(Entered April 27, 1998)

Sean Lennon, along with the other performers at this year's Tibetan Freedom Concert, have been told by China that they will not be welcome in that country. The Chinese government issued a statement threatening the artists confirmed for this year's show. The statement read: "Western artists have no right to intervene in the internal affairs of our country. Any of those performers who do will not be permitted entry to China, including Tibet, and their works will never be welcome in our country."

Beastie Boy Adam Yauch issued a statement responding to an ABC News report that the Chinese government had banned all of the scheduled Tibetan Concert performers from entering the country. Yauch's statement read: "This is a small example of the kind of thing that goes on all the time in China and Tibet. If they are trying to stop foreign minds, one can only imagine what they do within their own borders. Tibetan and Chinese people are tortured and killed on a regular basis for speaking their minds. This concert is a chance for us to bring the freedoms that we have to the Tibetan and Chinese people."

This year's Tibetan Freedom Concert will be held June 13 and 14 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Sean is scheduled to perform on the 14th.

(Entered April 23, 1998)

New Yorkers will have the privilege of attending two Yoko Ono art shows beginning Friday, April 24 and running through May 30. En Trance is being featured at the Andre Emmerich Gallery at 41 East 57th Street (212-752-0124) and Ex it at Deitch Projects, 18 Wooster Street (212-343-7300). If you're in New York in the coming weeks, be sure to stop in and experience the art. (Reviews always welcome!)

(Entered April 18, 1998)

Some of us ran home from work to watch them in the 70's and taped them on reels (no vcr's back then), some of us watched them on VH1 and some of us will buy the videotape from Rhino to watch them clearly any time we want to. John and Yoko's week-long appearance as co-hosts of "The Mike Douglas Show" will be available on Rhino Home Video on May 19. To order, go to Rhino's ordering page on their website.

(Entered April 18, 1998)

BMI Foundation and Yoko have announced the first annual winner of the John Lennon Scholarship. You can get the whole story from BMI.com.

(Entered April 15, 1998)

The latest New Yorker magazine features an interview with Sean Ono Lennon in which he gives his opinion of the theory that his father's murder was planned by the United States government. Sean told David Sapsted of New Yorker:
"He was a countercultural revolutionary, and the government takes that kind of (stuff) really seriously historically. These pacifist revolutionaries are historically killed by the government." Sean went on to say that anyone who believes John's murderer, Mark Chapman, was "just some crazy guy who killed my dad for his personal interests is insane, I think, or very naive, or hasn't thought about it clearly. "

As for what the government might have accomplished by having John Lennon murdered, Sean said, "...you know, that worked against them because, once he died, his powers grew . . . They didn't get what they wanted."

(Entered April 8, 1998)

Sean Lennon's label, Grand Royal has announced the following television dates: Sean will appear on MTV's "Indie Outing" on May 4; on "Modern Rock Live" on May 17; and on June 18, Sean will appear live on "Late Night With David Letterman." Oh sure..now we have to sit here and WAIT!!!

(Entered March 22, 1998)

We have learned there is another place to find information about the petition drive to keep John Lennon's murderer behind bars. Mark Chapman will be eligible for parole on December 4, 2000. You can find a petition form that can be printed out at this website address.

(Entered March 15, 1998)

Dot Music reported that on May 18, Pinnacle (UK) will release Photographs & Memories, the first album from Julian Lennon in seven years. The record will appear on From Another Room, a label set up with Steve Weltman, who originally signed Lennon to Charisma Records. The first single Day After Day should be out on May 4.

(Entered March 2, 1998)

You can visit the Grand Royal (which was recently updated!) to hear three soundbites from Sean's new LP, "Into the Sun." The album is due to be released May 19. The songs you can sample if you have a Real Audio player are: "Mystery Juice," "Home," and "Spaceship."

(Entered February 1, 1998)

The cable channel, A&E, will air a special on John Lennon's murderer this month hosted by Bill Kurtis. The Lennon edition of American Justice will air on February 25 at 9PM and 1AM ET and again on February 28 at 5PM ET (2PM PT). The one-hour program will look back on that night in December, 1980 when John's assassin waited for him outside the Dakota apartment building, and shot him in the back when he returned home with Yoko from a recording session. The show will feature interviews with what are described as close friends of the Lennons', the assassin's defense attorneys, forensic psychiatrists, and the author of a book about the killer.

Related topic: John's murderer will be up for parole in the year 2000. Anyone interested in finding out more about a petition campaign to keep him behind bars should e-mail acidburn@gowebway.com for details.

(Entered January 30, 1998)

Paul McCartney will join with several other big names in the entertainment industry to help raise money for spinal cord research. Glenn Close, Gloria Estefan and Tom Hanks will appear in a fundraiser for the Christopher Reeve Foundation Sunday (2/1/98).The benefit will honor Reeve, who was injured nearly three years ago in a horse riding accident. Willie Nelson, Meryl Streep, Robin Williams and Paul are others who are expected to attend. The event will be taped and broadcast on ABC TV in the spring.

(Entered January 30, 1998)

Reuters News Agency reports that the car company, Volkswagen wants the three ex-B's, Paul, George and Ringo, to help launch its new Beetle "bug" car. The German carmaker has confirmed that it is negotiating with the surviving Beatles to be part of the publicity campaign for the modern remake of its popular little car. V.W. hopes that the relaunch of the "Bug" will bring back memories of the Woodstock era and they think tying in a publicity campaign with the Beatles will fit well into that strategy. The car will be on sale in the U.S.A. in March.

(Entered January 23, 1998)

Seventy-nine items owned by Timothy Leary will be auctioned by Christie's in NYC on February 4. One of the items is a a photo of Leary with John and Yoko which the auction house is expecting to sell for up to $1,500.

(Entered January 19, 1998)

Carl Perkins, who wrote the hit song "Blue Suede Shoes" and many others has died at the age of 65. A family spokesman said Perkins died of complications from a series of three strokes suffered in the past two months at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

Perkins, along with his contemporary Chuck Berry were both heroes of the Beatles. John Lennon once said "There was no music before Sun" - the recording studio that launched the careers of Perkins, Presley and many other rock legends. The Beatles recorded three of Perkins' songs after meeting him in 1964 - "Honey Don't," "Matchbox," and "Everybody's Tryin to be My Baby."

(Entered January 16, 1998)

Billboard has reported that EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties has set a February 24th release for "Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon." The 20-track set of all John's U.K. and U.S. solo chart hits has been digitally remastered and compiled with Yoko's cooperation. This same set was released already in Great Britain on the Parlophone Label.

(Entered January 13, 1998)

One of John Lennon's drawings will be auctioned in New York next month. Drawn in the 1970's, the artwork shows John with beard and glasses, his head perched on a six-fingered hand, peering at a lit candle. The sketch is expected to bring in $8,000.