From the archives: Fans mark 20th anniversary of John Lennon's death

This story was originally published in Newsday on Dec. 9, 2000

Despite wintry weather and bad karma from the mayor's office, hundreds of John Lennon fans made their annual Central Park pilgrimage Friday to recall his message of peace on the 20th anniversary of his death.

"John's spirit is in this park," said Dave Reahle, 46, who drove overnight to Manhattan from his home in Warren, Ohio. "It's been a lifelong dream to come up here."

Reahle was not the only out-of-towner in Strawberry Fields on a day marked by swirling snow and temperatures in the high 20s. Other fans from as far away as San Diego and Lennon's hometown of Liverpool were interspersed with local Lennonites.

Joe Andretti, 37, drove down from Catskill with his guitar.

Shortly after arriving in the park, he was leading the crowd in a sing-along of Lennon songs: "Imagine" and "Norwegian Wood." By early afternoon, more than 200 fans were listening to the late rock star's music in a section of Central Park opposite the apartment house where Lennon was mortally wounded on Dec. 8, 1980.

The vigil attracted fans of all ages. Some in the park had not even been born when Lennon was murdered; others were baby boomers who had watched the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The crowd, which was expected to swell as the day went on, arranged candles to spell "J-O-H-N." Lennon's music wafted through Strawberry Fields, the section of the park renamed after his death for the hit Beatles' single.

Around a mosaic with the word "IMAGINE," some fans left handwritten notes. Different people at the vigil took turns keeping the candles lighted despite the wet snow and wind.

Each year since Lennon's death, fans have gathered in the park to remember him and his message of peace.

Fran Power, 34, flew in from Liverpool to mark the 20th anniversary. Although there were ceremonies honoring Lennon there, Power said he believed this was the year to make the pilgrimage to New York.

Why? "Out of respect," he said. "The music is timeless. It's jumped generations."

Although the fans had hoped to keep the vigil going into Saturday morning, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani refused to waive the park's 1 a.m. curfew, despite a personal appeal from the lord mayor of Liverpool.

Tom Leighton, who had petitioned the city to extend the curfew, said the crowd would disperse peacefully "out of respect for John's message."

Leighton did fire one last shot at Giuliani, saying the mayor's decision "doesn't show the proper respect to the life, music and legacy of John Lennon, a great New Yorker."