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FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS:
See actual parole document. (Large
file-64K)
(With thanks to pauleboyd)
John Lennon's killer was denied parole
for a second time, state officials said Wednesday.
Releasing Mark David Chapman after 22 years in prison would "deprecate
the seriousness'' of the crime, the parole board said in a statement
released Wednesday morning. The board said Chapman had "acceptable''
behavior in prison but that didn't guarantee he wouldn't pose a threat
to society.
At his first parole hearing two years ago, Chapman said he did not
deserve to go free. He will be up for parole again in 2004.
Chapman, 47, is serving 20 years to life for shooting Lennon outside his
Manhattan apartment in 1980 as the former Beatle returned from a
late-night recording session.
Transcripts of the latest hearing were not immediately available. At his
parole hearing two years ago, Chapman said: ``I believe once you take a
person's life, there's no way you can make up for that. Period.''
Chapman lives in a housing unit separate from the general population and
works as a clerk in prison, said James Flateau, spokesman for the state
Department of Correctional Services. He was involved in three ``minor
incidents'' between 1989 and 1994 for delaying an inmate count and
refusing to follow an order, but nothing since 1994, Flateau said.
MIND GAMES TO BE REISSUED...NOVEMBER 5
Remixed,
Remastered and Featuring Three Bonus Tracks
Capitol Records News Release:
Mind Games, John Lennon's seminal 1973 solo album, has been remixed,
remastered and augmented by three bonus tracks, and will be reissued by
Capitol Records on November 5, 2002.
The original album is complemented by three previously unreleased tracks
- an early version of "Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" with alternate
lyrics, a home version of "Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)"
and an alternate version of "Meat City."
In the tradition of Capitol's recent Lennon reissues (Imagine, Double
Fantasy, Plastic Ono Band and Milk and Honey), Mind Games utilizes
original cover art, but features new deluxe
packaging. The 32-page booklet includes many previously unseen John
Lennon drawings, photographs and memorabilia from the era, plus full
song lyrics.
The follow-up to 1972's heavily politicized Some Time In New York City,
Mind Games was recorded at New York's Record Plant in August 1973, and
released in November of that year. At the time, John was in the middle
of his battle with Immigration to stay in the U.S., the Watergate
scandal was making headlines and a global recession was underway.
"On 'Mind Games,' for the first time, Lennon has begun to mix his
older, spiritual and religious yearnings with his political
convictions," noted critic Dave Marsh upon its release.
(A yellowed clipping of his review is reproduced in the CD booklet.)
Just before recording the album, John and Yoko had moved into the Dakota
in New York. That same month had seen them reveal their image of Nutopia,
a concept explored on
the album sleeve for Mind Games and on the track "Nutopian
International Anthem," a few seconds of silence. In their
Declaration of Nutopia (issued on April 1st of 1973 and
reproduced in the new packaging), John and Yoko described it as a
conceptual country - one with "no land, no boundaries, no
passports, only people.no laws other than cosmic."
Mind Games was remixed at Abbey Road Studios, and was produced by Yoko
Ono, from the original production by John Lennon.
"When considering this program of reissues, I kept thinking how
John would have been thrilled by the possibilities offered by current
recording technology," said Yoko. "Thus,
along with the great team at Abbey Road, I was happy to ensure that
these classic records could fully benefit from the improved mixing and
mastering facilities available to us now."
YOKO
ONO PEACE INITIATIVE
(Entered October 8, 2002)
Thanks to ONOVOX, Richard
Joly
(News release)
Artist and musician Yoko Ono wants the warring parties in the Middle
East to give peace a chance, and is funding a new grant program to help
bring it about. The annual LennonOno Grant for Peace, designed to show
that art can transcend politics, will give $50,000 each to
an Israeli and a Palestinian artist. The first recipients are Zvi
Goldstein and Khalil Rabah.
Yoko formally unveils the peace initiative at the United Nations on
October 9, commemorating the birthday of her late husband John Lennon,
to an audience of diplomats and ambassadors. "Now more than ever,
we need to call on the international arts community to help us relate to
one another on a level where personal differences don't matter,"
Yoko said.
