Yoko Ono has stated that she was warned about her late husband John Lennon being “in danger” prior to his death. Lennon was tragically murdered by an obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman, on December 8, 1980, as he was arriving at his apartment in The Dakota, New York City. Last year, the final words of the Beatles guitarist were revealed by Jay Hastings, the building’s concierge.
In a new book titled We All Shine On: John, Yoko and Me, written by Elliot Mintz—who was Lennon and Ono’s former spokesperson and confidant—Mintz reflects on the aftermath of Lennon’s death and its impact on Ono and their two sons, Sean and Julian. In an excerpt shared by The Times, Mintz recounted that Ono became increasingly suspicious of those around her and described a moment when they nearly argued after he suggested she and Sean do a radio interview to address rumours about the Lennon family. She mentioned needing to consult her “advisers,” which included tarot readers and numerologists.
Mintz questioned her about the effectiveness of these advisers, asking why none had foreseen the tragedy that befell John. Ono responded by asking if he had ever inquired whether she had received any warnings. When Mintz pressed her directly about whether her advisers had forewarned her about John being in danger, she confirmed that she had indeed been told he was in danger in New York and needed to be removed immediately. This was why she had sent him to Bermuda for the summer, but she acknowledged that she couldn’t keep him away forever.
After leaving Mintz momentarily speechless with her response, Ono explained that they had often discussed John’s views on safety. She recalled a conversation they had at their kitchen table after the actor Sal Mineo was killed, where John had said that if someone wanted to harm you, they would find a way to do it. She added that it didn’t matter what her advisers told her because John didn’t believe in having bodyguards; he wanted to live freely.
Image Courtesy: Far Out Magazine
In other news, to commemorate what would have been Lennon’s 84th birthday, a box set featuring “meditation mixes” of his 1973 song ‘Mind Games’ was recently released. Sean has also spoken about the significance of his father’s music and his parents’ relationship, stating that his dad’s solo career was marked by deeply personal lyrics, akin to a diary. He expressed that it was his responsibility to highlight his father’s music, emphasizing that with the current state of the world, many important things have been forgotten. He vowed not to let that happen to his father’s music, as it holds immense value to him.
–-Silviya.Y