New Yorkers Celebrate John Lennon’s 69th Birthday With Free Exhibit

Yoko Ono attends John Lennon: The New York City Years exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC in May 2009 - Wireimage

I’m trapped. The room isn’t exceptionally small, but the crowd makes it feel that way. Sam Cooke’s immortal words come through the speaker and a small red light bulb behind his signature switches on. It’s the second time I’ve heard this song within the last five minutes or so and it’s quickly cut off and replaced by ACDC’s “Highway to Hell.” Another set of red light bulbs illuminates another set of signatures.

The music grows louder and the room feels smaller as more names of Rock and Roll Hall fame inductees light up on all sides of me. The songs change faster and begin to overlap. Now they don’t stop at all. My ears are being bombarded by a cacophony of drum hits, guitar solos, and high notes. Suddenly it dawns on me, on everyone in the room really. The houselights go down, and the signatures turn into strobe lights as we experience the last few seconds of “A Day in the Life.” We all cheer as the last chord is pounded out.

Happy Birthday John Lennon.

His birth certificate may have said otherwise, but John Lennon was a New Yorker. This weekend, the city that, so many years ago he called home, celebrated what would have been his 69th birthday in many ways. The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Annex in Soho celebrated by granting free admission to the museum featuring, of course, an extensive collection of John Lennon’s personal items from his years spent in New York City.

Lennon’s iconic “New York” sleeveless shirt, his army jacket, and even those signature oval spectacles are all on display in a large white room at the back of the rock hall annex . They’ve been here since May when Yoko Ono herself donated them for the exhibit, but today feels different.

A man behind me reminisces about waiting in line to buy his first Beatles records as we make our way to the second leg of the museum tour. After a short film we are finally let loose to explore the shrine to rock legends with our own personal audio tour guides that magically know where I’m standing and play the appropriate music.

“Purple Haze” plays through the headphones as I stare with awe at Jimi Hendrix’s guitar. “Only the Good Die Young” creeps in as I hover above the notebook in which Billy Joel first wrote the lyrics.  I can only imagine what it must look like to an outsider. A large group of people, reveling in geekdom and dancing to music that only they can hear. And boy do they dance. Some even sing.

But we know why we’re here today. I certainly do. Angus Young’s schoolboy outfit is all well and good, but we’re here for John.

His room, the last stop on the tour, has a decidedly different feel to it. More like an apple store than a museum. I’m suddenly reminded of John’s white suit on the cover of the Abbey Road album. People sit on benches in front of four large screens around the room, each of which shows a different point in John Lennon’s New York years. There’s a thumping in my headphones…

“All we are saying. Is give peace a chance.”

I’m staring at the original lyrics to “Imagine.” It’s amazing how such a small piece of paper, smaller than those containing the lyrics to “woman” or “Nobody told me,” or any of the other lyrics on display, could have such a profound impact on the world.

But they did. And that’s why I’m here today. And that’s why this room is packed with people admiring everything that was John Lennon from his instruments to his clothing. And that’s why when I leave, approximately three hours after I strolled in, there will be a line around the block. Did I mention it was free?

Happy Birthday John Lennon.

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