Like the rest of the world 30 years ago, Chattanoogans were saddened and deeply affected by the news that John Lennon had been shot and killed.
Brainerd High School graduate and film composer George S. Clinton was working in New York City when word of Lennon being shot reached him during a recording session. Like a lot of people, he headed over to the shooting site outside of the Dakota apartment building, where Lennon lived.
“The news spread like wildfire,” said Clinton, who has done music for such movies as the “Austin Powers” series, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” and “The Santa Clause.”
“The studio shut down, as did a lot of other businesses in that area, and we all walked to the Dakota to join the growing throng of people in stunned silence there,” Clinton said. “It was eerie and sad. In a way, it was the end of innocence for the baby boomers.
“The music he made with the Beatles defined my generation. ‘In My Life’ remains one of the best songs ever written, in my opinion.”