Liverpool Honors Lennon

Liverpool's Airport at Speke was officially renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport in a ceremony today. The event marks the first time that a British airport has been named after an individual.

Along with the new name, the airport will get a statue of Lennon and a new logo. Lennon's self-portrait and the lyric "above us only sky" from "Imagine" will grace a new terminal expected to open next spring.

Peel Holdings, the company which runs Liverpool Airport, was responsible for the name change, a decision the company says was met with enthusiasm by the Lennon family and the surviving Beatles. "I am delighted that Liverpool Airport had decided to choose John's name," said Yoko Ono who was on hand for the ceremony. "John was always remembered for his sense of fun in life and I hope that John Lennon Airport will send a big smile to all corners of the world."

And after the ceremony at the airport, Ono spent the afternoon at Liverpool University where she given an honorary degree as Doctor of Law. Ono founded the John Lennon Memorial Scholarships at the University for financially disadvantaged students.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter