ICELAND: John Lennon tribute ceremony in Iceland

Record ID: 349476

  • Title: ICELAND: John Lennon tribute ceremony in Iceland
  • Date: 18th October 2010
  • Summary: REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (OCTOBER 9, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CONCERT VENUE, PEOPLE WALKING
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iceland
  • Country: Iceland
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA9BLYM80RC2HZ3KW6C4WSM6IEO
  • Story Text: John Lennon's widow and son were joined by ex-Beatle's Ringo Starr at a memorial concert on what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday.
    John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and son Sean paid tribute to Lennon with a concert in Iceland on would have been his 70th birthday on Saturday (October 9).
    Ex-Beatle's Ringo Starr was among specially invited guests who joined Ono and Sean Lennon's Plastic Ono Band on stage in Iceland's capital Reykjavik.
    Other performers was Mayor of Reykjavik Jon Gnarr and receivers of the Lennon Ono Peace Award earlier on Saturday, filmmaker Josh Fox, writers Alice Walker and Michael Pollan and food safety spokesperson Barbara Kowalcyk.
    About a thousand people attended the concert, which rounded off with Lennon and Ono's song, "Give peace a chance" and the birthday song.
    Earlier in the evening the Imagine Peace Tower created in memory of John Lennon was lit at an outdoor ceremony at Videy island just outside of Iceland's capital.
    The Imagine Peace Tower, consisting of searchlights reflected upward high into the sky was unveiled in 2007 by Ono to symbolize wisdom, healing and joy.
    As one half of the songwriting partnership in the Beatles alongside Paul McCartney, Lennon was responsible for much of the band's catalogue, including seminal hits like "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "A Hard Day's Night."
    The band is widely credited as being the most successful in pop history, and Lennon went on to make his mark as a solo artist after the group split in 1970 with classic songs including "Imagine".
    Lennon remains big business, and the anniversary, just months before the 30th anniversary of his death, has seen the release of a new wave of Lennon-related merchandise and music.
    Ono oversaw the making of a digitally remastered Lennon catalogue that includes eight studio albums and several newly compiled titles on the EMI Music label.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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