“It was twenty years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play, “

It was twenty-four years ago today, that I woke up in an old spice factory that had been converted to loft space in the Navy Yard section of Brooklyn. I was working as a computer programmer for a large life insurance company. One of my roommates was a food service manager at CBS. He had to get in early to feed everyone who wanted breakfast at the broadcast center.

What woke me up, was a phone call from him. He was calling to let us know that someone had shot John Lennon. I remember showering, taking the train into Manhattan and walking to the office. On the subway there was a poster for some movie about someone being a ‘star maker’. I had moved to New York to be a poet and during lunch I wrote a poem about star makers, star killers, muses and the creative process. I wonder whatever happened to that poem.

Today, I hear the news about “Dimebag Darrell” getting killed in Ohio. I must admit, I’m not big into Texas trash metal, and I can imagine true Beatles fans will be horrified at me comparing the Beatles with Damageplan, but still it is horrible to hear of another musician murdered, especially on such a night.

John, and Darrell, rest in peace.