“Imagine there’s no heaven …” Well, no offense to John Lennon, but it is kind of hard for all those Lennon and Beatles fans out there to imagine that there is no heaven, when rare artifacts of him are gathered in one place. Displayed on the fourth floor of the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles, is a special exhibition dedicated to John Lennon that continues until March 31.

Born John Winston Lennon on Oct. 9, 1940, in England, Lennon was one of the most productive artists of his time, starting his career as one of the Beatles and later as a solo artist. Lennon stirred up much craze for music by creating many great hits. Today, his pieces as a Beatle and solo artist have become universal classics. It is quite hard to go five meters without running into someone who knows and/or likes the songs of Lennon. Such famous classics that drove him to stardom include, but are not limited to, “Imagine” and “All You Need Is Love.” The songs written by the Beatles and Lennon serve as inspiration and, even today, are enjoyed by many people.

Framed in angelic white light, the exhibition is closer to being a shrine dedicated to Lennon rather than an exhibition. In some ways, it may be more accurate to describe the exhibition this way. The artifacts displayed command a sort of respect for the artist. Yes, even when you have been indifferent toward him your whole life.

The collection includes a variety of rare and significant items, footage and pictures from both his personal and professional life. Anything from his signature round glasses to handwritten lyrics of his songs and original guitars as well as an exclusive interview with his wife, the exhibition contains bits and pieces of Lennon. And, of course, there are many more artifacts of Lennon and the Beatles at the exhibition than what is mentioned here.

On the walls and in the captions are excerpts from his life. Captions talk about the history of the item and its significance, and writings on the wall inform the visitor about the artist’s personal life, his life as one of the Beatles and his marriage to Yoko Ono. There is also a discography of his work, and some key dates in the artist’s life are highlighted on one of the pillars formed from multiple microphone heads. The exhibition also has a high-quality listening room of one of Lennon’s most rare concert videos, for those who just want to immerse themselves into Lennon’s world on stage.

If your life revolves around the Beatles or Lennon, you may want to have a paramedic by your side just in case you faint from asphyxiation. This rare opportunity to get a peek into Lennon’s life will be extremely memorable if you are a fan.

The Grammy Museum has been under-recognized despite its rare collections and exhibitions. Even if you are not a Lennon fan, or a Beatles fan for that matter, you can still enjoy a visit to this museum if you are a lover of music. A total of four floors, the museum is constructed in a way for the viewer to work their way down each floor. The fourth floor usually has special exhibitions whereas the rest of the floors have collections of rare items of artists such as Elvis Presley. The museum also gives the viewer important dates in the history of music and has a wall dedicated to showing all the past Grammy Award winners.



The Grammy Museum is located at 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit grammymuseum.org.