Sam, I was 30 and a solid Republican as were my parents. Picture of Ike on our walls. I first heard of Lennon’s death while listening to the radio and it hit me hard as I was prime Beatle age; I was 14 when they first hit our shores in 1964. I even saw them perform live in 1966. I loved The Beatles. Still do.
Anyway, I used to see him all the time at an after-hours club on West 72nd street just west of Columbus Ave. We never sat and chatted but I didn't really feel the need to. After seeing each other a few times we fell into a kind of "hey, how ya doin'" nodding thing. He seemed vulnerable most of the time.
The last time I saw him there was probably a month or so before he was shot, maybe more, I forget.
Did you happen to see them at Candlestick Park in S.F. in 1966?
Interesting anecdote about 1966 and The Beatles. I was barely four years old at the time and naturally didn't remember a thing about it. But at the time, I was living practically in the shadow of Suffolk Downs (a horse racing track in East Boston) and The Beatles played a concert there that August. It turned out to be one of their very last U.S. concerts ever.
Anyway, my mother told me that the night of the concert, the screaming from that concert was so loud that it carried right into our house. During the concert, my mother carried me out into the yard to see what the fuss was all about. So in a way, I guess I can say I attended a Beatles concert.