‘Imagine’ All the People . . .

Radio stations in 125 countries will honor what would have been the late John Lennon’s 50th birthday Tuesday with a simultaneous airing of his recording of “Imagine.” The 7 a.m. PDT event will be preceded by a one-minute message delivered by Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, from the U.N. building in New York.

Spokesman Elliot Mintz said Ono, who worked out the concept in association with Los Angeles-based media consultant Jeff Pollack, hopes the event will spotlight attention on Lennon’s birthday as opposed to the upcoming anniversary of his murder in New York City on Dec. 8, 1980.

The idea, Mintz said, is that on Tuesday, “you may be able to walk down any street in any city on the planet and hear ‘Imagine’ coming from people’s cars, windows, stores or houses.”

Radio outlets from Australia and Thailand to the Soviet Union and newly-united Germany are scheduled to carry the program. Even military personnel in the Persian Gulf will be able to hear the airing via Armed Forces Radio. The song’s video will also be aired at that time on MTV in the United States and on MTV Europe in 25 countries.

The U.S. radio broadcast will be transmitted by the Westwood One network and can be heard in Southern California on KLSX-FM, KODJ-FM, KLOS-FM and KQLZ-FM (Pirate Radio) in Los Angeles, KCAL-FM in Redlands, KGGI-FM in Riverside, KKBB-FM in Bakersfield, and San Diego stations KSDO-FM and KGB-FM.