New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Pair Of John Lennon Releases For Fans To Celebrate Artist's 80th Birthday

originally published: 09/15/2020


John Lennon would be celebrating his 80th birthday on October 9. Fans of his can enjoy a new book by Kenneth Womack entitled John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days In The Life (available now) and a new compilation called "Jem Records Celebrates John Lennon" to be released on John's birthday.  A special bundle involving both is reportedly in the works and Womack wrote the liner notes for the album.

Womack's book traces the powerful, life-affirming story of the former Beatle's remarkable comeback after five years of self-imposed retirement. Lennon's final pivotal year would climax in several moments of creative triumph as he rediscovered his artistic self in dramatic fashion. With the bravura release of the Double Fantasy album with wife Yoko Ono, he was poised and ready for an even brighter future only to be wrenched from the world by an assassin's bullets. John Lennon, 1980 isn't about how the gifted songwriter died; but rather, about how he lived.

Womack is a world-renowned authority on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence. Ken’s Beatles-related books include Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007) and The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), which was named as The Independent’s “Music Book of the Year.” In 2014, Ken published The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the group’s legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Ken’s books about the Beatles are included in the permanent collection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Library and Archives. Ken is also the author of four novels, including John Doe No. 2 and the Dreamland Motel (2010), The Restaurant at the End of the World (2012), Playing the Angel (2013), and I Am Lemonade Lucy! (2019). His work has appeared in such venues as Salon, Slate, Billboard, Time, Variety, The Guardian, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He serves as Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University.

 Recorded during the early days of Summer 2020, JEM Records artists took to the studio to record their unique interpretations of John Lennon's compositions. From the early Beatles days of "I Call Your Name" to the final recordings of (Just Like) Starting Over," this record is the culmination of decades of love of Beatles and Lennon songs. Featuring performances by The Weeklings, The Grip Weeds, The Anderson Council, Richard Barone, Johnathan Pushkar, The Gold Needles and The Midnight Callers. The cover is a reproduction of Al Hirschfeld's "Lennon at Home." It may be purchased online as on CD, vinyl, and mp3 formats.




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



 

JEM Records Celebrates John Lennon Track Listing
1 – The Word/The Weeklings
2 – Child Of Nature/The Midnight Callers
3 – Jealous Guy/The Midnight Callers
4 – You Can’t Do That/The Grip Weeds
5 – (Just Like) Starting Over/Johnathan Pushkar
6 – No Reply/The Gold Needles
7 – Revolution/Power To The People/Richard Barone
8 – Strawberry Fields Forever/The Grip Weeds
9 – It Won’t Be Long/The Midnight Callers
10 – I Found Out/The Anderson Council
11 – Cold Turkey/Hey Bulldog/The Gold Needles
12 – I Call Your Name/Johnathan Pushkar
13 – What’s The New Mary Jane/The Weeklings




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info




FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Candlelight

Candlelight Concert: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Damn

Damn The Torpedoes - The Music of Tom Petty

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

There,

There, There (A Tribute to Radiohead)

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Asbury Lanes
209 4th Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Band

Band Infusion Musical Night by GG

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Annual

Annual Jazz, Health and Food Truck Festival 2025

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 11:00am
Monte Irvin Orange Park
S center and South Harrison Street, Orange, NJ 07050
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Lizzie

Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Griffin House on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 7:30pm. Griffin is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums.



Grammy

Grammy Award Winner Raphael Saadiq to Bring "No Bandwidth" Tour to NJPAC

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Get ready to experience an exceptional performance by Raphael Saadiq at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 8:00pm. This highly regarded one-person show, entitled "No Bandwidth," will highlight Saadiq's extraordinary talents through a compelling blend of storytelling and musicianship. Attendees can anticipate an unforgettable evening filled with artistic excellence.



Dave

Dave Koz brings his Summer Horns tour to MPAC in August

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Get set for a night of smooth summer jazz and funk with a touch of the sounds of the 1970s when Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) as part of his Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns 2025 tour on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 7:30pm.



A

A Chat with Jasper Smith of Straight No Chaser Which Brings its "Summer: The '90s Part 2" Tour to STNJ on July 16

Straight No Chaser is bringing its Summer: The '90s Part 2 Tour to State Theatre New Jersey on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. The nine-member a cappella group originated in 1996 at Indiana University in Bloomington and has gone on to sell three million albums, earn two gold records, and amass over 1 billion streams on Pandora.



Centenary

Centenary Stage Company presents Yacht Rock Gold Experience

(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's 2025 Summerfest Series continues with a one-night-only concert event featuring Yacht Rock Gold Experience on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at Centenary University. The band celebrates the soft rock and smooth sounds of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Showtime is 8:00pm.