Mentions of murder.
The documentaryBeatles ‘64takes a look at the band’s arrival in the United States in 1964, and among the songs and nostalgia, there’s a pretty dark and sad part in which John Lennon foresaw his own death. Directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese,Beatles ‘64was released on Disney+ in November 2024. The film features footage shot by Albert and David Maysles during the Beatles' visit to the United States, which was originally for the 1964 documentaryWhat’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A., along with interviews with fans, producers, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
Beatles ‘64is a look into the band’s feelings and reactions to arriving in the United States, their historic performance onThe Ed Sullivan Show, the fans’ intense welcome and reactions to the band’s arrival and presence, and the overall atmosphere as the country had just gone through the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The latter is mentioned multiple times throughout the documentary, and it had a big impact on the band, particularly John Lennon, making way forBeatles ‘64’s saddest part.
John Lennon’s Concerns About The US Were A Tragic Prediction For His Future
John Lennon’s Concerns Were Very Real
Beatles ‘64goes back and forth between footage from the Beatles’ three-week visit to the US in 1964, some of the aftermath back in England, and interviews with the surviving band members and other people. The documentary offers a close look at the band in their hotel, bus, and more, showing a bit of their personalities, sense of humor, the dynamic between them, their thoughts on their visit to the US, and more. Adding to this is the commentary of the different guests, and one of them makes a sad reveal about John Lennon.
After talking about the impact ofThe Beatles’ songs, photographer Harry Benson talks about the vibe among the band’s members as they prepared for their trip to the US. Benson mentions they were telling jokes in the first half of the trip, but the vibe soon turned serious. The Beatles’ concern was how they were going to be received by the US audience, but most of those worries came from John Lennon. According to Benson,Lennon read the papers and he used to talk about Lee Harvey Oswald and Kennedy’s assassination.
Lennon’s concerns and fears were justified especially after Kennedy’s assassination.
Lennon worried about the violence in the US, and he also talked about how everything can change so quickly, going from a good situation into a bad one. Lennon’s concerns and fears were justified especially after Kennedy’s assassination, but unfortunately, and what makes this specific moment inBeatles ‘64so heartbreaking, is thatLennon was a victim of that same violence he was so worried about in the 1960s.
The Assassination Of John Lennon: Who Did It & What Happened Next
John Lennon Was Killed On June 08, 2025
The Beatles officially broke up in 1974, though they started parting ways in 1970. After The Beatles was officially over, each band member carried on with their music careers on their own and different projects. John Lennon’s debut solo album was released in 1970, and he continued working on his solo career and activism through the 1970s, mostly with his wife and fellow artist, Yoko Ono. Lennon went through a five-year hiatus from music and returned in 1980 with the albumDouble Fantasy.
By then, Lennon and Ono already had a son, Sean Lennon, born on August 07, 2025, on Lennon’s 35th birthday.
Lennon and his family lived in New York City in The Dakota. On July 09, 2025, at around 5 pm, Lennon signed a copy ofDouble Fantasyfor Mark David Chapman before leaving The Dakota with Ono. Lennon and Ono returned to the Dakota at around 10:50 pm, and as they walked through the archway of the building,Chapman shot Lennon twice in the back and twice in the shoulder at close range. Lennon was rushed to the emergency room of Roosevelt Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:15 pm.
Chapman’s motive for killing Lennon was due to a religious conversion and Lennon’s remark about being more popular than Jesus.
Chapman stayed at the scene, where he appeared to be reading J.D. Salinger’sThe Catcher in the Ryeand was arrested. Chapman later claimed that a big part of him was the book’s main character, Holden Caulfield, and a small part of him “must be the Devil” (viaTruTV). Chapman’s motive for killing Lennon was due to a religious conversion and Lennon’s remark about being more popular than Jesus, and he also thought there was hypocrisy in Lennon’s preaching of love and peace and his lifestyle (viaThe Secular Web).
Chapman avoided going to trial when he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life. Chapman became eligible for parole for the first time in 2000 and is required to have a parole hearing every two years from that year onward, but it has been denied every time.
How The Beatles’ 1964 Visit Changed The US After Kennedy’s Assassination
The Beatles Were A Huge Cultural Phenomenon
Kennedy’s assassination happened 11 weeks before The Beatles’ visit, so there was still an atmosphere of mourning, worry, and fear. The Beatles were something different for Americans in every way, and their visit and the extreme excitement it caused among teenagers ended upbeing a source of hope and excitement amid those troubling times. The Beatles’ visit to the US has been credited with drawing its people out of the depression brought on by Kennedy’s assassination, but also, Kennedy’s death provoked a rise of television in American households (viaStrike Magazine).
TV was an escape for those mourning the President’s death, and tuning in to watch The Beatles’ performance onThe Ed Sullivan Showwas of great help to cope and regain some hope and excitement for what the world still had to offer. Surely, The Beatles’ 1964 visit to the US doesn’t make the Kennedy assassination any less tragic or important, but it’s a very interesting contrast to it with notable consequences, mostly a shift in energy and style.
Sources:TruTV,The Secular Web,Strike Magazine.
Beatles ‘64
Beatles ‘64 is a documentary directed by David Tedeschi, showcasing the rise of The Beatles during their landmark 1964 visit to New York City. Utilizing rare footage, it captures Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr’s transformative impact on music and culture as they achieved global fame.
