COME TOGETHER:  A NIGHT FOR JOHN LENNON'S WORDS & MUSIC
Update...


(Entered September 28, 2001)

Sean with Brian Wilson/Rolling Stone

E!Online and other news sources are reporting that Sean Lennon will join Rufus Wainwright, Billy Preston and Craig David in the musical lineup for the JOL tribute concert Tuesday (October 2). It also has been learned that organizers of the concert had two immediate thoughts after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City:  Cancel the event or move it out of New York.

As we all know now, they decided both ideas dishonored John's memory.  The concert which was postponed from September 20th to the 2nd will benefit attack relief organizations.


Yoko said the terrorist attack rekindled what she felt on December 8, 1980 when John was  murdered.

"There's all this talk about numbers, of the thousands of people who died," she told the Associated Press.  "They are not numbers. Each person has a family and friends who miss the person and love the person.  It's an enormous situation. I hope that singing John's songs, songs that were written by someone who was also a victim of violence, will somehow help people."

Yoko went on to say, "John's music always inspired people and gave power to people and this is what we need in New York at this point."

When the idea was brought up to move the event out of New York, possibly to California, it felt like a capitulation to terrorists, according to Ken Ehrlich, co-executive producer of the telecast with Yoko.

"When he was alive, he was like a first citizen of the city," Ehrlich said. "It would have frankly been fraudulent to take it out of there."

Yoko says she doesn't want a somber show.  She said, "This is a time when we need a sense of humor as well, not just mourning."

The rescheduled concert date forced the Isley Brothers to drop out because of a conflict.

The American Red Cross, The  September 11th Fund, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund are among the beneficiaries.  The concert's original beneficiaries were non-violence organizations.  Some of those, including the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Violence Policy Center, will benefit.

COME TOGETHER AT RADIO CITY...TO BE BROADCAST LIVE
ON TNT and WB Networks

(Entered September 26, 2001)

Thanks to Steve at  http://www.best.com/~abbeyrd

Burbank, CA (September 24, 2001) The WB Television Network (The WB) will join Turner Network Television (TNT) in a live, simultaneous broadcast of COME TOGETHER: A NIGHT OF JOHN LENNON'S WORDS & MUSIC. A concert of prayer and healing for New York City to benefit relief efforts in the wake of last week's tragic events, the broadcast is scheduled to air on Tuesday, October 2 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET) live from Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Kevin Spacey will host the spectacular event, and scheduled performers include Dave Matthews, Moby, Stone Temple Pilots, Nelly Furtado, Shelby Lynne, Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, The Isley Brothers, Lou Reed, Marc Anthony, Yolanda Adams and more.

"When our colleagues at TNT proposed this, we immediately agreed that it was another way for our company, the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., to help the people who have been most directly affected by the tragedies," said Jordan Levin, President, Entertainment for The WB. "John Lennon was a symbol of peace for a different generation. This event will feature many of today's best performers trying to make a difference while providing The WB's new generation of young people with a way to get involved."

Benefactors of the event include the American Red Cross, The September 11 Fund, International Association of Fire Fighters, New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund, The National Organization for Victim Assistance, and The Twin Towers Fund in addition to the Violence Policy Center, The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March. For donations and more information, viewers will be asked to go to www.Helping.org.

COME TOGETHER is produced for TNT by Ken Ehrlich Productions. Yoko Ono Lennon and Ken Ehrlich are executive producers, Sandy Shapiro is executive producer for TNT. Tisha Fein is producer, Ron de Moraes is director, Renato Basile is executive in charge of production, Lisa Geers is associate producer, David Wild is writer, Bruce Ryan is scenic designer, Bob Dickinson is lighting designer, Gary Simmons is talent executive and Darcy Hettrich is executive in charge of talent, TNT.

IMAGINE YOKO'S FULL PAGE NEW YORK TIMES AD..

(Entered September 26, 2001)

Thanks to Keri Wilson


NEW YORK (AP) -- The full-page ad in The New York Times carried a simple message: ``Imagine all the people living life in peace.''

The John Lennon lyric, carried on page 29 of Sunday's paper, was a message from his widow, Yoko Ono, in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, her spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

The eight-word quotation from Lennon's ``Imagine'' was unaccompanied by any photos or text. Ono decided not to sign the ad because ``she felt it would be more effective if her name wasn't on it,'' explained spokesman Eliot Mintz.

