News Report of John Lennon's Death

News Report of John Lennon's Death

First Report of Lennon's death coming through on TV

This was the first account of Lennon's death over the television. The news outlets had not yet reported Lennon's passing, because the Monday night football game was on. The announcer for the game interrupts his commentary on the game, and announces to listeners that they just received confirmation that Lennon was in fact dead. The fact that there was no hesitation to wait until after the game, that the announcer felt the public deserved to know right away, speaks to the level of impact Lennon had on America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2fU01APamI

December 8, 1980

Howard Cosell

English

Video

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[Applause]
00:04
or
00:06
it'll be fourth down
00:09
Cavanaugh will let it run down
00:12
final attempt he'll let this seconds
00:15
tick off to give Miami no opportunity
00:17
whatsoever
00:19
[Applause]
00:19
[Music]
00:21
three seconds remaining John Smith is on
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the line
00:25
here what's on the line Howard you have
00:27
got to say but we know
00:29
yes we have to say it remember this is
00:32
just a football game
00:35
wins or loses an unspeakable tragedy
00:38
confirmed to us by ABC News in New York
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City John Lennon outside of his
00:44
apartment building on the west side of
00:45
New York City the most famous perhaps of
00:48
all of the Beatles shocked twice in the
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back rushed to Roosevelt Hospital
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dead on
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hard to go back to the game after
01:02
which in duty
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[Music]
01:05
[Applause]
01:07
indeed it is
01:09
[Music]

Video

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