December 8, 1980

A terrible day in Beatles history. I was 23 at the time and at a Portland bar, Peter's Inn, that night. I was playing the video game 'Galaxian' when a buddy came in and said John Lennon had been shot. He didn't know any details.

We went to my car and turned on the radio and 'Mind Games' was playing. I knew at that moment that he was dead.

In the days that followed I got phone calls from friends, some of whom I hadn't spoken to in a while. But they knew I was a huge Beatles fan and that Lennon was my favorite.

Some famous person, I can't remember who, said something that I'll always remember. 'John Lennon's death was the final nail in the 1960's coffin'. So true.