We knew John Lennon's many personas. He was a witty former Beatle, two times a husband, dad to sons Sean Ono and Julian, impassioned advocate for peace and brotherhood, and all-around extraordinary musician. When Lennon was gunned down on December 8, 1980, at the age of 40, shock waves circled the globe. The grief was seismic. It was incomprehensible. This beloved man, who brought so much joy to millions of fans, was gone in a deadly instant. He had been mortally shot on the doorstep of his famous New York apartment building. The Dakota.
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To this day, John Lennon is deeply missed and fondly regarded. Classy and complex, he left behind a stunning body of work that permanently and radically changed modern rock music. A recently unearthed interview sheds light on Lennon's life, work, and state of mind.
Lennon's Final Interview Is Chilling
The ex Beatle's last interview was given on the very same day he died. Of course, John Lennon had no inkling that he was in his last hours. Per People, "The interview was conducted by RKO Radio with Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono...." Portions of it appear in a new documentary from the noted director Steven Soderbergh. Titled John Lennon: The Last Interview, it was shown on May 15 at the prestigious Cannes film Festival.
Lennon casually alluded to his own death, surely thinking that it was many years or even decades away. At 40, he probably thought he had all the time in the world to write music and be a dad and husband. He said, "I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long time."
Some of his other reported remarks in the interview are equally haunting. Lennon mused about President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated 17 years earlier in 1963. He reportedly wondered what the dynamic young leader might have accomplished if he lived longer. The president was 46 year old when he was slain in Dallas.
He Was a Busy Man at the Time
John Lennon had a pretty full plate in 1980. Per the outlet, he and wife Yoko Ono had dropped the LP Double Fantasy not long before. She and Lennon did this sole radio interview about the ambitious project. According to People, "The chat with RKO's Dave Sholin and Laurie Kaye took place over three-and-a-half hours at The Dakota."
Soderbergh Emphasized the Lennon-Ono Interview's Continuing Validity
Speaking to Variety in November of 2025, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh shared these throghts. "Everything that they said 45 years ago is not just relevant today. It's even more relevant in terms or relationships, politics, how we treat each other. How systems work on the individual and above all on the importance of love in our daily life and our world."
