On Oct. 7, 1975, a deportation order for John Lennon was reversed by a Federal Appeals Court judge, allowing him to legally remain in his New York City home. Let’s take a brief step back and explore why.
On the brisk English morning of Friday, Oct. 18, 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were arrested on drug charges following a police raid of their home near Montagu Square in London. It was already a hectic time for the couple, as Ono had discovered she was pregnant only days earlier. (Remember, they were married to other people at this time.)
Prior to the raid, Lennon anxiously tried to dispose of evidence, but Sergeant Norman Pilcher eventually broke down the front door. The police would then find 200 grams of hash, a rolling machine and half a gram of morphine. This was a serious amount, and especially at the time was taken seriously.
Lennon knew they were coming, however. He noted, “That thing was set up. The Daily Express was there before the cops came. In fact, Don Short had told us, ‘They’re coming to get you,’ three weeks before. So, believe me, I’d cleaned the house out, because Jimi Hendrix had lived there before in the apartment, and I’m not stupid. I went through the whole damn house.” Imagine if he hadn’t known.
Mr. Lennon did a pretty good job of covering his tracks, as the whole trial ultimately resulted in him pleading guilty out of fear that Ono would be deported, and a £150 fine. Considering the circumstances, I’d say Lennon did pretty well.
– Ian Randall
On Oct. 12, 1969, a rumor that Paul McCartney had died spread around the world, becoming the largest rumor in rock and roll history. The rumor started when Russ Gibb, a Detroit DJ on WKNR, received a mysterious call. The caller told him to play several songs backward, including “Strawberry Fields Forever.” At the end of this song, John Lennon said “I buried Paul,” leading to a national rumor that Paul McCartney had died.
As the rumor that McCartney died got out, speculation about Paul McCartney spread as well. Some claimed he had died in a car accident three years ago, and the Beatles covered up any news headlines about the event. This explained why there was no news when Paul McCartney allegedly died. To explain why he was still seen after his death, Beatles fans said they replaced Paul McCartney with a look-alike for the band, called Billy Shears, who wrote and produced two songs, “Hey Jude” and “Blackbird.” As this story reached millions of people, more stories circulated, all showing signs that Paul McCartney was dead.
Paul McCartney, at the time of this rumor spreading, was very much still alive. He had been on his Scottish farm with his wife, daughter, and newborn child. Due to the time constraints of caring for his newborn, he was unable to debunk the rumors surrounding his death. A few months later, McCartney reported to the press that the rumors were false and that he was spending less time in the media due to his commitments to his family.
Today, Paul McCartney, who is still alive, continues to be an iconic singer and songwriter, releasing an album in 2018 called Egypt Station, which topped the Billboard 200. To this day, his legacy remains, whether in the form of his music or in the rumor that changed the world.
– Chae Eun Park
On Oct. 13, 2016, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The American singer-songwriter received this award “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” The prize was announced by the Swedish Academy. Dylan is the 12th Nobel laureate from the United States.
In the days that followed Dylan’s win of the Nobel Prize, the singer remained silent, still speechless from the high applause at his work. Dylan finally responded to Edna Gundersen about this esteemed accomplishment, saying that getting the award was “amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?” Dylan was unable to travel to Stockholm for the ceremony “due to pre-existing commitments.” In his absence, his speech was given by Azita Raji, U.S. ambassador to Sweden. There was also a notable performance from Patti Smith in which she sang Dylan’s song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.”
In Dylan’s Nobel Lecture, he discussed in great detail the three literary works that had a significant influence on his songwriting. These literary works are Homer‘s The Odyssey, Moby-Dick by Herman Melville and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
The old-time folky Bob Dylan is now known as the first musician and songwriter to win a Nobel in Literature. Though his history-book-making win is admirable, to say the least, it did not come without controversy from the public. Some writers argued that Dylan’s work was not of equal praise as that of traditional authors. All in all, Bob Dylan writes songs with themes of love and religion while diving into surreal imagery. I think it is safe to say that Dylan was a well-deserving candidate for the Nobel Prize since his lyrics often feel like poetry and his acoustic sound is one of literary admiration.
– Sophie Sparkman
