1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of double Elvis. 2 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: John Lennon. His state of mind in the nineteen seventies 3 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: and the circumstances surrounding his death are so complex that 4 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 2: two episodes are needed to properly tell this story. If 5 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: you're just getting hip to this now, I suggest you 6 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 2: hit pause and go back to Disgraceland episode thirteen, or 7 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: part one of the John Lennon story, where we discuss 8 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 2: the voices in Mark David Chapman's head, his obsession with 9 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: Lennon's rival, the musician Todd Rundgren, John and Yoko's drug bust, 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: and May Pang. In this episode, we finally get around 11 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: to some great solo John Lennon music, unlike the music 12 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: played at the top of the show. That wasn't great music. 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 2: That was a preset loop for my melotron called Bolero 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: Clarinet's Low MK one. I played you that loop because 15 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 2: I can't afford the rights to Midnight Train to Georgia 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: by Gladys Knight and the Pips. And why would I 17 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: play you that specific slice of Leaving Trained Cheese? Could 18 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 2: I afford it? Because that was the number one song 19 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 2: in America on October thirty first, nineteen seventy three, and 20 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: that was the day that John Lennon found himself hungover 21 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: in Los Angeles, estranged from his wife and subconsciously trying 22 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: to drink himself to death before an assassin would complete 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 2: the job. Seven years later, on this episode A Lost 24 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: Weekend leaving trains a determined assassin and a dead beatle 25 00:01:46,959 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: I'm Jake Brennan and miss his disgrace. Land In October 26 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy three, John Lennon, in his rambling concubine May Pang, 27 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: landed in Los Angeles and quickly took to the town. 28 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 2: A squad of hard partying rock and rollers was pulled 29 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: together for John to pal around with, among them the 30 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: notorious Keith Moon of the Who, Rolling Stone, sax player 31 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: Bobby Keys aka the only man alive who could keep 32 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: up with Keith Richards, songwriter Harry Nilson, who at the 33 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 2: moment looked as if he'd spent more time swimming laps 34 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: in a pool of Brandy Alexander's than he did writing 35 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: songs in a recording studio, and of course, the notorious 36 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: record producer Phil Spector, who was lording over the scene 37 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: in his capacity as producer of Lennon's newest project, an 38 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 2: album of early fifties standards that had influenced John in 39 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: his teddy boy days called rock and Roll. The recording 40 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: sessions were a violent, drug and alcohol fueled mess that 41 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: eventually ended with a gun wielding Phil Specter in his 42 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: goons literally taking John Lenon hostage, blindfolding him and tying 43 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 2: him up in one of Specter's bedrooms to allow Phil 44 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: the time necessary to steal away the session's master recordings, 45 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: which would then not surface for years to come. And 46 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 2: when not recording, things weren't much different. Lennon drank himself 47 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: into a stupor. Daily nights were spent either trashing the 48 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: homes of celebrity friends who had generously allowed John in 49 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: May to crash, or out on the town looking for trouble, 50 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: orgies with strangers, fights with loud mouthed fans, and drugged 51 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: out late night jams with any number of the top 52 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 2: tier pop stars in town, most notably an impromptu cocaine 53 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: field session with Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. 54 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: Accounts of the session have Paul playing drums and Ringo 55 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: the drummer playing the Kochspoon. The party in Los Angeles 56 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: for John Lennon never stopped, but he longed for Yoko. 57 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 2: When he wasn't busy drinking himself to death, he was 58 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: on the phone begging Yoko to take him back, but 59 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 2: she wasn't having it. New York City without John was 60 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 2: just too much fun. She was putting together new music 61 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 2: and was eager to let John know that her new 62 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: guitar player, David Spinoza, was an ace in the studio 63 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 2: and in the sack, and that she'd been properly shagged 64 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 2: by the axe Man in a way that John hadn't 65 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: been able to manage in years. John couldn't take it. 66 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 2: He dove into the deep end of the Brandy Alexander 67 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: Pool with Harry Nilsson, and the two took to the 68 