Lost John Lennon Interview Reveals 1970s Nixon-Era U.S. Surveillance Fears

A long-lost 1975 interview with John Lennon, recently rediscovered by the DJ who conducted it, reveals the former Beatle's fears that the US government was wiretapping his phone and monitoring him due to his anti-war activism and opposition to the Nixon administration. Lennon described experiencing unusual noises on his phone, surveillance such as men watching his home, and being followed by cars, which he linked to the government's attempts to harass him during a legal battle over deportation and alleged illegal wiretapping. The interview, conducted in Lennon's New York apartment by Nicky Horne, also touches on Lennon's initial dissatisfaction with his solo album Walls and Bridges, which he almost discarded before friends convinced him otherwise. Horne, who recently found the original tapes after decades, described the discovery as "gold dust," noting the interview had never been fully aired before. The interview offers a rare, intimate look at Lennon's mindset during a turbulent period, shortly before his assassination in 1980. This newly found recording is being broadcast on what would have been Lennon's 85th birthday, providing renewed insight into the artist's life and political struggles.