Lennon, Ono, and the Making of Double Fantasy

STREAMING PROGRAM INFORMATION

• This program is part of our Smithsonian Associates Streaming series.
• Platform: Zoom
• Online registration is required.
• If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.

In this interactive, multimedia talk, music historian Kenneth Womack traces the story behind Double Fantasy, John Lennon’s remarkable 1980 comeback album with wife Yoko Ono. Along the way, Womack draws from his forthcoming book John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life as he explores the powerful, life-affirming story of the former Beatle's renaissance after five years of self-imposed retirement. Lennon's final pivotal year would climax in several moments of creative triumph as he rediscovered his artistic self in dramatic fashion. In thinking about Lennon, Womack shows how the gifted songwriter and musician lived, rather than how he died much too soon.

John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life (Omnibus Press) is available for purchase.

Kenneth Womack, a professor of English and popular music at Monmouth University, has written extensively about the Beatles and their influence on contemporary popular music and culture. His books include Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007) and The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014). Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles (2019) was acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as the definitive book about the band’s final album.

Book Sale Information

• Purchase your copy of John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life by Kenneth Womack here.
• This book comes from England, so there may be a delay in getting copies in and then shipped out to customers.
• SPECIAL NOTE: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 in the “Coupon discount” section of Politics and Prose's check-out page.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Listen to Ken Womack’s interview on the Not Old Better podcast with host Paul Vogelzang.

Patron Information

• Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
• Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
• View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.