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 2: town with May until the destination was Doug Weston's famous 69 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 2: Troubadour nightclub or. On this evening, a celeb filled crowd 70 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: was taking in the Smothers brother's triumphant return to the stage, 71 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: So naturally, John entered the ca with a co Tex 72 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: sanitary napkin stuck to his forehead and made a spectacle 73 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: of himself. Someone in the crowd yelled out where's Yoko, 74 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 2: and John replied sucking Ringo's cock. The three were quickly 75 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: ushered into the VIP section, where a group of annoyed celebrities, 76 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 2: including Pam Greer and Peter Lawford, did their best to 77 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 2: ignore them. Orders were placed for triple milkshakes aka Brandy 78 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 2: Alexander's with three times the cognac, and when they arrived, 79 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 2: John shot his down in one gulp, looked up at 80 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 2: Peter Lawford, who was glancing down at him with that 81 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: uppity full Kennedy's stare, and John grabbed Lawford's drink out 82 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 2: of his hand and down that in a single gulp, 83 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: and then he ordered another round. And when the Smothers 84 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: Brothers began their act, John and Harry started singing their 85 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 2: own competing tune from the VIP section, loud like drunken 86 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 2: sailors from the Liverpool Docks, and Laffer told John to 87 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: cool it. John's response, fuck you, I'm John Lennon, He 88 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: screamed out to no one and everyone. At the same 89 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 2: time the crowd started booing Lennon. The Smothers Brothers soldiered 90 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 2: on lenin a natural Heckler yelled to the stage, Hey 91 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: Smothers brothers fucker cow. A waitress was dispatched to try 92 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 2: and get hold of the situation, and once she did, 93 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 2: Lennon asked her do you know who I am? And 94 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 2: she replied some asshole with a cotex on his head. 95 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: That sealed it. Lennon and Nilsen erupted and song again. 96 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: More booze from the crowd, more profanity from Lenin. Club 97 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 2: security descended and grabbed hold of John to escort him out, 98 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 2: and he resisted and started swinging his fists blindly. One 99 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 2: of them caught Smothers brother's manager Ken Fitz in the chin, 100 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,239 Speaker 2: and Peter Lawford, who having made his bones and drunken 101 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 2: celebrity melees like this with his bff Frank Sinatra and 102 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: brother in law Teddy Kennedy, knew exactly what to do. 103 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 2: Grabbed the little bastard by the neck and get him 104 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: the hell out of there fast. So that's what happened. 105 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 2: Lawford in a group of club security and waitstaff grabbed 106 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: and pulled him, kicking and screaming through the pissed off crowd, 107 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: who rained punches down on the ex beetle as he 108 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 2: was dragged past them, and eventually thrown out onto Santa 109 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 2: Monica Boulevard, where he continued to blindly and violently lash 110 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 2: out at anyone who came near him. Eventually, John Harry 111 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: and May found their way into the back of their 112 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 2: limousine and took off for the Rainbow Bar and Grow, 113 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: where upon entering the now iconic La Hotspot, John Lennon, 114 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 2: the ex beadle mister go gookachew the counterculture voice of 115 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 2: a generation, Mister give piece a chance, drunkenly and violently 116 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: stumbled into none other than Todd Rungren. And run Gren 117 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: was eager to connect with this hero, but lenin true 118 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 2: to form that night, rudely blew him off. Todd Rudgren dismayed, 119 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: watched John Lennon harass the weightstaff in between SIPs of 120 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 2: his brandy Alexander's, until he eventually slouched into his booth 121 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 2: and passed out. Rungren couldn't believe his eyes that John 122 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: Lennon he was watching was no rock and roll deity. 123 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 2: He wasn't even a working class hero. He was thick 124 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: and ordinary. What a fraud. The sun broke above Central 125 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 2: Park West and shone brightly into the kitchen window of 126 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 2: the Ono Lenin home in Manhattan's Dakota Apartments. John was 127 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 2: up early making breakfast for his five year old son, Sean. 128 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 2: Mornings with Sean were sacred. Afternoons were a different story. 