Remembering John Lennon

October 8, 2012 marks what would have been John Lennon's 72nd birthday. By the end of the day, hundreds, if not thousands, of fans will pay their respects in New York City at Strawberry Fields or at the Dakota, where Lennon lost his life.

Strawberry Fields, a triangular patch of land dedicated to Lennon by the city of New York and named after the Beatles' 1967 hit, sits directly across the street from the Dakota, Lennon's Manhattan apartment building, where he was gunned down on December 8th, 1980 at the age 40. Today is also Lennon and Yoko Ono's son Sean Lennon's 37th birthday.

Newly released is the Yoko Ono sanctioned book, The John Lennon Letters. The John Lennon Letters was edited by noted Beatles author Hunter Davies and features letters sent by the late Beatle to lovers, friends, family, and fans from every point in his life, and culled from a collection over nearly 300 letters and postcards. Highlights include Lennon's rants to and against the press, Yoko bashers, producer George Martin, and Paul and Linda McCartney.

Out today (October 9th) is the Beatles' long awaited Magical Mystery Tour DVD/Blu ray reissue which is sold in a special deluxe collector's edition. The special 10-inch-by-10-inch deluxe boxed edition includes both the DVD and Blu-ray, as well as a 60-page book with background information, photographs and documentation from the production, and a faithful reproduction of the mono double seven-inch vinyl EP of the film's six then-new Beatles songs, originally issued in the UK to complement the film's 1967 release.