesome upstart pop star John Lennon under house arrest in the mid-60s, for fear that his ill-considered views on politics, religion and the like could unduly influence the nation's youth. Protesting something or other from the inside of a purple burlap bag at the time, Lennon failed to notice that he was effectively exiled to his Weybridge Mansion, and continued to compose increasingly turgid ballads at his gold piano, while carefully vetted friends were allowed occasional visits. With Lennon all but forgotten by the outside world, his former wife Cynthia blossomed into a celebrated pundit of “blank common sense.” Can this be the way things really were?
"she did for a time in the 1980s essay a certain interest in political matters, which was markedly different to that adopted by her then-deceased ex-husband. And I just kind of thought, what if that had won the day, rather than… Well, actually, the view of things that she had is the one that won the day ultimately! But what if she was an icon for it"

songmeanings.com/m/songs/view/3530822107859459780/
^if it's too gloomy to listen to, these are the words.

@VinylDetective

However much of a hypocrite he might have been, he was massively talented. In fact, I don’t think he was a hypocrite at all, he never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. He was cynical, abrasive and sharp witted. He was also a product of his time and upbringing.

.. he was a liar, an adulterer , he took his fists to his wife and he supported terrorism , ..... peace and love John