On the night of December 8, 1980, musician John Lennon and his wife were entering their apartment building in New York City when a man he'd signed an autograph for hours before called to him. As John walked up to him, Mark David Chapman pulled out a .38 revolver and opened fire. Lennon suffered four chest wounds and died in the hospital an hour later. The building's outraged doorman seized Chapman, detaining him until the police arrived.

Five months later, on his 'Somewhere In England' album, John's fellow former Beatle George Harrison (1943-2001) released his tribute song to Lennon, 'All Those Years Ago'. Although the lyrics mainly described their friendship, George threw an angry punch at Chapman in the passage,

“Living with good and bad,

I always looked up to you.

Now we're left cold and sad

By someone, the devil's best friend,

Someone who offended all...”

(Chapman later confessed to performing a demonic ritual in a nearby park before the shooting).

The other two Beatles collaborated on the song, Ringo Starr on drums and Paul McCartney(with members of his band Wings) on backing vocals. Expressing the anguish fans felt over the senseless killing and their undying love for John, 'All Those Years Ago' was a hit in both America and Europe, reaching #2 on the US Billboard hot 100. Chapman was convicted of 2nd-degree murder by the State of New York, and is expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org