John Lennon celebrated at downtown’s Abbey Road Crossing
John Lennon is continually honored in downtown Las Vegas at the Abbey Road Crossing on Fremont East. The 40th anniversary of his death was marked at that location Tuesday night, with performances of “Imagine” and “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” and a presentation of Lennon and Beatles memorabilia.
“Imagination is the message, and that is what Las Vegas is about,” said promoter Paul Casey, who organized the street-side celebration. “This is inspiring, and inspiration leads to hope, and hope leads to love.”
Vegas vocalists Kimberly Brent and Jennifer Joseph Lier performed “Imagine” and “Happy Christmas,” respectively, just adjacent to the freshly painted crossing. Items put out on the sidewalk included authentic clothing; and signed clothing, photos and instruments. Las Vegas Ward 1 Councilman Brian Knudsen, who sings “Blackbird” to his son every night, presented Casey with a proclamation honoring him and the event.
Casey returns to the site to mark Beatles-relevant anniversaries and moments. He staged a similar celebration five years ago for Lennon’s 75th birthday, and for the crossing’s renovation in August.
“When you experience life, you experience perfect moments,” Casey said. “This is a perfect moment.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
