John Lennon was a secret Republican, former assistant says

Former Beatle John Lennon performs at New York's Madison Square Garden on Aug. 30, 1972.

/ AP

(CBS) John Lennon: Musician, advocate...closet Republican?

The singer's former assistant claims in a new documentary that Lennon was a Ronald Reagan fan and a conservative at the time of his death.

Pictures: John Lennon
Pictures: Beatles through the years

The Toronto Sun reports that Fred Seaman, Lennon's assistant from 1979 until his death in 1980, made the revelations in the documentary "Beatles Stories."

"John, basically, made it very clear that if he were an American he would vote for Reagan because he was really sour on Jimmy Carter," Seaman reportedly told filmmaker Seth Swirsky.

"He'd met Reagan back, I think, in the '70s at some sporting event... Reagan was the guy who had ordered the National Guard, I believe, to go after the young (peace) demonstrators in Berkeley, so I think that John maybe forgot about that... He did express support for Reagan, which shocked me," he continued.

According to the Toronto Sun, Seaman added that Lennon was embarrassed by his earlier radicalism.

"I also saw John embark in some really brutal arguments with my uncle, who's an old-time communist... He enjoyed really provoking my uncle... Maybe he was being provocative... but it was pretty obvious to me he had moved away from his earlier radicalism," Seaman reportedly said. "He was a very different person back in 1979 and '80 than he'd been when he wrote 'Imagine.' By 1979 he looked back on that guy and was embarrassed by that guy's naivete."

But, as The Nation points out on its website, Seaman might not be the most reliable source.

"A guy named Fred Seaman is all over the conservative blogs today for a new documentary in which he claims that John Lennon was 'a closet Republican' at the time he was shot. This seems unlikely," contributor Jon Wiener wrote. "First of all, who is Fred Seaman? He'd been a personal assistant to John and Yoko at the Dakota in the late seventies, but he's also a convicted criminal. He was found guilty of stealing John Lennon's personal belongings, including his diaries, after Lennon had been killed. He was sentenced to five years probation. You might say that weakens his credibility."

Swirsky's film "Beatles Stories" also features interviews with Brian Wilson, Art Garfunkel and Smokey Robison speaking about the legendary rock group, according to Spinner. You can watch the trailer here.

Tell us: Do you think John Lennon was a "closet Republican"?

20 Photos

The Beatles Through the Years

[mediattack]

Yeah, John was a Revolutionary Republican Conservative. Most Anarchists are and tend to be Conservative, even against other partisans in their party. Yeah, shooting him was a big mistake.

[marcrubin1]

Fred Seaman, disseminator of this misinformation, is not a credible source. First of all, who is Fred Seaman? He'd been a personal assistant to John and Yoko at the Dakota in the late seventies, but he's also a convicted criminal. He was found guilty of stealing John Lennon's personal belongings, including his diaries, after Lennon had been killed. He was sentenced to five years probation.

It wasn't enough that Lennon was silenced. For publicity and his own personal gain (and disdain for Lennon/Ono, having been convicted of stealing from them), Seaman came up with the thing that would outrage friends, family, and fans more than anything, that would attempt to destroy everything that John stood for. Can you think of another this was done to, this kind of smear campaign, to destroy and besmirch someone who tried to spread peace and love?

Pathetic, disgusting, and disgraceful, these obvious and blatant attempts to destroy a legacy such as John Lennon's, who stood for such beautiful things as peace, love, imagination, respect, joy, who wrote about and promoted these ideas every day of his life.

To become a Republican, and to vote for Ronald Reagan? Nothing could ever be more ridiculous or absurd a notion for a man that was continually hounded by such people, the party of Richard Nixon his Republican associates, and who fought them with everything he had.

Gimme Some Truth
by John Lennon

I'm sick and tired of hearing things from uptight-short sighted-narrow minded hypocritics, all I want is the truth, just gimme some truth.

I've had enough of reading things by neurotic-psychotic-pig headed politicians, all I want is the truth, just gimme some truth;

No short haired-yellow bellied son of tricky dicky is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me with just a pocketful of hope, money for dope-money for rope.

