Painter turned John Lennon’s death into powerful works of art

Many Americans were told John Lennon had been dead when Sportscaster Howard Cosell broke the news under one Monday night football Endure on December 8, 1980. But painters Robert Morgan Knew much before. He heard the shots outside his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side just before 23:00 that night. After driving to his window, he looked down and saw his famous neighbor spread on the sidewalk.

By feeling that he witnessed the story, Morgan instinctively sufficient after his camera. When his finger hovered over the shutter, he stopped.

Morgan tells his story in the new documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s last decadewhich premieres in British cinemas and on the icon film channel on May 2. Directed by Alan G. Parker – who previously covered The Beatles in the 2017 documentary It was fifty years ago today … Sgt. Pepper And beyond -The film captures the moving activity during Lennon’s last months when he came out of his self -imposed exile from the music industry and returned to the recording studio.

Borrowed timeThe Named after one of the last songs Rock legend would ever record, details for Lennon’s comeback album, Double imaginationas well as plans for a proposed world tour – his first since his days in Beatles. Parker interviews put designers and lighting techniques that describe the innovative stage production that Lennon had in mind, one that was intended (according to Lennon’s words) “Ge Mick (Jagger) and Elton (John) F — ing wounds!” The elaborate plans are a gripping glimpse of a future that would never be.

Morgan settled to look at 11 o’clock on the evening of December 8, 1980. His apartment building on 72nd Street was opposite Lennon’s home in the commanding Gothic complex known as Dakota. “Everyone knew he lived there, and there were millions of fans there that would go just to see John,” recalls Morgan, who shared a nodding acquaintance with him and his wife, Yoko Ono. “He shook hands with people and said hello.”

Both buildings are overlooked a busy intersection and noise was often. So was the sound of shots in the early 80’s New York. But this night, the bolts that surpassed through the Dakota farm sounded so high – and scary close – that Morgan originally thought he had heard a car accident. Sirens followed moments later.

“I went to the window, where I could see both 72nd and Central Park West,” he says in the movie. “I realized it was John Lennon who lay there. The limousine was there and the back door was open and John was lying on the sidewalk. And I immediately realized that it was John because of the glasses (reflected the entrance lamps) and … because he had cowboy boots on.”

Morgan saw when the chaos developed 12 stories below. The police began to gather and they were arrested. Not sure what to do, Morgan was enough for the camera on his nearby desk, a nikkormat electricity with a telephoto lens that he often used to catch street life or the view outside his window. Now he focused on Lennon, one of the most photographed characters in the world. But when Morgan looked through the lens, he didn’t see a Beatle – he saw his face on a dying man.

“It was literally annoying. I thought,” I’m not a photojournalist. “I just didn’t have that kind of blood loud. He lowered the camera and returned it to the desk.

By recognizing the meaning of the moment, Morgan used his talents to celebrate the stage for the after -time. “I didn’t take the picture, but I’m a painter – I know how to draw. It should be documented in some way. I couldn’t help John – I was on the 12th floor. So I immediately decided to sketch what happened.”

Morgan finally developed the sketch into a whole 12×16 inch oil painting, which shows the moment Lennon rushed to nearby Roosevelt Hospital. His condition was serious and there was no time to wait for an ambulance. “The painting shows everything,” he says. “There were two or three police officers who led traffic, and five of them slipped into a police car.”

Morgan saw as they rushed towards Roosevelt, which was 13 blocks south. Lennon did not breathe when they arrived, and he had no pulse. He was declared dead 20 minutes later. Although Morgan refrained from taking a photo, there would be a final picture taken by Lennon: A Morgue attendant carved a photo of him in a body bag, and sold it to the tabloids for $ 10,000.

Morgan, now based in Venice, continues to work as a painter. But none of his work is as haunting as his depiction of 72nd Street and Central Park West on the cold December evening 45 years ago, when he witnessed the story from his living room window. “Of all people in the world to shoot,” he wonders in Borrowed time“Why choose John Lennon?”