To mark the 60th anniversary of John Lennon’s birth, remixed versions of his solo albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Double Fantasy were released in the United Kingdom.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band contained bonus tracks Power To The People and ‘Do The Oz’, as well as extra photographs and reproductions of handwritten lyrics.
Double Fantasy had bonus tracks Walking On Thin Ice, the previously unreleased Help Me To Help Myself, and dialogue between Lennon and Ono titled Central Park Stroll. Both reissues were released in the United States on the following day.
In Liverpool, a civic ceremony was held to celebrate Lennon’s birthday. The event took place at Dovedale School, and guests included his half-sister Julia Baird.
Around 200 fans gathered around Lennon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. In Strawberry Fields in Central Park, New York City, fans watched five skywriting aeroplanes wrote the words ‘Remember Love’ repeatedly in three circles over Manhattan.
An exhibition of Lennon’s work opened at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and in Tokyo, the world’s first John Lennon museum opened at the Saitama Super Arena. Opened by Yoko Ono, it featured nine sections, each of which explored a chapter of Lennon’s life.
MJI Broadcasting in the United States syndicated a three-hour radio special entitled John Lennon: A 60th Birthday Celebration. Hosted by Dennis Elsas, it featured interview with Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, George Martin, Steven Tyler, David Crosby, Brian Wilson, Don Henley and Alice Cooper, as well as Lennon’s friends Elliot Mintz and May Pang.
The show, which had been broadcast from 6 October until this day, also contained the world radio première of Help Me To Help Myself from the Double Fantasy reissue.
A six-hour tribute show was broadcast on the KGSR-FM station in the United States, beginning at 6pm. In an interview recorded in New York City on 7 September, Ono discussed the reissues. It was followed by the MJI Broadcasting show, and a two-hour tribute to Lennon titled Austin Celebrates John Lennon, featuring a number of Texan musicians performing his songs.
Elsewhere, VH-1 in Europe dedicated their evening programming to Lennon, with new interviews with Ono, a showing of the 1998 film Imagine: John Lennon, and a compilation of videos.
Also on this day...
- 2023: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston
- 2020: Celebrations take place for John Lennon’s 80th birthday
- 2017: New book! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
- 2015: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver
- 2013: Paul McCartney live: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, New York
- 2011: Sir Paul McCartney marries Nancy Shevell
- 2010: Photograph of John Lennon is projected onto Liverpool’s Albert Dock
- 2010: “And the world will be as one”: Global tributes take place for John Lennon’s 70th birthday
- 2010: Yoko Ono requests a million tweets for John Lennon
- 2009: Yoko Ono unveils Imagine Peace Tower in Second Life
- 2002: Paul McCartney live: Savvis Center, St Louis
- 1998: Yoko Ono dedicates a tree to John Lennon in Strawberry Fields
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
- 1990: Imagine is broadcast around the world
- 1989: Paul McCartney live: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
- 1988: John Lennon tributes are broadcast on US television
- 1985: Strawberry Fields is opened in Central Park, New York City
- 1984: Yoko Ono donates $90,000 to Strawberry Field in Liverpool
- 1981: John Lennon statue is unveiled in Los Angeles
- 1980: John Lennon’s 40th birthday
- 1979: John Lennon’s 39th birthday party, Tavern On The Green, New York
- 1978: John Lennon’s 38th birthday party, Tavern On The Green, New York
- 1976: John Lennon’s 36th birthday
- 1975: Sean Lennon is born
- 1971: John Lennon’s all-star 31st birthday party in Syracuse, New York
- 1971: Yoko Ono’s art exhibition This Is Not Here opens in Syracuse, New York
- 1970: Recording: Remember by John Lennon
- 1970: John Lennon sees his father Alf for the final time
- 1969: Yoko Ono is taken to hospital in London
- 1968: Recording, mixing: The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill, Long Long Long, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
- 1967: John Lennon’s 27th birthday
- 1966: John Lennon celebrates his 26th birthday in Spain
- 1965: The Beatles celebrate John Lennon’s 25th birthday
- 1964: The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Bradford
- 1963: Radio: The Ken Dodd Show
- 1962: The Beatles promote Love Me Do in London
- 1961: John Lennon celebrates his 21st birthday with Paul McCartney in Paris
- 1960: The Beatles live: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
- 1956: John Lennon’s 16th birthday
- 1940: John Lennon is born
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.