So many of the calls that have come in today begin with the question, Can I get my order for Christmas? The answer is YES. Our best advice is DO NOT WAIT  much longer because extra shipping charges will start to occur to the South, Midwest and West. The Northeast is still Okay for early Thursday with regular shipping, but we strongly suggest you don’t wait that long. If you need your order by a certain advance date, please let us know so we can meet your needs. If there are any backordered items, we will notify you about them to give you all of your options. Of course you may still place your orders on line.

On the day we are headed to Madison Square Garden for the 12/12/12 Concert, I think back to that summer day in 1971 where in the same venue, I first saw Ravi Shankar in Concert at the Concert For Bangla Desh. That was the first big rock benefit concert and tonight’s may be the biggest ever. But Ravi opened the show that night – an Indian musician who asked his friend George Harrison to help his country. Although it was something I had not experienced before, I remember really listening to him and enjoying the set, even though the entire audience was waiting for the ‘rest’ of the show. We now all know so well how this man singlehandedly influenced George, who singlehandedly exposed the western hemisphere to this music. This was never a passing fad for George. It stayed with him his entire life. They worked on quite a few projects together over the years – Albums, Films, Concerts, Special & more. We mourn the passing of another singular music legend, at the age of 92. As George put it so well, All Things Must Pass.

December 8, 1980 – The darkest day in Beatles history, and one of the darkest ever in our society. John Lennon was assassinated by a crazy person who had no trouble purchasing a gun legally and using it that night. Yoko lost a husband, Sean and Julian lost a father, and the rest of us lost someone who moved and changed us in a most profound way. Beatles fans are all ages and no matter how old you are we all have that common love for the Beatles. But  let’s go back to the beginning. In early 1964, it was the heart of the baby boomer generation that REALLY got hooked on John, Paul, George & Ringo – fans aged primarily 9-16. I was 16 at the time . It has occurred to me that, at 64, I can divide up my life so far, in 16 year increments.
1.     1948 – January 5, 1964 just a kid who grew up in a musical home and got hooked on rock and roll early.
2.     January 6, 1964 – December 7, 1980 – I first heard I Want To Hold Your Hand by a new group out of England called The Beatles. I can still remember hearing it and getting so excited abut this totally new sounding song. It was like the song jumped out of the radio and into my being. It still has a hold on me. Those last years and high school and all of college seemed to be full of Beatles  connections and events, but it always revolved around the music.
In June, 1969, I first met John outside Apple offices in London. I spoke with him, got a picture,autograph, shook his hand and walked around all evening looking at my hand, realizing I had just met a Beatle in person. Fast forward 5 years to 1974 when, after bumping into John at numerous Apple Records events in NYC , I sit down with him in his hotel suite (4/28/74) to tell him my idea of a Beatles Fans’ Celebration. He says, “I’m All For It. I’m A Beatles Fan, Too.”  Yes, it was John who turned my dream into a reality. The night of December 8, 1980, Carol and I were at LAX waiting for the redeye back from another LA FEST. I was hand carrying a 4′ new poster of Double Fantasy that I didn’t want to have crushed, when I was paged and told the news that shook the world.
December 8, 1980 – today – 32 years in a world without John physically being with us. The excitement and possibilities of where John would take us after his first new music in 5 years are dashed forever. Any thoughts of a Beatles reunion (at such events as the one coming up this week (12/12/12) are also dashed. Of course, we were all forced to go on in a world without John, but it was so hard to get over it (if one can ever get over something like that). We feel so fortunate to have presented so many friends and family members (at our FESTS) who have shed new light on John (Paul, George and Ringo, too of course) shared stories and help us realize just what kind of a man he was and how totally unique a man he was. As Elton sang in his Empty Garden tribute (words by Bernie Taupin), “A gardener like that one, no on can replace”. All these years later we still have his music to listen to and cherish, and yes all those wonderful memories.

On a personal note, looking at this 16/32 year increments idea –  my father,  who was a band leader and my musical inspiration was 32 years old when I was born and 64 when John passed. Dad was also born on October 9th.

Listen to you favorite Beatles and Solo music today and remember why we have such strong emotional ties to them. John sent a message to our FEST in 1979. He said, “Tell the fans the music was the thing”. Only John could have summed it up so perfectly.

Peace and Love,

Mark

This newly uncovered photo was taken that night at about 6PM with Dave Sholin of RKO Radio who had just completed what would become John’s final interview.