JOHN LENNON BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCE
AT HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
(Entered October 8, 2002)
Thanks to Harry Bluebond
(Press Release from Alliance for Survival)
A free-to-the-public John Lennon Birthday Remembrance will take
place 6PM on Wednesday, October 9 at Lennon's Hollywood Walk of Fame
Star, located in front of the Capitol Records Tower Building at 1750
North Vine Street. The remembrance will feature live and taped
John Lennon and Beatles music and a highlighted cake-cutting ceremony.
Chris Carter, KLSX-FM radio host of "Breakfast With the
Beatles" will be a guest speaker and cut the large, specially
decorated cake. Tee-M, a southland rock singer who was born in
Pakistan and was influenced early on by John Lennon and Beatles music,
will sing a special Beatles tune and light a "Flame of Peace"
candle on the cake. Also speaking will be Les Perry, KCSN-FM radio
host of "Meet the Beatles." Other invited speakers are
the DJ's from KRTH-FM radio who also do weekly Beatles music
programming.
The public is invited to bring music and poetry to share, as well as
birthday cards, flowers and candles to place around John's
star.
COURT TV - SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ONLINE
(Entered September 27, 2002)
The Court TV website is currently showing the 11-page
document which details the settlement agreement between Yoko and
former Lennon aide, Fred Seaman. In that agreement, Seaman is
"permanently and perpetually enjoined from divulging, exploiting,
or publicizing, commercially or otherwise, in any manner or medium, now
and hereafter devised whatsoever, any information, facts, anecdotes, or
other statements relating in any way to John Lennon, Yoko Ono Lennon or
Sean Lennon...For the avoidance of doubt, this injunction includes,
without limitation, statements made in books, fiction or non-fiction,
magazine articles, press interviews, television reports, documentaries,
radio interviews, audio recordings, film or video recordings, or any
other medium of public dissemination."
A public statement of apology to the Lennon family was also agreed
to by Fred Seaman in the settlement. It reads:
"I wish to offer this public apology to Yoko Ono; I did wrong
by you and indeed am guilty of violating your trust. After more
than 20 years, it is time for me to ask your forgiveness for my
actions. I did in fact steal items from you that once belonged to
you and John. These items include diaries, documents and
more. I wrote things about you and your family in my book and
various tabloids that were factually inaccurate and I now realize how
much pain and embarrassment I have caused. It is impossible to
undo what has taken place. But it stops here and now. I will
return any remaining things that I have that are yours. I will
refrain from ever writing anything about you or your family or about my
time in your employ. I offer no excuse for my conduct and only ask
that you can find it in your heart to forgive so I can move on with my
life."
SETTLEMENT! SEAMAN LOSES PHOTO RIGHTS -
APOLOGIZES TO YOKO, JOHN AND SEAN
(Entered September 27, 2002)
http://courttv.com/people/2002/0927/ono_ap.html
 According
to Court TV (see link above) Yoko reached a settlement today (Friday,
September 27) with Fred Seaman over his use of hundreds of private
family photos, ending a dispute that had stretched across two decades.
As part of the settlement, former assistant Seaman issued a public
apology to Yoko, the late Beatle and their son Sean, lawyers for both
sides announced.
"I offer no excuses for my conduct and ask only that you can find
it in your heart to forgive me," Seaman said in a statement read in
court by Yoko's attorney.
Yoko had sued over the rights to 374 photos Seaman took of Lennon's
family, many in the months before he was shot to death by a deranged
fan, and closing arguments in the trial had been expected today.
The settlement ended the trial and requires Seaman to surrender all
rights to the photos. Seaman must also return any Lennon-related items
still in his possession within 10 days. He admitted he had exploited the
Lennon legacy for personal profit.
"After more than 20 years, it's time to ask for forgiveness for my
actions," Seaman said. "I now realize how much pain and
embarrassment I have caused."
