Yoko Ono calls for an end to gun violence on the anniversary of Beatle icon’s death

ON the 35th anniversary of John Lennon’s murder, the late-Beatle’s widow delivers another shocking statistic on gun violence in the US.

FILE - In this Aug. 22, 1980, file photo, John Lennon, right, and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrive at The Hit Factory, a recording studio in New York City. The death of Lennon, shot 35 years ago, still reverberates as a defining moment for a generation and for the music world. (AP Photo/Steve Sands, File)

ON the 35th anniversary of John Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono has called for an end to gun violence in the US, citing one pretty damning statistic.

The Beatles icon was murdered by an obsessed fan Mark Chapman on December 8, 1980, as he arrived home to Manhattan’s Dakota building after a recording session with his wife.

Over 1,100,000 people killed by guns in the USA since @JohnLennon was shot and killed on Dec 8 1980#StopGunViolence pic.twitter.com/OldpJESlYx

— John Lennon (@johnlennon) December 8, 2015

In a poignant message to her followers (complete with a graphic photo of her late husband’s bloodied sunglasses), Ono writes that there have been more than one million victims of gun violence in the US since Lennon’s murder.

“Over 1,100,000 people killed by guns in the USA since @JohnLennon was shot and killed on Dec 8 1980 #StopGunViolence.”
In the ensuing years Ono has continued to campaign for peace.

Meanwhile, an old recording of Lennon re-imaging the lyrics to one of the Beatles’ biggest hits, Do You Want To Know a Secret, has come to light, and it’s a little bit naughty.

During recordings for the band’s Rubber Soul album (which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary), Lennon pops off to the toilet, but can still be heard singing, ‘Do you want to hold a penis?’ instead of the original lyrics. We’re pretty sure this was shocking in 1965.

Originally published as Yoko Ono calls for an end to gun violence on the anniversary of Beatle icon’s death