by Patricia Biswanger, Bryn Mawr, PA

On December 8, 1980, my sister and I did something we did whenever possible: went to a Bruce Springsteen concert. After the concert, sitting in the Spectrum parking lot waiting for the traffic to move, we realized that every station was playing John Lennon’s music. Within a few minutes, people began calling out of their car windows, “John Lennon is dead! John Lennon has been shot!” My sister and I decided, instantaneously, that even though we didn’t have tickets, we had to come back to Bruce’s concert the next evening, because we knew he would be sure to do a suitable tribute to John Lennon.

We got tickets from a scalper, and, sure enough, that evening, after a particulary rousing, energetic concert, Bruce spoke movingly of John’s death, and then played “Twist and Shout” as an encore. The Spectrum was rocking with people dancing and crying at the same time. I think it was the perfect tribute to John Lennon, and a truly memorable music moment.