In her lawsuit, Ono alleged that Seaman violated the agreement by
publishing a memoir titled "The Last Days of John Lennon: A
Personal Memoir." She also claimed he profited by stealing Lennon
mementos and selling them to collectors.
Seaman's case had been dealt a major blow yesterday when the judge ruled
that he had, indeed, violated a confidentiality agreement he'd signed
when first employed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and U.S. District Judge
Leonard Sand also ruled that Seaman was not an independent contractor
when he worked for the Lenonos from 1979 to 1981.
DOUBLE THEFT - ROSEN TESTIFIES
(Entered September 26, 2002)
 Matt
Bean reported for Court TV that Fred Seaman planned to exploit John
Lennon from the day he was hired as a personal assistant. He asked
a friend to collaborate on a book, began stockpiling John's personal
items and then eventually raided his collaborator's house looking for
them.
Excerpt from Court TV.com Thursday,
September 26:
"I was naive. It was not 100
percent clear to me what was going on until I came home and found my
house ransacked," said Robert Rosen, who testified Thursday in a
civil suit brought against Seaman by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono.
"Then it was very clear what was going on."
According to Rosen, Seaman said he was "carrying out a sacred
mission on behalf of John Lennon" when he ferreted away the late
Beatle's materials at Rosen's house. When he wanted the items back in
1982, he sent Rosen on a vacation sponsored by a backer for their book,
then burgled his house. The incident marked an abrupt turn in the
relationship between the two men, who had been friends since their days
at the City College of New York newspaper in the early 1970s.
Seaman later admitted to Rosen that he had sacked his house.
"[Seaman] said he did it, what was I going to do about it?"
Rosen testified. "He inquired if I was going to sell my body on the
street or commit suicide. I went into a state of shock."
Full Story Here:
http://courttv.com/trials/ono/092602_ctv.html
COURT ROOM VIDEO REKINDLES MEMORIES FOR SEAN
(Entered September 26, 2002)
From the Scotsman website:
James Doherty reported that Sean Lennon confessed he could barely
remember his father, who was killed when Sean was just five. Sean
spoke after watching a family video played at Manhattan's Federal Court
in his mother, Yoko Ono's civil action against former aide, Fred Seaman.
Sean said, "There are a few memories, but they are fading, and believe
it or not there is very little film footage of me with my father."
"He added: 'It was weird to watch, but also nice. I have seen some
clips of it in a documentary about my parents last summer, but that
was it.
"'I felt very stressed-out but I didn’t get upset, probably because
I was in a courtroom. But it was also good. My memories of my father
are fading and watching this bought it all back.'"
Sean Lennon was in court to support his mother who is suing Seaman, who she
claims profited from the theft of hundreds of personal items from the
Dakota apartment where the family lived in New York.
Referring to the video, Sean said: "I was so cute, I don’t
know
what happened afterwards."
Full Story Here:
http://news.scotsman.com/celebrities.cfm?id=1070272002
SEAMAN: GHOULISH GOFER
(Entered September 26, 2002)
In an article in the New York Daily News, by staff writers Robert
Gearty and Dave Goldiner, Fred Seaman was described as a "ghoulish
gofer" who "admitted on the stand yesterday he was scheming to
write a big money tell-all book about the Beatles legend - even before
his murder."
Exerpt:
"Ono's lawyer also forced Seaman to give his employment history
since being fired by Ono - a string of minor proofreading and
translating jobs.
"'Mr. Seaman, don't you think it's about time you got on with your
life?' lawyer Paul LiCalsi asked."
Full Story here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/21843p-20714c.html
The New York POST meanwhile titled their story: "Diary of
Deception."
John Lehmann reported: "Self-incriminating diary notes
written 20 years ago came back to haunt John Lennon's former assistant
yesterday - showing him as a thieving opportunist
who lied to the Beatle's face about trying to make millions by exposing
his private life.
"Jury members watched as Frederic Seaman's testimony against Yoko
Ono was
systematically dismantled by his own boastful writings."