I'm sick to death of seeing things from tight lipped-condescending-mommies little chauvinists, all I want is the truth, just gimme some truth.

I've had enough of watching scenes of schizophrenic-ego-centric-paranoic-prima-donnas, all I want is the truth, just gimme some truth.

[marcrubin1]

Seaman was more than likely paid handsomely to disseminate the very thing that would outrage friends, family, and fans more than anything, that would attempt to destroy everything that John stood for. A nice publicity stunt to help sell Seaman's pathetic little book as well. Can you think of another this was done to, this kind of smear campaign, to destroy and besmirch someone who tried to spread peace and love?

http://youtu.be/Qn85BeeiwZo
John Lennon - Give Me Some Truth

[mediattack]

John too Rock and Pop music way too seriously. Come on, he obviously had the Conservative world view that leans to being Republican. Just because he had long hair doesn't mean he wasn't a Conservative.

[lowercase_jt]

Fred Seaman? Really!?! He's the "credible" source about this hyperbole? Is this the same Fred Seaman that was CONVICTED of stealing Lennon's things (including his diary) and trying to sell them?

Even the most naive person would have serious credibility concerns with Fred's story. Come on everyone.... let's all start using our brains before we believe a creep like Fred Seaman.

[whitneymuse]

It's fun to hear the current left decry Lennon's political tastes.

[yandor123]

Some things are better left dead and just because Mr. Lennon liked some conservative ideas does not mean that he is any ONE thing. Mr. Lennon uses his mind.

I think this is pretty amazing how much the Legend is being talked about. However, I really think John Lennon the Legend would have liked Ada, Legend of a Healer http://www.adaslegend.com it is the story of a girl who has the power to heal and the philosophical and ethical problems that would arise from having this ability.

[Migg12]

John was never, in anyway EVER for the Republicans. After all, I wouldn't be if I had one bugging my home, having the government follow me, and trying to deport me. That would definitely leave me with a sour feeling towards them. If John voted here, he would have voted Democratic, he was extremely left wing. The Republicans just want to make it seem like they had a very powerful, influential genius on their side. But let's also not forget, John was very keen to do anything Yoko would, I really don't see Yoko Ono going conservative Republican any time soon. Artists usually aren't, because they think for themselves, and usually have a higher intelligence, or grasp of life. John, was not a right wing Republican. Thank you for your time ;)

[goff0024]

Ha, your a moron! Democrats are for control, regulation, over arching, nanny state socialism. Lennon would have actually been a libertarian most likely, believing in ultimate individual liberty.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

With the sorry state of the economy that resulted from the Carter administration, there were a lot of liberals who supported Ronald Reagan. Few would be called Republicans in any sense of the term, and the author shows a lack of research in this story. It is well known that John Lennon and Ronald Reagan met. It was at a Monday Night Football event, an endearing story by Howard Cosell. And despite the stories from conservatives who would make up anything to further their cause, John Lennon was no communist, as evidenced by his song "Revolution" and others. I don't know one liberal person who advocates communism, and eschewing communism by no means makes someone a conservative. There's not much to this article. John Lennon was just a common man with an uncommon gift, and unafraid to be anti-governmental abuse when necessary.

[kiljare]

Bleh, liberals can keep this guy.

And to the comment about Abraham Lincoln not being a republican now..that's funny. So he would have joined a party for which he would have been burned at the stake for expressing any of those viewpoints in his time? Neither republicans nor democrats would be even remotely recognizeable to this country's founders. Make no mistake about that.

[Migg12]

Actually, the Republicans of Lincolns time are not the Republicans we know today. Yes, Lincoln would have sided with the Democrats because, people don't solve problems by burning people at the stake anymore. He would have been safe to change. Many of the founding fathers would also be considered Democrats in todays society.

[pcn5]

CBS Los Angeles Celebrity Republican list

[johnozed]

I suppose Fred Seaman had a lot of thinking to do while in prison for the theft of personal items from John & Yoko's apartments. Seaman is probably a conservative now and therefore hopes that people will swallow whatever Seaman comes out.