129 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 2: While Sean was being tended to by his governess and 130 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: the on Lenin fortune was being tended to by Yoko 131 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 2: and her office downstairs, John locked himself in his bedroom 132 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 2: with his cats, and he watched television, smoked ty stick, 133 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 2: tried not to snort heroine chain smoked cigarettes. He binged 134 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 2: on sweets, and obsessed over his weight. He read his horoscope, 135 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 2: ignored Paul McCartney's calls, and masturbated out of boredom, usually 136 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 2: to the thought of journalist Barbara Walters, or if he 137 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 2: was feeling nostalgic to his old flame, the young May Pang, 138 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: or if it was a Wednesday, his masseuse Kimmy would 139 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 2: come by and lay one of her patented two minute 140 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 2: house call hand jobs on him. But today wasn't a Wednesday, 141 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 2: and it wasn't yet afternoon either. John and Jean sat 142 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 2: at their kitchen counter, eating, goofing off and listening to 143 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 2: the radio, which almost always played musaic or classical, never pop. 144 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: But this morning was different. One of the servants had 145 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 2: left the dial tuned to w l I R the 146 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: night before, so when John flipped on the radio in 147 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 2: the morning, what he heard had him shook, rattled, and 148 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 2: rolling inside with jealousy. The hell was this fucking Springsteen? 149 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 2: This little bridge and Tunnel rat was beating Lenin at 150 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 2: his own game, heavy hearted romantic cynicism dressed up as pop. 151 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 2: Lenin's Double Fantasy, his first record of real creative consequence 152 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 2: since the Beatles, was an earnest hard on his sleeve, 153 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 2: owed to family and wholesomeness. Initial reviews were mixed, and 154 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: its first single, Just Like Starting Over, was stalled on 155 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 2: the charts at number eight. And here comes Jersey's own 156 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: wannabe Zimmermann, barreling up the charts with this excellent single, 157 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 2: Hungry Heart, from the deeply rooted double album The River. 158 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 2: John was second guessing himself. He thought that maybe he 159 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: shouldn't have made Double Fantasy the sugary concept album that 160 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: it was, Or shit, maybe he shouldn't even have included 161 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: the Yoko songs. It was like pulling teeth from a 162 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 2: pipoll trying to get her to singing key. Anyway, he 163 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: left Sean to his cereal, picked up the phone and 164 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 2: dialed up his producer, Jack Douglas. Have you heard this? 165 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 2: He held the phone to the kitchen radio speaker. It's incredible, Jack. 166 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 2: What am I doing dicking around with songs about milk 167 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: and honey? It's nineteen eighty Jack, and we're going to 168 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 2: La book a studio. We're gonna make a real record, 169 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 2: a real John Lennon record. Call the guys in cheap trick. 170 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 2: I'll call Ringo. I'll get a great song for him. 171 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 2: Nobody told me that he dazed like these And Jack, 172 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 2: we're gonna re record Strawberry Fields. You hear me. We're 173 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 2: going to re record Strawberry Fields the way that it 174 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 2: was meant to be recorded. John slammed the phone down, 175 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 2: looked at Sean, took his piece fingers to the insides 176 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 2: of his outer lips, and pulled his mouth apart wide 177 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 2: like a big fish, while crossing his eyes. And Sean 178 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 2: laughed so hard milk spurted out of his nose. We'll 179 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 2: be right back after this word, word word. John Lennon 180 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 2: and I had the stack of morning papers and magazines 181 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: on the chair in the corner of his kitchen ah, 182 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 2: it's here, he thought to himself. He pushed aside the 183 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 2: New York Times the National Inquirer, and pulled up the 184 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 2: latest edition of Esquire magazine. In it a hit job 185 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 2: that he knew was coming. An article entitled John Lennon, 186 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 2: Where Are You? In which the frustrated writer, unable to 187 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 2: corner John for an interview during his recent house dad years, 188 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 2: used public record information to piece together a picture of 189 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 2: John's life in the latter half of the seventies, and 190 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 2: the result was a scorching article detailing the Ono Lennon 191 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty million dollars largesse and an unfair 192 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 2: depiction of John as a middle aged businessman more concerned 193 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: with tax loopholes for his real estate holdings than he 194 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 2: was with peace and love or making music. And John 195 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 2: really didn't care. After all, it was Yoko who took 196 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 2: care of the business. The article at least made it 197 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 2: seem like he wore the pants in the family, but 198 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 2: someone else did care. Five thousand miles away, Mark David 199 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: Chapman read the same article and burned with rage. The 200 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 2: article confirmed everything he already suspected of his former hero 201 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 2: John Lennon, that he was a fraud, a phony. It's 202 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 2: easy to imagine. No possessions. Yeah, no shit, jocko onon, 203 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 2: Oh it's easy for you. You have everything. I have nothing. 