IMAGINE That: Tim Riley Presents John Lennon Biopic Nowhere Boy

John Lennon would have been 70 this Saturday, October 9. It’s been 30 years since he was killed in New York City at the age of 40, but his prolific body of work still appeals to wide audiences today.

Emerson Journalist–in–Residence Tim Riley, author of Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After, said if you had asked the Baby Boomers 50 years ago if they would still be listening to Beatles music today they would have shaken their heads in dismay.

“It’s crazy to think about, but we’re still catching up to what the Beatles did in those seven years they were together,” said Riley. “It’s kind of astonishing the range of material they produced and how much they grew; from songs like She Loves You to Hey Jude and Sexy Sadie. The cultural relevance is still very powerful.”

On October 6, in honor of Lennon’s legacy, Emerson’s Visual and Media Arts and Journalism departments hosted an advance screening of Nowhere Boy in the Paramount Center’s Bright Family Screening Room. Riley presented the film and conducted a Q&A after the viewing.

Nowhere Boy is a chronicle of Lennon’s childhood; the creation of his first band, The Quarrymen; and its evolution into The Beatles. The film is scheduled to receive its US release on October 8, coinciding with Lennon's birthday.