John Lennon Told His Close Friend 'I've Never Been Afraid of Death' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

‘We All Shine On’ book cover; John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Elliot Mintz.Photo:Dutton; Courtesy of Elliot Mintz

Dutton; Courtesy of Elliot Mintz

For nearly 10 years,John LennonandYoko Onospoke almost every evening, sometimes for hours at a time, with their close friend Elliot Mintz.

Nearly 44 years after the rock legend’s death, Mintz, 79, has written a book about their intimate friendship,We All Shine On: John, Yoko & Me.

John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Elliot Mintz.Courtesy of Elliot Mintz

Courtesy of Elliot Mintz

It was a decision Mintz, who remains very close to Ono, 91, and her son,Sean Lennon, 49, made carefully. “We all know where it’s going to end,” he says. ”I was drawing from a lifetime of experience, most of it happy and joyous but I also knew we would be treading on some very sensitive waters.”

In the exclusive excerpt below, Mintz recalls a visit to their apartment in the fabled Dakota building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side after the murder of Mintz’s close friend, actorSal Mineo, best known for his roles in such classics asRebel Without A Cause,for which he was nominated for an Oscar, andGiant.

Dutton

“Ellie, Mother and I want to see you,” John said.

“John, I’m burnt out and completely exhausted. Can we visit tomorrow?”

“Mother and I would really like to see you now,” he repeated. I was too tired to argue, so I put down the phone and, without changing out of my funeral suit, grabbed a cab. A few minutes later, I was on the seventh floor of the Dakota, about to enter John and Yoko’s apartment. I noticed something new dangling from its brass knob: a small strand of Tibetan bells and beads, which I recognized as mystical totems that were supposed to possess magical protective powers. I guessed they’d been added when Sean joined the family.

John gave me a bear hug as soon as he saw me, then led me to the kitchen, where Yoko was waiting. She, too, put her arms around me; it was one of the few times she’d volunteered a physical embrace. We sat at their kitchen table, and I was surprised to see a bottle of Chardonnay waiting for me with a single glass; for obvious reasons, Yoko normally kept their home an alcohol-free zone.

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We talked for hours, well into the night. I was still grief-stricken, of course — shattered — but gradually I could feel the despair slowly lifting.

“Tell me how you are feeling,” Yoko asked softly. “Completely empty,” I answered.  “But you’re not alone, Elliot. You’re here. With people who love you.”

John smiled. But he seemed to be curious about Sal’s murder and couldn’t resist asking questions.

“Did Sal know this man, Ellie?”

“It appears it was a random act of violence,” I said. “It seems Sal didn’t know the man.”

“It could happen to anybody or everybody,” John said. “Do you ever worry it could happen to you?” I asked.

“If it could happen to anybody or everybody, why would I waste any time worrying about it happening to me?”

“But you never have bodyguards or security people around you. Why don’t you protect yourselves?”

“All me life I’ve had guys around me who were supposed to be protecting me. When the group toured, there were hundreds of police around us. But if they want to get you, they’re gonna get you.  Look at all the people that Kennedy had around him. I don’t need bodyguards. I don’t want them. I’m just a rock ’n’ roll singer.”

“But John,” I pressed, “Don’t you think having more people around you — or just one more — would make you even slightly more safe?”

“No,” he answered. “Even the thought of it makes me cringe.”

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“I’ve never been afraid of death,” he added after a beat. “To me, it’s like getting out of one car and into another.”

Yoko nodded in agreement. “Nothing can be prevented if it’s destined to happen,” she said. “We once had a session with one of the best palm readers in Greece and she said that John would be killed on an island. Should we avoid all islands?  If it is going to happen, it is going to happen.”

As comforting as John and Yoko were, my exhaustion began to overtake me. I needed some sleep. So, as the sun started to come up over the island of Manhattan, Yoko granted me another semi-hug as John walked me to their door. When he opened it to let me out, we heard the tiny Tibetan bells jingling.

“This,” John said, pointing to the magical totems hanging from the doorknob, “This is all the protection we need.”

source: people.com