Full story here:
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/57942.htm
SEAMAN ADMITS HE BROKE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
(Entered September 25, 2002)
Fred Seaman admitted in court today that he
planned to write a book about his former employer despite signing a
confidentiality pact with John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono.
Yoko, who is suing Seaman in Manhattan federal court, accused him of
stealing personal articles and memorabilia and selling them after John
Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York City apartment on December
8, 1980.
On the witness stand, Seaman, who went to work for John just a year
before his death, described signing the confidentiality pact and then
hiding the plans for his book from the former Beatle.
"It occurred to me that I was an
eyewitness to history and that I did want to publish a book on Mr.
Lennon," he said during his day-long testimony.
YOKO'S LAWSUIT AGAINST FRED
SEAMAN
GOES TO COURT IN NEW YORK
(Entered September 24, 2002)
(Reports from AP, Reuters)
Yoko testified this
week in federal court against former personal assistant and
Lennon gofer, Fred Seaman. She told the court that Seaman
had been sworn to secrecy about her life with John Lennon.
After the birth of the couple's only son, Sean, in 1975, the
Lennons "decided we wanted to keep our private life very
private." Seaman was reminded "that it was very
important that he not give out any information about our
whereabouts."
Yoko sued Seaman in 1999, alleging he violated a confidentiality
agreement by publishing family photos of the Lennons in a
book. She also claims he profited by stealing mementos and
selling them to collectors, charges Seaman denies, but which has
been confirmed in court by memorabilia dealer Gary Zimet.
He testified that in 1994 he agreed to buy nine Lennon documents
from Seaman, making the last of $64,500 in payments in
January 1995. He said he bought two more letters written by
Lennon for another $10,000 in 1997. Zimet said one item he
bought from Seaman -- a draft of a harshly critical letter to
fellow-Beatle Paul McCartney -- had sold for $90,500 at auction.
The lawsuit against Seaman "is
about how John and Yoko put their trust in Mr. Seaman's hands,
and how he betrayed that trust," Ono's attorney, Paul
LiCalsi, said in his opening statement. Yoko is demanding
that Seaman surrender rights to 374 photos he took of Lennon and
turn over about $75,000 from the sale of Lennon's manuscripts
and revealing letters.
Seaman's lawyer, Glenn Wolther, characterized Yoko's lawsuit as
a cynical bid to corner the market on the legacy of Lennon,
"one of the largest media icons of the 20th century."
Yoko dismissed Seaman in 1981, with severance pay, after seeing
him wearing her husband's clothing. At the time, she was
unaware that he had been looting Lennon's files. In 1983, Seaman
pleaded guilty to second-degree larceny for stealing John
Lennon's diaries; he was sentenced to five years' probation and
ordered to return the property.
Yoko's lawyer said, "When he claimed he'd give everything
back, he lied." |
Yoko
enters court
on day two of
her suit against
Fred Seaman.
Photo
by
Chip East/Reuters
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JULIAN TO CONTRIBUTE SONG TO HARRISON
ALBUM
 (Entered
September 10, 2002)
Julian has been listed as one of the
performers to take part in a George Harrison tribute album that will be
released on February 25, which would have been his 60th birthday. Koch
Records is assembling the record under the banner Songs From The
Material World, and it will feature cover versions of Harrison and
Beatles songs by artists including Kinks lead guitaris Dave
Davies, Byrds leader Roger McGuinn, Mountain singer-guitarist Leslie
West and Fleetwood Mac co-founder and guitarist, Peter Green.
According to LAUNCH, McGuinn will record the Rubber Soul track
"If I Needed Someone," and that "While My Guitar Gently
Weeps" will be an all-star affair, although no names were available
at press time.
Others scheduled to take part in
the project include Todd Rundgren, Bonnie Bramlett of Bonnie and Delaney
fame, Al Kooper, Donovan, the Smithereens and many others. A
portion of the album's proceeds will go to the T.J. Martell Foundation,
the music-industry charity that raises money for the fight against
cancer, leukemia, and AIDS.
George died on November 29, 2001 after a long battle with cancer.
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