The day John Lennon died is etched in my memory. Deep depression lasted a week before I slowly stumbled back into life. Like millions of other dreamers,and lovers of African American roots music, he had touched my essence. One of the things that John Lennon did best was rock 'n' roll. On a good night, he was electrifying, as was his hero, Chuck Berry. "Sixteen years, sixteen inches" induced a twinge of envy. John Lennon and Chuck Berry together in full flight. Far f****n out, man!

Thank you for not printing "recollections" of that cow Lucianne Goldberg this time. SHEESH!

I was devastated 25 years ago today.

I wish I could say there is something good that happened from this but I cannot.

I still wish he were around for this current war and to mock the Shrub as I know he would (and brilliantly).

Ahhh the music we have missed without him.

I would have enjoyed this article A LOT more if it weren't quotes from peoples' books, but actual current thoughts. A bit old and stuff, not the best tribute to John.

I can't believe half these people have written books. Meatloaf? did people really buy that. wow.

Once in the late 1970s when I was in New York on business, I took my brother out to the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel. As we sat there eating our ice cream, John Lennon and Yoko Ono came in with another couple and stood waiting for a table.

If you didn't know who he was, you wouldn't have paid him any attention. He was dressed on the shabby side of casual and stood shuffling his feet and looking at the floor. Yoko, on the other hand, was calm and radiant. It was easy to tell why John was drawn to her; she had a natural charisma that surrounded her like a visible aura.

These are all recycled memories, aren't they? They seem to have been culled from things that have been available for years. (Forgive me if any of these are news.)

I just think it would have been more interesting if you'd let the Audiofile guys interview people like Conor Oberst, Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, OutKast, Jim James, Damien Rice, Antony, Ryan Adams, Bry Webb, oh those guys know better who to interview than I do, about how (or if, even) John's legacy or influence lives on through them. Just take it into the 21st century, that's all. Looking back by looking forward.

Who is the Salon demographic these days, anyway????? I'm starting to feel a little, well, disenfranchised these days.

Imagine - Ronald Reagan with his arm around John Lennon talking about American football. Your last story brought such a smile to my face and reminded me of the innate goodness in all of us. I miss the hell out of John Lennon and in an oddly sentimental way, Ronald Reagan too. Maybe I just wish I was 20 years younger....

Thanks for the highly interesting article about John Lennon, an artist who was undoubtably important and influential, and beloved by millions.

But my question is, did Salon ignore yesterday's anniversary of Pearl Harbor, or did I just miss the article? Maybe 64th anniversaries aren't as compelling as round numbers, but it seems like an occasion that might generate some readable commentary, as we are supposedly in the midst of a war on terra.