Lennon-signed copy of infamous Datebook mag up for auction

A John Lennon-autographed 1966 issue of Datebook magazine which contains Lennon's controversial comments comparing Beatlemania and Christianity is up for auction.

"Christianity will go," Lennon said in the September 1966 issue of the American teen magazine Datebook. "It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first - rock and roll or Christianity."



Lennon, whose middle initial at birth was "W" for "Winston" (later changed to "O" for "Ono"), signed across the photo accompanying his printed interview with the name "John C. Lennon." Presumably this was a sacrilegious reference to Christ.



The autographed magazine belonged to Datebook publisher Arthur Unger, who sent reprints of the Lennon article to Bible belt radio stations. Subsequently, masses of people burned their Beatles records in protest.

...The John Lennon-autographed magazine is being auctioned on RRAuction.com in an online auction running from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16. For additional information, call 603-732-4280.