204 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: I'm a nobody. I mean nothing. Yet I'm the one 205 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 2: who really cares, giving all my clothes to charity. I'm 206 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 2: the one who's living an authentic life, not like the phonies. 207 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: I'm not the fucking hypocrite. Here man the voices, and 208 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: Mark's head started to gather. The phony must die, said 209 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: the Catcher in the Rye. Mark felt himself moving finally 210 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: with a purpose, and it was time. He bought a 211 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 2: one way plane ticket to New York City and packed 212 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 2: life last night, the wife said, poor boy, when you're dead, 213 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 2: you don't take nothing with you but your soul. Think 214 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 2: where did you put those hollow points? The phony must die, 215 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: said the Catcher in the Rye. And on the plane, 216 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 2: Chapman read and re read The Catcher in the Rye. JD. 217 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 2: Salinger's classic tale of teenage angst and amenation. It was 218 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 2: the only thing that comfort had marked these days in 219 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 2: his mind. The book was hardwired to the idea of 220 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 2: murdering John Lennon, and just like the book's author, J. D. Salinger, 221 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 2: Mark David Chapman would call out the phonies of the world, 222 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 2: but he'd do it with a bullet. And in his mind, 223 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 2: he thought he'd bring attention to the book that spoke 224 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 2: so deeply to him, and thus make the world a 225 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: little better of a place, a little less phony, a 226 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: little easier to take. It was one of the rare 227 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 2: thoughts that calmed him and quieted his internal strength, the 228 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 2: gnawing notion that he was a loser and nobody and 229 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 2: killing the world's biggest phony would make him a hero. 230 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 2: It would make him a somebody, and it would provide 231 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: an escape from this hellish world. Once Lenin was dead, 232 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: Chapman would be a hero, and he believed because of this, 233 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: he would literally be sucked into the pages of The 234 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: Catcher in the Rye and a new chapter would be 235 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 2: written about him, Chapter twenty seven. His problems would be over. 236 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 2: He would no longer be Mark David Chapman, the loser, 237 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 2: the overweight nerd who couldn't get a real job, who 238 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 2: couldn't get laid even by his own wife, who couldn't 239 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 2: even properly kill himself. Killing Lenin meant killing Chapman, Mark 240 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 2: David Chapman would cease to exist. He would finally become 241 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 2: holding Cawfield, Or so went the voices in his head. 242 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 2: The phony must die, said the Catcher in the Rye. 243 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 2: After arriving in New York City, Mark David Chapman eventually 244 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 2: took his place outside the Dakota Apartments at West seventy 245 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 2: second Street in Central Park West, alongside the regular rabble 246 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: of Lenin autograph seekers, clad in a black trench coat 247 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 2: and a red scarf, clinging to a sealed copy of 248 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 2: Double Fantasy under his arm and a dog eared copy 249 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 2: of The Catcher in the Rye in his one hand. 250 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 2: Happiness warmed his other hand from the touch of his gun, 251 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: a snub nosed thirty eight in his pocket. Bang bang, 252 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 2: shoot Shoot. Five PM, John and Yoko exited the Dakota 253 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 2: for their waiting limo. The sidewalk lit up with excitement. 254 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 2: The voices in Mark's head exploded. He was paralyzed. Here 255 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: was his moment. He prayed to Satan to give him 256 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 2: the strength to go through with what he came there for. 257 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: But the sight of the John Lennon approaching diminished for 258 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 2: a moment in anyway to a teenage Beatlemania fanboy. Chapman 259 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 2: silently held the copy of Double Fantasy out in front 260 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: of John, and John grabbed it without making eye contact 261 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: and signed John Lennon nineteen eighty on this cover. He 262 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 2: then looked up at the fat faced man and with 263 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 2: a smile, handed him the album and said, here, is 264 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 2: this what you want. Chapman had no words, so Lenin 265 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 2: bounded away into the limo and took off for a 266 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 2: recording session with Yoko. Mark was beside himself with excitement. 