John Lennon At 70: He Missed His Citroën And Apple Adverts But Saw The Light (Photos)

JOHN Lennon would have been 70th today. He never lived to see his advert for Apple or Citroën. He also missed every other mawkish anniversary of this death. How long can you go marking the birthday of a man before it looks like marketing-led campaign?

Lennon, A musician who with The Beatles make some great records and entertained millions is elevated to a sombre, mawkish and meaningful sainthood in a way he would surely have found ridiculous. Evey word of his is analysed and presented as if he never said anything that was not stuffed with meaning.

Says John: “I wanna hold your hand.” Hmmm. What hand? How did you want to hold it? What did you want to hold it with? Is John’s hand a sign of God’s love?

And here he would have been at 70. Or 80. Or 240. That sounds far-fetched. Unless, of course, in the far-flung future people are living to 300 years plus, in which case it’s poignant. Yoko Ono might care to record such a greeting for every year up to 300 and beyond.

Beatles Wives And Girfriend- gallery

To mark this occasion Yoko Ono is flogging a load of Lennon’s solo material which she “remastered” in big box set.

Yoko’s been busy. She also marks the birthday of the murdered singer by heading to Iceland to light the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik bay’s Videy Island.

A beam of light fires into the sky. And we look one in wonder – want what we wonder is if John Lennon were looking at such a thing through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy would he snort with derision..?

READ: 14 Neglected Beatles’ Gems