John Lennon and Ringo Starr watch Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Roxy, Los Angeles – 26 May 1976

Wednesday 26 May 1976 | John Lennon, Ringo Starr
The Roxy Theatre, Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

On 26 May 1976, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Ringo Starr attended a performance by Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The former Beatles and Ono were seated in On The Rox — the private members-only clubhouse above the Roxy — alongside Harry Nilsson, Dr John, and Bernie Taupin.

The Show

Bob Marley and the Wailers were touring in support of Rastaman Vibration, released on 30 April 1976 — the album that marked Marley's breakthrough into the American mainstream. The Roxy Theatre, with a capacity of around 500, was an intimate setting for an artist who was rapidly becoming one of the most important figures in popular music. The Sunset Strip venue had been a focal point of the Los Angeles rock scene since its opening in 1973.

Lennon, Ono, and Starr watched from On The Rox — the exclusive private club above the Roxy, accessible only to members and their guests, which served as a gathering place for the Los Angeles music industry elite. Their companions that evening — Harry Nilsson, Dr John, and Bernie Taupin — were all significant figures in the rock and pop world of the mid-1970s.

John Lennon in Los Angeles

By May 1976, Lennon had been living in New York for nearly five years, but he was in Los Angeles at this point — a city he had spent significant time in during the early 1970s, particularly during the period of his separation from Yoko Ono (1973–74), when he had lived there with May Pang. The 26 May 1976 Roxy visit was during a period when Lennon was increasingly withdrawing from public life — he had not released an album since Walls And Bridges in 1974, and was entering what he later described as his "househusband" years, focused on raising his son Sean (born 9 October 1975).

Harry Nilsson

Harry Nilsson (1941–1994) was one of John Lennon's closest friends and one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation. Lennon had famously declared Nilsson his favourite American artist. The two had spent significant time together in Los Angeles during Lennon's separation from Ono in 1973–74 — a period Lennon called his "Lost Weekend" — and their friendship remained close. Nilsson's voice had been permanently damaged by a haemorrhage during a recording session in 1973, and his commercial career had declined, but his friendship with Lennon endured.

Dr John

Dr John (Malcolm John Rebennack, 1941–2019) was a New Orleans musician whose blend of R&B, funk, and voodoo mysticism had made him one of the most distinctive figures in American music since the late 1960s. His presence at the Roxy that evening — alongside Lennon, Starr, and Nilsson — was characteristic of the overlapping worlds of rock royalty and New Orleans music that characterised the Los Angeles scene of the mid-1970s.

Bernie Taupin

Bernie Taupin (born 1950) was the lyricist and creative partner of Elton John, having co-written virtually all of Elton John's most celebrated songs since the late 1960s. By 1976, Elton John was one of the biggest-selling artists in the world, and Taupin was a central figure in the Los Angeles music scene.

Bob Marley and the Wailers

Bob Marley (1945–1981) was in the midst of his breakthrough into the American mainstream in May 1976. Rastaman Vibration had just been released and would become his first album to reach the US top ten. The Roxy show was part of a US tour that was bringing reggae — and Marley's message of Rastafarian spirituality and political resistance — to a mainstream rock audience for the first time. The presence of Lennon, Starr, and their companions in the audience was a measure of the respect Marley commanded among the rock establishment.

Key Facts: 26 May 1976

• Venue: The Roxy Theatre, 9009 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Performance: Bob Marley and the Wailers
• Attendees: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Dr John, Bernie Taupin
• Seating: On The Rox (private members club above the Roxy)
• Marley's current album: Rastaman Vibration (released 30 April 1976)

Frequently Asked Questions

What show did John Lennon and Ringo Starr attend on 26 May 1976?

Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. They watched from On The Rox, the private members club above the venue, alongside Harry Nilsson, Dr John, and Bernie Taupin.

What album was Bob Marley touring in support of in May 1976?

Rastaman Vibration, released on 30 April 1976 — the album that marked Marley's breakthrough into the American mainstream and his first US top ten album.

Who was Harry Nilsson?

One of John Lennon's closest friends and one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation. Lennon declared him his favourite American artist. The two had spent significant time together in Los Angeles during Lennon's 'Lost Weekend' separation from Yoko Ono in 1973–74.

What was On The Rox?

A private members-only clubhouse above the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip, accessible only to members and their guests. It served as a gathering place for the Los Angeles music industry elite in the 1970s.

Who was Bernie Taupin?

The lyricist and creative partner of Elton John, co-writer of virtually all of Elton John's most celebrated songs. By 1976 he was a central figure in the Los Angeles music scene.

→ 26 May in Beatles History

→ US single release: Listen To What The Man Said – 26 May 1975

→ May in Beatles History

→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub

Shop Beatles Merch: Beatles T-Shirts & Tops | Shop by Era