Her earliest musical memories are the recordings of the Beatles her parents played when she was a child in the late 1960s and 1970s.Years later, as a teenager at boarding school, Bermudian singer Heather Nova discovered John Lennon had been shot dead when she saw classmate Kousuke Ono, a nephew of Mr Lennon, standing beside a radio crying.Of her own reaction to the news, she said: “It was just so devastating and unbelievable.”Ms Nova will pay homage to Mr Lennon when she appears as a headline artist at the tribute concert in the Botanical Gardens this Friday.During her 22-year career on the international music scene Ms Nova has enjoyed success and recognition in Europe, North America and New Zealand.For the multi-artist 'Lennon Bermuda' double CD, released this week, she has recorded 'Norwegian Wood', which was originally sung by Mr Lennon on the Beatles' 'Rubber Soul' album.“'Norwegian Wood' always held so much mystique for me; it was so enigmatic this strange little story with so much detail that no one really knew the meaning of,” said Ms Nova.“I remember as a kid asking all the grown-ups I knew to tell me their interpretations of it. I loved the feeling I got while listening to it nostalgia, longing, disappointment; as I grew up it came to mean a loss of innocence, the disillusionment of love.“I thought it would be cool to turn it around singing it from a girl's perspective.”Ms Nova's rendition of the song has kept the dreamy feel and atmospheric mood of the original.The 32-track CD will be launched at the concert and features international and local artists singing versions of songs by Mr Lennon and the Beatles. There is also a remixed version of Yoko Ono's 'Walking in Thin Ice', the track Ms Ono and her husband Mr Lennon were working on in New York the night he was shot in December 1980.Artists including Maxi Priest, Judie Tzuke, Biggie Irie and Roy Young are featured on the CD and will, like Ms Nova, perform at the show in the Botanical Gardens.Tony Brannon and Michael Freisenbruch are the driving force behind the Island's tribute to Mr Lennon. When Ms Nova heard about their ideas she did not hesitate to get involved.“Tony approached me early on when he was hatching the plan, and asked if I would like to contribute a track. He has done an amazing job organising both the album and concert,” she said.“He has been so completely dedicated to making this a world class project. It's a great thing for Bermuda both for tourism and for giving a boost to local artists.”Ms Nova toured and released her eighth studio album '300 Days at Sea' in Europe last year. The record is being released in the US this month and she is preparing for further touring and promotional work.But first comes the tribute evening celebrating Mr Lennon's link to the Island. The former Beatle sailed to Bermuda in the summer of 1980 and spent two months on the Island writing what became his final songs. He titled his November 1980 album 'Double Fantasy' after a flower in the Botanical Gardens.As well as the CD, a 'Lennon Bermuda' book detailing Mr Lennon's time on the Island will be launched at the concert. A labyrinth of Double Fantasy-like freesias is being created in the Botanical Gardens, while a John Lennon sculpture created by Bermudian Graham Foster was unveiled outside the Masterworks Museum in the Gardens during the summer.Ms Nova said: “Like many, I consider John Lennon to be one of the greatest songwriters of our time and he is certainly one of my favourites.“The first songs I remember hearing as a child were Beatles songs and they made a deep impression. My parents would play their records over and over and their music really became ingrained in me, so I guess you could say that Lennon and [Paul] McCartney were my earliest musical influences.“Lennon's music has that quintessential mix of distinctive melodies and enigmatic lyrics. You don't forget a Lennon song. They are all totally original and they stay with you forever.”Mr Lennon campaigned for peace and one of his most famous compositions was the worldwide hit 'Imagine'. Friday's concert coincides with International World Peace Day. Ms Nova said she was looking forward to playing at the event. Her cousins Christina Frith and Jonathan Frith are also lined up to perform.Tickets for the concert on Friday start at $50 and are still available from www.ptix.bm, and also from the Front Street offices of Freisenbruch-Meyer.l Useful website: www.doublefantasybermuda.com