267 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 2: For a moment, the thought of killing Lenin was completely gone. 268 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 2: John Lennon had spoken to him. John Lennon had asked 269 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 2: him Mark David Chapman a question, and he felt for 270 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 2: anyway that he was somebody. But the feeling quickly evaporated. 271 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 2: The voices in his head were too strong, and the 272 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 2: phony must die, said the catcher in the rye, and 273 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 2: Mark prayed to God to give him the strength to 274 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 2: not do what he had come to New York to do. 275 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 2: And then again he prayed to Satan to give him 276 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 2: the strength to do what he had come to New 277 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 2: York to do. And the voices grew louder, and Mark 278 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 2: settled in outside the Dakota and played the waiting game. 279 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 2: He knew John will be back sooner or later, and 280 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: this time that's when holden they'd make his mark. At 281 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: ten fifty pm on December eighth, nineteen eighty, John Lennon's 282 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 2: limo pulled up outside the Dakota. Yoko hopped out first. 283 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 2: As she passed Mark David Chapman, he gave her an 284 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 2: innocent hello, and Lenin gave him a suspect look, one 285 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 2: that said, who are you you, big fat, greasy meat ball? 286 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 2: Why are you still hanging around outside my house? Don't 287 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 2: you have a life? I can lose her? And the 288 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: voices came to life, big, bold, loud inside Mark's head. 289 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 2: The phony must die, said the catcher in the rye. 290 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 2: The phony must die, said the catcher in the rye. 291 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 2: The phony must die, said the catcher in the rye. 292 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 2: The phony must die, said the catcher in the Rye. 293 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 2: And as John Lennon passed by and headed under the 294 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 2: Dakota's archway, the coward Marked David Chapman in a fury, 295 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 2: clumsily crouched into a combat stance and whipped the stumb 296 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 2: nose thirty eight out of his pocket. He took aim 297 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 2: with two hands at John's back and squeezed off five 298 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 2: shots in rapid succession, and when the first two bullets 299 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 2: hit John's back, the force of them swung him around 300 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 2: toward his assassin, and the next two pierced his shoulder 301 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 2: and flung him backward into the door of the Dakota's 302 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 2: outdoor security station, where he turned around again and staggered 303 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 2: helplessly toward a shocked security guard, collapsed and began to 304 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 2: bleed out. Police arrived quickly, and it was immediately clear 305 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,479 Speaker 2: how grave the wounds were, so the two uniforms hoisted 306 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 2: Lennon onto their shoulders, carried him out onto the sidewalk, 307 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: then to the curb, and crammed him into a squad 308 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 2: car taking off from nearby Roosevelt Hospital. Once in the car, 309 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 2: they realized he was dying in their back seat, and 310 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 2: one uniform asked, as soon to be martyr, do you 311 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 2: know who you are. By the time they arrived at 312 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 2: the hospital, he'd lost eighty percent of his blood. John 313 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 2: Lennon died just before midnight. He didn't put up much 314 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 2: of a fight. After shooting John Lennon in the back, 315 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 2: the coward marked David Chapman simply sat on the sidewalk 316 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 2: and took in the developing chaos around him. He fingered 317 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,719 Speaker 2: his copy of The Catcher in the Rye and waited 318 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 2: to be transported into the pages of the book. And 319 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 2: when that, of course didn't happen, he simply sat calmly 320 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 2: waiting for the police to take away. The voices were 321 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 2: all gone now, or at least quieted for the moment. 322 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 2: When the police brought him in and started to process him, 323 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 2: the heat of the PAC twentieth Precinct station house on 324 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 2: Manhattan's Upper West Side began to get to mark. He 325 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 2: was allowed to take off his jacket and sweater, and 326 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 2: so he did, and he sat awaiting his uncertain future, 327 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 2: handcuffed to a desk, sweating in his greasy dungarees and 328 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 2: two tight, food stained Todd Runggren, hermit of Mink Hollow 329 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 2: promo T shirt, still very much the fat, pathetic loser 330 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 2: that he was before he senselessly shot and killed John Lennon. 