I loved The Beatles. Still do. Always will.

My favorite Beatle was John Lennon.

He was so cool.

Example: Playing the keyboard with his elbow during “I’m Down” at the famous Shea Stadium concert of 1965…

I thought I knew a lot about The Beatles. Quite possibly my favorite interview ever was when I spoke with Peter Brown, the business manager for the group, one of few to have direct contact with each Beatle, traveling worldwide with the band members and knowing their daily whereabouts. Brown and I talked in-studio at WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and our interview turned into a special 5-part series of segments for the station’s morning drive all-news programming.

I still have the handwritten card Brown sent me saying it was the best interview he’d ever done.

Nothing prepared me for the jolting, scathing column about Lennon I read from Lawrence W. Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education in Atlanta, Georgia. Here’s just a sample:

“Stop the John Lennon worship, please. The guy was a fool, a wife beater, a hypocrite, a serial liar, a homewrecker, a drug abuser, and an awful father.”

You can read it all here.

You know what? Still love the guy.