nFive days before the 25th anniversary of the death of John Lennon , Radio 2 recalls a critical moment in the history of popular culture, when on 4 March 1966 London's Evening Standard published an interview in which Lennon stated that the Beatles had overtaken Jesus in popularity. Britain barely batted an eyelid, while the Vatican and the American
Deep South responded with rage. With input from Cynthia Lennon ,
Alabama DJs who burned Beatles records in protest, biographer Ray Connolly , Beatles press officers and publicists, and Maureen Cleave , who conducted the original interview. Presenter Paul McGann.
Producer Owen McFadden
On Thursday Radio 2 airs four hours of programmes dedicated to the memory of John Lennon
Lennon remembered: page 20