The world was shocked to hear the news of John Lennon’s death in 1980. Each member of The Beatles had a different reaction to the news, as they never expected to lose their bandmate and friend so soon. Ringo Starr was on vacation when he heard John Lennon was shot, and he immediately abandoned his trip to be with Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono. On Dec. 8, 1980, Lennon was shot and killed just outside his apartment building in New York City. The former Beatle lived in New York with Ono, and their son, Sean Lennon. The news broke worldwide soon after, and tributes to the “Imagine” singer began emerging. The Beatles’ former drummer Starr was on vacation in the Bahamas at the time. In an interview with Howard Stern, Starr said he quickly abandoned his trip and flew to NYC to be with Yoko.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com