``This is one of the ways she makes her feelings known,'' Mintz said. ``The message is in the ad.''

Ono, 68, also plans to erect a Times Square-area billboard with another message from Lennon's lyrics: ``Give peace a chance.''

YOKO TO RELEASE NEW JOL BOOK

(Entered September 23, 2001)

Reported by Richard Joly (Onoweb) on the Yoko list-serv ONOVOX

Yoko Ono has signed a deal for a new book about John Lennon that will feature reproductions of his drawings and writings. Ono has signed a deal with Chronicle Books to produce the as-yet-untitled book, which will feature facsimiles of Lennon's handwritten song lyrics, sketches and "other memorabilia."

James Henke, archivist with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, will write text for the book.

----RRNEWS

COME TOGETHER AT RADIO CITY...TO BE BROADCAST LIVE..

(Entered September 19, 2001)

Thanks to Keri Wilson and Jody Denberg

ATLANTA, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Network Television (TNT), in association with Yoko Ono Lennon and Ken Ehrlich Productions, has rescheduled the COME TOGETHER concert for Tuesday, October 2nd, telecast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT (previously confirmed to tape September 20 and premiere Oct. 9).

"In light of last week's tragic events, Yoko Ono Lennon, Ken Ehrlich and TNT felt it was appropriate to move our Lennon tribute to October 2nd," said Steve Koonin, executive vice president and general manager of TNT.  "In addition, the event, originally planned as a benefit for a non-violent world, will now also support the vital efforts of the New York City relief organizations."

"The appropriateness of John Lennon's words, message and music is even more timely now," said
Ehrlich, co-executive producer of COME TOGETHER.  "New York City identified and shared a mutual love affair with John and Yoko, and now more than ever, that unbreakable bond grows even stronger in this time of healing."

Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, Dave Matthews, The Isley Brothers, Lou Reed, Marc Anthony, Moby, Nelly Furtado, Shelby Lynne, Stone Temple Pilots and Yolanda Adams, plus many to be announced soon, will perform on the Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall in solo performances, duets and combinations. Kevin Spacey is set as host.  Dave Stewart, who will also perform, is set as
musical director.

The concert will benefit New York City relief organizations including the American Red Cross, September 11th Fund, International Association of Fire Fighters, New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund, The National Organization for Victim Assistance, and The Twin Towers Fund in addition to
the Violence Policy Center, The Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence united with the Million Mom March. COME TOGETHER is produced for TNT by Ken Ehrlich  Productions.  Yoko Ono Lennon and Ken Ehrlich are executive producers, Sandy Shapiro is executive producer for TNT.

"IMAGINE" ON "INAPPROPRIATE SONGS" LIST!
Who Cares, Says New York's Q104 - It's a Top Requested Song This Week

(Entered September 18, 2001)

Imagine some radio program director with a big black marker pen..making big black streaks through the names of songs that he or she feels would be inappropriate for Clear Channel Communications radio network stations to play.  Imagine that one of those songs is a song that urges people of all races, creeds, colors, in all countries of the world to live together in peace and to share the world as one.  Uh-huh.  You guessed it.  Some airhead has put "Imagine" on a list of questionable songs to play in the wake of the disasters in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.

Along with the John Lennon anthem for peaceful coexistence, is Steve  Miller's "Jet Airliner," AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire."  Amazingly enough, this all-encompassing list even includes Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" and Louis Armstrong's "What a  Wonderful World."

If those choices aren't strange enough for you, how about the Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian" and Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife."   

Clear Channel says one of its program director's created and distributed the list to its 1,100 stations.

"Given the environment, a Clear Channel program director took it upon himself to identify a number of songs that certain markets or individuals may find insensitive today," the company said in a statement. "This was not a mandate, nor was the list generated out of the corporate radio offices. It was a grassroots effort that was apparently circulated among program directors."

Not all Clear Channel stations are paying attention to the list. For instance, New York's Z100 has been playing many of the tunes, while Q104 has noted that "inappropriate" songs like "New York, New York" and "Imagine" were some of the most requested of the week.

