Former Beatles Remember John Lennon on Anniversary of His Death

Dec. 8, 2020, marks the 40th anniversary of the death of John Lennon.

In honor of the somber occasion, Lennon’s family members and former Beatles bandmates took to social media to share their memories of the departed rocker.

“A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world,” noted Paul McCartney in a message posted along with a picture of the legendary songwriting duo at work. “I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouser.”

Likewise, Ringo Starr posted a picture of himself smiling alongside Lennon.

“Tuesday, 8 December, 1980, we all had to say goodbye to John,” Starr recalled while sending “peace and love” to his former bandmate. The drummer then requested that “every music radio station in the world sometime today play 'Strawberry Fields Forever.'”

Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife from 1969 until his death, used the occasion to call for stricter gun control laws.

“Over 1,436,000 people have been killed by guns in the U.S.A. since John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980,” reads a graphic posted by Ono. Her accompanying message noted the “hollowing experience” of losing a loved one, before referencing Lennon’s famous song “Imagine,” saying: “Imagine all the people living life in peace.”

Both of Lennon’s sons took a more subtle approach in their tributes. Sean posted a picture from his childhood, showing he and half-brother Julian vacationing on a boat with John and Yoko. Meanwhile Julian, who had a complicated relationship with his father that was only beginning to mend around the time of his murder, posted a picture of the late musician with a caption that simply read, “As time goes by.”

John Lennon was gunned down outside his apartment on the night of Dec. 8, 1980. His sudden death was mourned by fans around the world. Mark David Chapman, the man who killed Lennon, was denied parole for an 11th time in August. He is currently serving a life sentence for murder.