Authenticity is Everything

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Lennon in person

On August 3,1980 I attended a wedding in NY and was told by someone I met that John Lennon walks by the corner of 72nd and Central Park West every Monday at noon when he's in NY. The next morning, a Monday, I bought the Imagine album and stood on the corner with a friend at 11:45. No John. At 1:45, the friend left. Finally, at 3:45 I saw John approaching with an elderly man. My hands began to shake, and when I asked John to sign the album, he asked me how long I'd been waiting. I said four hours and he replied, "Then I'll have to sign, won't I?". He had the beginnings of a new beard and signed his name as a mustache, then scribbled in a beard and said, "That's more like it now, wouldn't you say?". I thought I would pass out from the heat and from being in the presence of half of the greatest song writing team that ever lived.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on September 26, 2014 at 3:10pm

awesome!

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Permalink Reply by mark peterson on September 26, 2014 at 3:28pm

Beautiful.

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Permalink Reply by Steverino on September 26, 2014 at 3:35pm

Thanks for sharing, Ben. Great story.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Halloran on September 26, 2014 at 5:11pm

Jealous, I was born in 83...So I am sad I never had the chance to see John Lennon.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Shull on September 26, 2014 at 7:06pm

Awesome story, thanks for sharing!

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Permalink Reply by Paul on September 26, 2014 at 8:30pm

Lennon lives

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Permalink Reply by FB on September 26, 2014 at 8:57pm

Great story...and great autograph, too!

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Permalink Reply by Ben M on September 26, 2014 at 10:06pm

Thank you, gentlemen, for your kind reception to my story. I am now nearly 60 years old, and still smile when I think about that moment. I only have two regrets: My friend that left (he's kicking himself to this day for doing so) was holding my Kodak Instamatic so I could not take a picture, and I never saw the woman again who told me where to wait for John, so I never thanked her. I also wonder who the very well dressed elderly man was. I sensed that John was very respectful of him.