Free-speech activists are expressing concern that the list was even passed around. While Clear Channel insists it did not "endorse or squash" the list's distribution, First Amendment watchdogs say it's problematic--especially if you consider that Clear Channel owns one out of every 10 stations in the U.S.

LETTERMAN'S LATE SHOW PLAYS "IMAGINE"

Apparently, David Letterman's music director, Paul Shaffer didn't view "Imagine" as an inappropriate song.  During Letterman's emotional return to his Late Show duties Monday, Shaffer and the Late Show band played "Imagine" into a commercial break.

"INSIDE EDITION" TOO...

TV's "Inside Edition" program also played "Imagine" over a montage of images of rescue workers and vigils being held in New York.

JOHN LENNON STREET IN NOVI SAD

(Entered September 7, 2001)

From Reuters

NOVI SAD, Yugoslavia, Sept 6 (Reuters) - A street in Serbia's second largest city, Novi Sad, has been named after John Lennon, a local official said, adding that it was his daughter who gave him the idea.

"We have printed out the board with John Lennon's name and we have decided to invite his widow Yoko Ono and son Julian to attend the opening ceremony," Vladimir Vrgovic, the president of an urban commission which made the decision, told Reuters.

The street in what is the capital of the northern Vojvodina province is currently named after a Serb who took part in the Spanish civil war in the 1930s.

Vrgovic said his daughter, "raised in the spirit of rock and roll," first suggested naming the street after the assassinated subculture pop icon in 1998. "I raised my daughter Milena in the spirit of rock and roll, to give her a wider perception of the world, unlike many of her peers who only know about Novi Sad, well, Belgrade at the most," Vrgovic said.

The commission's decision broke with an old tradition of naming streets after prominent politicians in favor of a new fashion of honoring artists and sportsmen.

"We decided to name this street after a man who left an important mark in the world's cultural heritage," Vrgovic said.



Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited.

ABSOLUT VODKA USES J&Y "TWO VIRGINS" IMAGE

(Entered September 5, 2001)

Thanks to "HwyCDR"

Absolut Ad

Claire Cozens writing in The Guardian, Tuesday, September 4, reported that rights to use the famous (or infamous, however you view it!) photo of John and Yoko nude which appeared on the backside (!) of their Unfinished No. 1-Two Virgins LP, have been purchased by the Swedish vodka company, Absolut.  New ads (see picture) will are slated to appear in the United States.  The photograph has been altered to represent the shape of an Absolut bottle between J&Y.   Cozens reports that Absolut's advertising firm, TBWA/Chiat/Day paid up to £350,000 to the Lennon estate for use of the image.  The ad will form part of a campaign that puts the Absolut vodka bottle on famous album covers.  The agency said it used the back cover of the J&Y album "in the interest of good taste," because the other side featured full-frontal nudity. Others who have taken part in this new advertising venture are David Bowie, the Velvet Underground and Judas Priest.

GIMME SOME TRUTH-A Screening and Interview

(Entered September 4, 2001)

Thanks to Richard Joly's - Onovox Announcement

"Gimme Some Truth" - a Tribute to John Lennon film screening and discussion will take place Thursday, September 13th at The Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University, 1 Place Plaza, Spruce Street entrance in New York.

There'll be a screen of the award-winning film on the making of "Imagine" with Allan Kozinn, New York Times culture reporter and Beatles expert acting as host. He will interview the film's director, Andrew Solt.

The film, which was authorized by Yoko Ono, shows John as a performer, lover, father and human being in intimate family photos.  It captures the many facets of the man who is considered by many to be the symbol of peace and truth in his generation.

For tickets and information about Critics Choice events, call 1-888-NYT-1870. 

Tickets are $25 per event. Limit: 4 tickets per event per customer.
Tickets are first-come, first-served; mailed approximately 2 weeks prior to
the event; no refunds; $3 per ticket handling fee for credit card charges.

NEW YOKO ALBUM DUE SOON (Entered September 3, 2001)

BLUEPRINT FOR A SUNRISE, a new album from Yoko, will be released within a few weeks on Capitol Records.  The album includes songs from the YES Yoko Ono book and CD, as well as new studio tracks and a live recording from a performance in New York City in April of 1997.  IK! has a complete review and track listing on site now.  Be watching for exciting BLUEPRINT promotions. Check out IK!'s review here.

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