John even bet Lennon that if it did top the charts, he’d have to perform it live with him on stage. Upon its release on September 23, 1974, “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” topped the ...

Forty years ago this week, John Lennon marked his penultimate birthday at age 39. It was October 9, 1979, and Lennon and wife Yoko Ono celebrated the occasion at New York City’s Tavern on the Green.