Is Lennon still an icon to the young?
By Stephen Dowling
BBC News


The Beatles may still be revered, but is John Lennon's
music and message of peace resonating with young
people today - 25 years after his death?
John Lennon was one of the most iconic men on the
planet in the 1960s and 70s, revered by young people
all over the globe.

His fiery wit and artistic vision was an inspiration
to millions across the globe, as he provided a
creative foil to Paul McCartney and forged an artistic
and politically-active partnership with second wife
Yoko Ono.

Lennon's death, shot by deranged fan Mark Chapman
outside his Manhattan apartment building on 8 December
1980, caused a wave of mourning.

The Lennon legacy survived his death - buoyed by the
posthumous re-release of his humanist anthem Imagine -
and the continuing influence of The Beatles ensured
Lennon's iconic position.

Massive influence

Even into the early 1990s, Lennon still enjoyed
godhead status, especially during the Britpop boom in
the UK. The Gallagher brothers of Oasis revered Lennon
as a visionary songwriter and style icon.

But what about now?

In a music scene where reality TV stars such as Will
Young and Girls Aloud are chart-toppers, where 50 Cent
and the Sugababes hold sway, is Lennon still relevant?



When you look at Lennon, especially in the later
years of his life, he was as famous for his
campaigning as he was for his music
NME's Julian Marshall

Julian Marshall, news editor at music weekly NME,
believes he is still a massive influence on
music-loving teens and fledgling musicians.


"I think a huge amount of bands, regardless of what
generation they are in, look back at the beginnings,
at where rock 'n' roll started, and that means Elvis
Presley and The Beatles.

"And for a lot of people, Lennon was the most
important member of The Beatles."

Mr Marshall believes it is not just the music but
Lennon's political bent that has also aged well.

After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, Lennon and his
second wife spent their honeymoon in a hotel room bed
in Amsterdam to campaign for world peace. The search
for peace became one of his overriding aims.


If you talk to anybody in a proper band now they will
count Lennon as an influence - or at the very least as
someone they respect
Q editor Paul Rees

"When you look at Lennon, especially in the later
years of his life, he was as famous for his
campaigning as he was for his music.

"This generation of musicians are angry about
different issues, but they've carried on that aspect
of his personality," he says.

"In the last few years we've seen it with things like
the protest over the Iraq War by Damon Albarn and
Massive Attack, and the Live8 and anti-poverty
campaigns this year."

The BBC's Newsround website recently asked its readers
if they had heard of Lennon, his music and his
campaigning.

One reader, Amatis, posted the message: "The world
needs more people like John Lennon. And sadly no-one
nowadays even comes close to filling his shoes."

Paul Rees, the editor of rock magazine Q, also
believes Lennon's influence still resonates with young
people today.

"It's because he's one of the last of that generation
of pop stars who stood up for what they believed in.
That sort of rebellion people respect.

"Plus, with Lennon there's that tragic aspect," adds
Mr Rees. "It's like he's been freeze-framed."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/4485470.stm

Published: 2005/12/08 08:16:53 GMT

© BBC MMV


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