Today is the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death. I can think of no more a fitting tribute to and celebration of his life and his work as "LennoNYC."

Most people knew (or still know) John Lennon as one of the founding members of The Beatles. This is how I came to know of him as a teenager, but there was so much more to this man than the pop idol we see from "The Ed Sullivan Show" stock footage. We are invited into the private and (most likely) largely unseen life of John and Yoko; the highs and the very lows and back to the best high leading to that tragic end on December 8, 1980.

John and Yoko came to America in the early 1970s to get a fresh start after having been treated so poorly in John's native England. For the next nine years John was an instrument of peace working as an activist and musician and ultimately becoming a political enemy trying to make a difference. I bet you didn't know that last part did you? I sure didn't. I was frankly amazed at how down to earth this man really was. He wasn't trying to ride the Beatle-mania craze for as long as he could. He just wanted to be a regular person in a regular city and if he could help make a difference, then so be it.

The documentary spans the last nine years of John's life. There are many many interviews with past musician friends and colleagues including Elton John, Bob Gruen, David Geffen, as well as Yoko Ono. You get such an intimate look at John's life that I wish I could have known the man. "LennoNYC" is full of never-before-heard studio-session outtakes as well as rare performances that were only caught on audio, but not video. You learn why he wrote the type of music he did in his last years and why he was never apologetic if it was not widely-received. His voice was powerful, soulful, and unmistakeable even in those rare scratch tracks.

The artistry with which this film was created is a testament to the love that people felt (and still feel) for John Lennon today. He would have been 70 this year and still making music, I'm sure of it. John touched the lives of many people, and this film just may touch yours as it did mine.