It has now been 45 years since the world lost John Lennon, one of the most influential musicians of all time. His death on December 8, 1980, shocked millions of people. But for those who knew him personally, the pain was far deeper. One of them was his former Beatles bandmate and dear friend, Ringo Starr.
In a past interview, Ringo opened up about the heartbreaking moment he found out that John had been shot. At the time, Ringo was on holiday in Barbados with his wife, Barbara Bach. He said the phone rang, and it was Barbara’s daughter calling from New York. At first, Ringo thought it was just an accident — maybe John had hurt his arm or leg. But then came the words nobody expected:
“He’s dead.”
Ringo said that hearing those words made his mind spin. He could not believe it. Everything felt unreal and confusing. But as soon as he understood what had happened, he immediately arranged to fly to New York. Even while dealing with the shock himself, his priority was to be with Yoko Ono and John’s young son, Sean.
When Ringo arrived, he asked Yoko what he could do. Her only request was simple and heartbreaking at the same time:
“Keep Sean busy.”
So Ringo did exactly that. It was his way of supporting the family during an unimaginable moment.
In the same interview, Ringo also talked about the last time he saw John. It was just a few weeks before the shooting. They had spent about five hours together in New York, catching up, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. Even though they hadn’t seen each other for a long time, it never mattered — whenever they met, it always felt natural and warm.
Ringo said he still treasures that memory deeply.
Talking about John’s death still makes Ringo emotional, even decades later. He admitted that he gets upset whenever he thinks about it and that he still misses John “a great deal.” To him, the loss feels both old and somehow still fresh.
Ringo also shared his thoughts about Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John. He simply called him an “a**hole” and said that there is no way to ever understand why someone would do something so terrible.
Even after so many years, the pain of losing John Lennon remains. For fans, it was the loss of a musical hero. For Ringo Starr, it was the loss of a friend — someone he had grown up with, created history with, and loved like a brother.
John Lennon’s legacy continues to inspire the world, but moments like Ringo’s story remind us of the human side of loss — the personal heartbreak behind the headlines.