December 8th 1980

I was in my first year of college. I do not recall how I heard that John Lennon was killed. I remember was seeing the crowds of people mourning him on television. I was 18 then and things are a little fuzzy during those years.

Given that that day was a Monday I was probably at home in bed or possibly watching TV late. But I remember hearing that John Lennon was shot and killed in front of his home. Simply it made me quite sad and angry. There would be no reunion. There would be no more music from John. When John died so to did any possibility of one day seeing the Beatles play together again.

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of playing Rubber Soul on our Motorola HI-FI console and my sister spinning beatles 45s on here little portable phonograph.

The Beatles have always been part of my life, like a old friend that is visited time and time again.

Funny though I did see the Beatles play again. It was in a dream I had. A very realistic dream. I was standing at the edge of the stage among several others waiting for the band. No one knew who was playing. Until the band step out from back stage. A thrill went through the small crowd. I looked up and Paul was at the grand piano, and John, George and Ringo were all in place. They started to play...Hey Jude. I watched and listened to the entire song played by the four. It was amazingly real. I remember in the dream knowing it was dream but not waking and hearing the entire song. The actual instruments played by each as I watched. I heard the sound coming from each instrument. I even told myself this has never happened and never could happen for dozens of reasons, but it did anyway...it was a dream.

I looked up at Paul and he looked down at me from the piano and smiled, nodding his head as if to say..."Yes, it's real." He went back to singing, looking across the piano to John. I looked at each and they did the same, meeting eyes and smiling. I've never before have had a musical performance dream like that. I have never had one since. Sometimes I think it was some special gift given to me for a brief few minutes from where or who I have no idea. All I know, it was the single most beautiful dream I've ever had.

We are playing a gig tonight. Our songs are for John, George, Paul and Ringo, The Beatles.