(Entered October 23, 2000)

The John Lennon exhibit - Lennon: His Life and Work - opened officially on October 19 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Yoko was in attendance, along with former Beatle musician, Billy Preston, Lenono family friend, Cyndi Lauper, Dexter Frebish and rocker Matthew Sweet, Rolling Stone publisher, Jann Wenner and approximately 1400 guests.

A reception was held at the Rock Hall, with EnterASYS Network responsible for a great light show, catered food and drinks all night long for the assembled celebrants.

Freebish, Sweet, Lauper and Preston performed throughout the evening, and when a live band was not pounding out rock tunes, the Rock Hall was filled with the sound of John Lennon's voice.

Backstage at the event, Preston told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper: "John meant a lot to me. He was a revolutionary, a person who brought about peace through his music. He was definitely trying to make the world a better place. He still lives in my heart. I never think about his being gone."

Sweet said: "John really covered all the bases, from edgy rock to beautiful heartfelt ballads. He was so personal and so honest. Those are rarities in music today."

Yoko: "My feeling is that one day I'm going to feel lighter. But I haven't felt it yet. I don't really want to go through the exhibition and examine everything. I just want to walk through. It's a very emotionally trying thing to do."

The exhibit covers floors four, five and six of the museum and features such items as original manuscripts to songs like "Day Tripper," "We Can Work it Out," "Instant Karma" (a personal favorite!), "God," "Starting Over" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)."

John and Yoko's bed, guitars, drawings and collages are also on display along with the leather jacket that John wore during the Beatles' early Hamburg days, early school reports, editions of John's school days "The Daily Howl" and John and Yoko's bed-in Peace signs.

Yoko told the Associated Press: "The nicest thing about John is the fact that he was a very inspiring energy in all different directions. So that people who are in art school will come here and see John's art work and maybe be inspired by that. Songwriters, with his lyrics."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located at One Key Plaza in Cleveland in a beautiful location near the water.

Open seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily.
10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Wednesday.
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission is $15 for adults; children ages 9 through 11 and Seniors 55 and over $11.50; children 8 and under admitted free.

For more information call 1-888-764-ROCK.

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