The First Person to Report the Death of John Lennon

HISTORY

201207-Noth-Lennon-tease_bfhed6 — Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Forty years ago, on the night of Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered. And Steve North, a young broadcast reporter for the Long Island radio station WLIR, broke the news.

Published Dec. 8 2020 4:54AM EST

I was working late that cold December night on a report to be broadcast the following morning. As news director of a popular Long Island radio station, WLIR, I did a daily feature on whatever subjects might be of interest to our young, rock music-oriented audience.

Steve North

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The First Person to Report the Death of John Lennon

Forty years ago, on the night of Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered. And Steve North, a young broadcast reporter for the Long Island radio station WLIR, broke the news.

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Steve North