On this day in 1975, John Lennon performed his final live televised appearance

Lennon decided to retire from live performance in 1975 after the birth of his son Sean, choosing to devote more time to being a father. Before he could do so however, he still had several performance obligations that had to be filled, one of them being a televised tribute to media mogul and businessman Sir Lew Grade.

Lennon and Grade were known to each other, and had a contentious relationship for the past six years. In 1969, Grade negotiated for and ended up purchasing the rights for over one hundred songs written by Lennon and Paul McCartney through his company ATV Music. This purchase earned Grade a huge sum of money, and simultaneously took it away from the original songwriters. The deal also meant that all songs written by the pair until 1973 were also property of ATV, causing difficulties for Lennon and McCartney as they set out on their respective solo careers, and necessitating a legal trick whereby the songwriting credit would be shared with their wives. Lennon attempted to sue Grade in 1974, and while they settled out of court, Grade and ATV maintained control of the catalogue. 

Despite their differences, Lennon would appear on the show, titled a Salute to Sir Lew, with a new band. The group was credited as John Lennon etc. due to an expletive that appeared in the band name, though the initials, BOMF, did survive on the drum kit. They appeared on stage with Lennon donning a red jumpsuit, and the other members wearing sculpted masks fixed to the back of their heads, supposedly referencing the singer’s opinion of Grade as two-faced. Three songs were played by the group, starting with Slipping and Sliding, then Stand By Me from Lennon’s latest album, and then his most popular solo song Imagine. 

The show drew a significant audience both in-person and on television, but not many realised this would be the final time they would see Lennon perform live. Not only that, but other than the compilation Shaved Fish at the end of the year, no more music would come from the former Beatle until 1980 and Double Fantasy, as Lennon retreated from the public eye to focus on his family.