His music — and murder — echoes through the generations.
John Lennon fans gathered in Central Park Monday on the 45th anniversary of his murder — with mourners including Gen Zers born well after The Beatles legend was gunned down.
“John’s the best. He’s my idol. He’s my everything and I love him so much,” 19-year-old Niko Karchava said at Strawberry Fields, the memorial section of the park dedicated to the singer-guitarist on the Upper West Side.
“And my children will love him, my grandchildren will love him and everyone will love the Beatles, forever.”
The young man traveled from Georgia to be among the roughly 80 people to gather at the park.
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About 14 musicians popped in at different times to play songs in the freezing cold in a tribute to Lennon, who was shot and killed outside the Dakota apartment building by deranged fan Mark David Chapman on Dec. 8, 1980.
Chapman remains behind bars after he was convicted of murdering the “Imagine” and “Instant Karma!” singer.
Karchava, from Georgia, said he’s been a Beatles fan since he was born thanks to his father and grandparents, who all loved the iconic rock band.
“It impacts my life. I’m also a musician, and it’s kind of John’s influence on me that I try to create music to make people love each other, make people together again, because nowadays, I don’t know, people don’t know anything about music, anything about love, and everything else,” he said. “They hate each other, they fight, and everything else.”
Crystal Nguyen, 17, flew in from Spokane, Washington with her mother and best friend just to get the chance to play at Strawberry Fields with like-minded musicians.
She first caught onto the Beatles when she was 4-years old and her pre-school teacher worked to hold a Beatles-themed concert at the end of the year. She got back into their music when she saw Paul McCartney play in Spokane in 2022.
Her grandparents don’t speak English, but they bond with a guitar and share their love of Lennon.
“I see so much hatred in the world, and it’s just like, his music is like, just love each other, peace to everybody,” she said.
An 18-year-old fan penned a letter to Lennon and placed it near Monday’s makeshift memorial, which included his photo, a guitar and many flowers surrounding the word “Imagine.”
“Thank you for all the memories you gave many people. I was born 18 years after your passing but you are still my greatest inspiration. I believe that the most significant was your message of peace and truth,” the teenager wrote.
