The celebration of the life of Beatles legend John Lennon comes to a climax this week, with a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of his tragic murder on December 8th, 1980.

John was shot dead by Mark Chapman outside the Dakota Building in New York, where the 40-year-old Liverpudlian had spent his final years.

In a season where commemorative events have already marked what would have been his 70th birthday, Liverpool will pay homage to Lennon this Wednesday with a candlelit vigil in Chavasse Park from 8pm-9.30pm at the Peace and Harmony memorial, which was dedicated to the musician back in October.

A tribute concert featuring Lennon’s music will be staged at the Echo Arena on Thursday December 9th, which was the date in the UK at the time of his death.

The concert, entitled ‘Lennon Remembered – The Nine
Faces Of John’, will feature surprise guest artists, and
profits will go to local charities such as Alder Hey Hospital
and Radio City’s Cash for Kids’ appeal.

Beatles fans will gather at the statue in Cavern Walks and
are also expected to leave tributes at the Lennon statue in
Mathew Street. The Beatles Appreciation Society is
holding an ‘Imagine Give Peace A Chance All You Need
Is Love' event at Cavern Walks at 10am on Wednesday.

A big party will be held on Thursday to end the Bluecoat’s
Bed-in for peace for everyone who has taken part in the
event since October.

Although Lennon’s name will forever be synonymous
with Liverpool, it was a decade since he had last seen the
city when he was killed. His adopted home, New York, will
also host tribute events this week.

John once said: "My love of New York is something to do with Liverpool. There is the same quality of energy in both cities."

Towards the end of his life, John is reported to have been so nostalgic for Liverpool that tears would well up in his eyes at the very mention of the word. He planned to sail home to the city from New York on a chartered cruise ship in 1981 but never got to make the trip.

After his death, an estimated 20,000 people turned out for a ten-minute vigil at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on December 14th, 1980. The crowd sang ‘Give Peace a Chance’ on St George’s Plateau as millions of people around the world, including roughly 100,000 in New York, joined in with a vigil for world peace and non-violence in his memory.

JMU Journalism went out onto the streets of Manhattan to ask
New Yorkers what they think of John Lennon today.

Jay Morris, 44, from Statten Island said John Lennon was his
favourite band member: “He was always a bit edgy. He was the
best Beatle I’d say, because of his style and charisma. I’m very
proud that he chose New York to be where he wanted to live.”

Paul Clarke, 41, from the city also noticed his wild side: “He was
a big promoter of peace but he was a weird eclectic guy.”

And as Lennon said in September 1980, just months before his
shocking murder, he wasn’t always admired: “Part of me would
like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this
loudmouthed lunatic musician. But I cannot be what I am not.”

This rang true in New York, as not everyone was his biggest fan.
Nina Clarke, 39 said: “He kind of took away the credibility of The
Beatles with his sociological views and crazy stunts. He wasn’t
my favourite Beatle."

There is still a lot of love for Lennon in the city where he chose to reside with his wife Yoko Ono. Close to the Dakota Building, there is the Strawberry Fields memorial where fans lay flowers all year round. Also, people gather in Central Park on the day of his death to remember his legacy and to pay their respects.

A determined campaigner of peace, Lennon worked hard to make an impact, and this aspect of the late Beatle is what most people particularly remember.

Jacob Schwartz, 22, from Queens said: “I wish that we were as peaceful as he hoped we were at this time so many years later as a society.”

Imagine.