John Lennon

John Lennon

John Lennon was a key member of the Beatles. He went on to have a distinguished solo career, and became an icon of the 1960s counter-culture revolution.

“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal. “

– John Lennon

When he was 4 years old, Lennon's parents separated and he ended up living with his Aunt Mimi.
As a child, Lennon was a prankster and he enjoyed getting in trouble. As a boy and young adult, he  enjoyed drawing grotesque figures and cripples. