John Lennon's Last Song

Some consider John Lennon's last song to be "I Don't Want to Face It" while others regard his guitar performance on Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice" — recorded just an hour before his death — as his last recorded track. John Lennon was at the height of his solo career and already considered a famous lyricist and a pop star for his work with The Beatles when he died on December 8, 1980. Because Lennon was still working as a solo artist and a contributor on wife Ono's work as a guitarist at the time of his death, there is much debate over what should be considered Lennon's last record.

Lennon's Last Records

Many consider the last original number John Lennon recorded to be "I Don't Wanna Face It" — originally recorded on September 2, 1980, and released on the Milk and Honey CD — but Lennon never finished it fully himself. Others regard his performance on Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice," which appears on her album Season Of Glass, to be his last recording as he was working on it at the time of his death.

However, the last recordings he ever made at home were four new songs recorded as demos at his Dakota residence on November 14, 1980. Two, "Pop Is The Name Of The Game" and "You Saved My Soul," have never been officially released. The other two, "Dear John" and "Serve Yourself," were released on 1998's "Lennon Anthology."

The Death of John Lennon

While still working on a litany of projects, John Lennon was killed by a crazed fan, Mark David Chapman, while trying to enter his Manhattan apartment on December 8, 1980. Lennon had just returned to his abode at the Dakota from the Record Plant Studio with wife Ono when the gunman released four bullets into the Beatles' star. The couple had been finishing up their recording of "Walking On Thin Ice" with Ono on vocals and Lennon on guitar just before the fateful shooting.

Lennon was cremated and the ashes were given to Ono, but no funeral was held. Mourners poured into New York's Central Park, Roosevelt Hospital where Lennon was immediately taken, and in Lennon's hometown of Liverpool, England immediately following the announcement of his death.

Five years after his murder, New York City dedicated a memorial in his honor in Central Park's Strawberry Fields. Countries worldwide donated trees to the area and the city of Naples in Italy dedicated a now-famous "Imagine" mosaic centerpiece to the area.