331 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 2: But by murdering John Lennon, Chapman had accomplished one of 332 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 2: his objectives. He'd managed to claim an identity for himself. 333 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 2: He may have still been a fat and pathetic loser. 334 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 2: But he was forever the fat, pathetic loser who killed 335 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 2: John Lennon. The irony, of course, is that he killed 336 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: John Lennon at the exact point in time when Lennon 337 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 2: himself was starting to finally reclaim his own identity and 338 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 2: settle into his forties. He'd become less reclusive, less dependent 339 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 2: on Yoko, and after a decade of bad behavior, missed 340 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 2: creative opportunities, excess and paranoia, John Lennon was quite literally 341 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 2: starting over and downright buoyant with the thought of what 342 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: the eighties might bring. By nineteen eighty, John Lennon had 343 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 2: locked into a creative voice that suited his authentic self. 344 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 2: He'd managed to find some balance between being a family 345 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: man and an international pop star who knew what the 346 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 2: future held for him in Yoko. All he knew was 347 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 2: that his love for his son Sean was deep, true, inspiring, 348 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 2: and helped him focus. It put everything in perspective who 349 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 2: he was as a man an artist. It even helped 350 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 2: him refocus the love he had for his oldest and 351 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 2: sometimes a strange son, Julian, from his previous marriage to Cynthia. 352 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,120 Speaker 2: And so there were more records to make double fantasy 353 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 2: proved to him that he sat still had it. He 354 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 2: was inspired, confident. Running and hiding was no longer an option. 355 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 2: No more running off for lost weekends in Hollywood, no 356 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 2: more lost years running away to hide out in the Dakota. Running, 357 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 2: hiding and getting lost were no longer tenable lines of 358 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 2: defense for John. Because the pressure of constantly running away 359 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 2: from himself had taken its toll. John ran from the 360 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 2: game because he knew he wasn't good at playing it, 361 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 2: the game where celebrities let the public's perception of them 362 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 2: define them and win the day no matter what. No, 363 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 2: John Lennon couldn't truck with that. He needed to tell 364 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 2: people exactly what he was feeling at that moment, no 365 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 2: matter how much it may have contradicted his prior actions 366 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 2: or statements. Hypocrisy be damned authenticity truth. In the moment, 367 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,479 Speaker 2: it was everything, and too many before he was murdered. Anyway, 368 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 2: this was confusing. It certainly was to Mark David Chapman, 369 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 2: who interpreted all of John's conflicting behavior as being disingenuous 370 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 2: or fake. It's a simple interpretation. It's an interpretation of 371 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 2: an adolescent, an interpretation that an angsty teenager might have 372 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 2: an angsty teenager like Holden Cawfield from the Catcher in 373 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 2: the Rye. The phony must die, so the Catcher in 374 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 2: the Rye. But when John Lennon and Mark David Chapman 375 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 2: finally ran into each other, for John, there was no 376 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 2: need to run anymore, no need to run from the press, 377 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 2: no need to run from his own celebrity. He'd found himself. 378 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 2: He knew who he was. He was John Lennon, the Beatle, 379 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:38,239 Speaker 2: the raconteur, the Revolutionary, a husband, a father when he 380 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:43,199 Speaker 2: was dead, I'm Jake Brennan, and this is disgrace Slander. 381 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 2: Disgraceland was created by Yours Truly and is produced in 382 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 2: partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for this episode can be 383 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 2: found on the show notes page at disgracelampod dot com. 384 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 2: If you're listening as a Disgraceland All Access member, thank 385 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 2: you for supporting the show. We really appreciate it. And 386 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 2: if not, you can become a member right now by 387 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 2: going to disgracelampod dot com. Slash Membership members can listen 388 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 2: to every episode of disgracelan ad free, plus you'll get 389 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: one brand new exclusive episode every month, weekly unscripted bonus episode, 390 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 2: special audio collections, and early access to merchandise and events. 391 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 2: Visit disgracelampod dot com slash membership for details, Rate and 392 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 2: review the show, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, 393 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 2: and Facebook at disgracelampod and on YouTube at YouTube dot 394 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 2: com slash at disgracelampod Rock a Roller He then man