The 30th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death

*Click on a photo for a larger view. All photos via Getty Images.* Thirty years ago Wednesday, John Lennon was shot four times and killed in front of his New York apartment. The impact of his death was felt by an entire generation. He was 40 years old. Fans are gathering at [Strawberry Fields](http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/south-end/strawberry-fields.html) in Central Park to pay their respects to the iconic former Beatle, and a candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night in his birthplace of Liverpool, England. Earlier today, I talked to music writer and critic Greil Marcus about Lennon's cultural and musical legacy. Marcus is the author of "Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century," "Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music," "The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice" and other books. He also wrote the entry on the Beatles in "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll." You can read Greil Marcus' essay on the Beatles [here](http://books.google.com/books?id=EIgR8wbhPDoC&lpg=PA77&ots=yKSEsn1Qyl&dq=%E2%80%9CThe%20Beatles%E2%80%9D%20by%20Greil%20Marcus%2C%20from%20The%20Rolling%20Stone%20Illustrated&pg=PA77#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CThe%20Beatles%E2%80%9D%20by%20Greil%20Marcus,%20from%20The%20Rolling%20Stone%20Illustrated&f=false).