It is difficult to believe John Lennon has been gone almost thirty years, absolutely hard to fathom as his words and his music still live on in our hearts, our memories, and in our genes.  Lennon’s music will forever live on, his words and notes are iconic.  Even when Lennon was alive, he was bigger than life and today, not only do we still ache for the void he left, and most of us have finally caught up with his ideals with an understanding of what he was saying

Yes is a Signature Box Set collection celebrating Lennon’s 70th birthday. His widow, Yoko Ono was part of the team that brought the collection of 11 CDs together. Yes has eight original studio albums, which were digitally re-mastered by the same people who re-mastered The Beatles stereo and mono box sets in 2009.

There is also a hardcover 60 page book, with photos and text, and an essay pamphlet by Yoko, and Lennon’s two sons, Julian and Sean.

Nowhere Boy is a film that was released in England Dec. 2009 with a United States release Oct. 8, 2010. The film is based the book, The Private John Lennon: The Untold Story from His Sister written by Julia Baird, Lennon’s sister. She shares the story of Lennon’s life growing up in England.  The book has rave reivews and shows a side of Lennon most have never known.  The book and the movie also show when Lennon met Paul McCartney and George Harrison.  If you are looking for this to focus on The Beatles, you will be disappointed, if you would like insight into the icon and his early experiences in life, you will be rewarded with a new side of Lennon previously that wasn’t common knowledge (see the HD Video Trailer below).

Rain: The Beatles Experience is playing on Broadway and traveling to cities across the United States: Miami, Fla., on Broadway in New York, San Jose, Calif., New Orleans, La., Wilmington, Del., Toledo, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pa., Akron, Ohio, Muncie, Ind., Cincinnati, Ohio, Boston, Mass., Birmingham, Ala., Hershey, Pa., Savannah, Ga., Los Angeles, Calif., Tampa, Fla., and West Palm Beach, Fla., now through April 2011.

The reviews on the play are great, the music is fabulous, and many say this is the best Beatles band around.  This group of men have been playing together for quite a long time and even have similar features to The Beatles.  The costumes are replicated to the period beautifully, and most importantly they pay homage to The Beatles with their careful renditions of the enduring music.  Below is a video montage of Rain: The Beatles Experience

There are plenty of new books coming out on Lennon’s life with different views and aspects and if you haven’t read  The Private John Lennon: The Untold Story from His Sister by Lennon’s sister Julia Baird, be sure to grab it as it is a poignant story of his youth and a good read and warmly spoken of by Lennon purists.  For those of you who read everything you can get your hands on about Lennon, you will rejoice when you see the new titles: You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup by Peter Doggett released June 8, 2010, Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy by Ken Sharp released Oct. 19, 2010, and December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died by Keith Elliot Greenberg released Nov. 1, 2010.  You can pre-order the last two titles.