John Lennon would have been 75 on October 9th. His music had a profound impact on the world, and yet the years have not been kind to his legacy. Something Happens front-man and presenter Tom Dunne pays tribute to the former Beatle and explains why he still loves him.

I loved John Lennon. It makes no sense, we never met, he was a poster on my sister’s bedroom wall -not even mine - but when my mother told me of his death on December 8th 1980 she could not have delivered worse news. I skipped lectures, listened to Beatles records with a friend all day, and the next day recorded a mark so low in an Engineering exam I was brought before the Dean!

Prior to his death the question “Lennon or McCartney?” divided fans in the way “Blur or Oasis?” would years later. But after his death it would take a good two decades before anyone had the temerity to argue Paul’s case again. John was the caustic wit, the true rebel, the grit that made the pearl, the steel, the intelligence and, dare we say it, the greater talent.

Evidence of his standing in the band was revealed to me years later in an interview with Sir George Martin, in Dublin to perform at the NCH. I asked the usual questions, but it was his body language that told the real story. When asked about Paul’s particular gifts he was naturally effusive: “A genius with melody, a natural gift, songs that would live in your memory,” he told me as I could see he had told many others before.

“And how did John differ?” I asked. For a moment he seemed confused. “John?” he asked, “How did John differ?” He thought for a moment and then lightened up visible, taking on the persona of a proud parent struggling to find words good enough to praise a wonderful child.

“Oh with John, John, God, you just never knew what he would come in with next. Every day it was remarkable. Remarkable. His ideas, I don’t know where he got them. It was such a joy,” he recalled.

Most of his enthusiasm was communicated by warm smiles, knowing looks and, what I can only call an obvious love.

I don’t think the years have been kind to John’s legacy. His solo output is a mixed bag. There are transcendental moments of genius and there are albums that are hard to listen to. He was a true artist and at some point raising his son Seán became the focus of that artistry. He was just returning to music when Chapman intervened.

"He recorded a 40-minute radio interview on the day of his death... He had rarely sounded so full of vim and life and happiness."

His private life too has become the focus of innumerable attacks. He was violent, he was unfaithful, a bad father to Julian, he was addicted to drugs and most recently he appeared to be seen mocking handicapped people in an onstage performance.

And yes, there is probably some truth to all of that. But what can you say? Like all his contemporaries he was a product of his times. I grew up watching people mocking handicaps. Impossible to imagine now, it was commonplace. Lots of things were commonplace then which were wrong. Thankfully society changes. John can’t.

But unlike all of his contemporaries, John was able to put pen to paper and write songs that would define what it was like to grow up in the sixties, when society was changing faster than at any time in its history. He sound-tracked a society emerging from the Black and White of WW2 to the glorious colorful optimism of the moon landings.

Who knows how he would have aged? Maybe badly. Maybe he’d have done butter ads. Somehow I doubt it. He recorded a 40-minute radio interview on the day of his death. It’s a tough listen. He had rarely sounded so full of vim and life and happiness. Two albums written he said, a third almost complete. What a senseless act.

The Tom Dunne Show airs Sunday to Thursday from 10pm.