John Lennon 1980 by Kenneth Womack

Author:Kenneth Womack
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Omnibus Press
Published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

Hit Factory

On July 24, as John prepared to take his leave from his island getaway, he was crushed to learn that actor Peter Sellers had died at age 54 having perished from a heart attack in London. Sellers had exerted an enormous influence on John, who idolised the zany British funnyman for his work on The Goon Show, a satirical BBC radio programme. Like so many of his countrymen, John had become enrapt with the side-splitting antics of Sellers’ pioneering comedy albums with George Martin during the producer’s formative years before working with the Beatles.

Struggling to make sense of his grief, John sent Fred into Hamilton to buy all of the American and British newspapers he could find so that he could digest the obituaries and tributes. When he returned to Villa Undercliff, Fred was surprised to discover that John’s funk had worsened. John had been especially taken with Sellers’ recent Academy Award-nominated performance in director Hal Ashby’s Being There (1979). Based on a novel by Jerzy Kosiński, Being There told the story of Chance the gardener (Sellers), a simple-minded servant whose entire life experience has been created by what he observes on television.

For John, Sellers’ life trajectory eerily reminded him of his own experiences, particularly in terms of handling psychosocial issues. “If Sellers hadn’t made it in show business,” John told Fred, “he would have died in the nutty bin. If you’re a nobody and are as crazy as he was, they lock you up. But if you’re famous, then you’re simply considered eccentric.” But for John, Sellers’ late-career comeback with Being There after a decade of Pink Panther B-movie retreads was a matter of deep personal significance. “At least he went out with a hit,” John said. “It sure beats fading from public view with a whimper”, adding that nothing could be worse than dying in obscurity after having experienced the professional heights and accolades of his earlier triumphs.219

Over the next few days, John and Fred began packing up their belongings at Villa Undercliff, breaking down the recording studio in the sun room, and readying themselves for the short flight back to New York City. Yoko’s directional man had spoken, advising that Monday, July 28 offered the best tidings for making a safe journey home. A few days before their planned departure, John made a point of dispatching Fred to the Sinclairs’ Bluck Point residence to deliver a gift to the musician who had serenaded them with the sound of bagpipes over the past several weeks. In addition to a 21-year-old bottle of Chivas Regal Royal Salute Scotch whisky, John included a typewritten note saying, “thank you for the beautiful music and memories of Scotland. Here’s a little something for the piper.” After reading the letter, John Sinclair was pleased to discover one of Lennon’s famous line drawings to boot.220

During their last full day on the island, John and Fred made one final sightseeing tour. They spent several hours exploring the building and grounds of Their Majesties Chappell, a seventeenth-century Anglican church on Queen Street.

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