Special Tribute: John Lennon’s Last Days

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered outside of his New York apartment building by a deranged fan. Three days before John Lennon was killed, Jonathan Cott spent hours interviewing him for a planned cover story. The complete Q&A, which is running in the new issue of Rolling Stone — available on stands, as well as in the online archives — has never been published before now. On this page you can find our web-exclusive companion coverage to the piece — everything from audio clips from the interview to a gallery of Lennon and Ono’s years in New York.

Stories

• On John Lennon’s historic final interview: a nine-hour discussion with Rolling Stone that took place three days before he died
• Jann S. Wenner on the interview and Lennon’s enduring legacy

Audio From Jonathan Cott’s Interview

• Lennon explains to Jonathan Cott why he didn’t record for five years, describes his weakness as a child and more
• Download eighteen minutes of Cott’s interview with Lennon, in which he speaks candidly about everything from a prized guitar to his newfound perspective at age 40

Playlists

• Yoko Ono on her favorite solo Lennon songs: “He felt more free” after the Beatles. “He was getting down to what he was feeling. He was really speaking the truth”
  
• John Lennon’s forgotten classics: 20 solo Lennon album tracks that you need to hear, by David Fricke
  

Gallery

• Photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York, between the years of his “Lost Weekend” and death in 1980
  

Video

• Lennon on the break-up of the Beatles and his life afterward in New York, from the documentary LENNONYC
• Julian Lennon on his father’s death, from the documentary Losing Lennon: Countdown to Murder: “To this day in so many ways it still feels like a dream”
• Watch John and Yoko at their historic Bed-In for Peace, from the BBC documentary From Liverpool to San Francisco
  

The Archives

• On Lennon’s bold fusion of politics and pop: Rolling Stone‘s tribute to John after his death
• Lenny Kravitz on coming late to Lennon’s music, from Rolling Stone‘s list of the Greatest Artists of All Time
• Jackson Browne on Lennon’s intimacy and intellect, from Rolling Stone‘s list of the Greatest Singers of All Time
• The top ten Beatles songs, from Rolling Stone‘s collector’s issue of the band’s 100 greatest tracks
• The complete John Lennon: The latest news and photos, plus reviews of his entire discography
• The complete Beatles: The latest news and photos, plus reviews of their entire discography