Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Tom Morello Star in Moving Lennon Birthday Tribute
"Rock & roll is here to stay!" Yoko Ono asserted on the stage of the Theater at Madison Square Garden Saturday night, telling the audience that's what her late husband would have said in response to "Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert." Steven Tyler, Eric Church, Aloe Blacc, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Tom Morello were just a few of the multi-generational luminaries who came together onstage to pay homage to the revolutionary Beatle — the Liverpool songwriter, lionhearted political activist, peacemaker and musical treasure, who would have been 75 years old on October 9th and who died 35 years ago this month. Put on by Blackbird Presents and AMC, the show benefited the poverty-fighting organization Robin Hood.
Kevin Bacon hosted the tremendous, star-packed event — airing on AMC on Saturday, December 19th at 9:00pm ET/PT — which hit every note of Lennon's songwriting personality, his interests, concerns and loves. In the first half of the show, Sheryl Crow played a rollicking serenade of "A Hard Day's Night," the Killers' Brandon Flowers conducted an effervescent sing-along to "Instant Karma," Latin pop sensation Juanes sang "Woman" wearing Lennon's famous New York City shirt, and Train frontman Pat Monahan impressed the crowd with an acrobatic rendition of "Jealous Guy." John Fogerty, the biggest Beatlemaniac in the room, kicked off the night with a striking one-two acoustic punch of "Give Peace a Chance" and "In My Life."
By: Sarah Grant
Source: Rolling Stone
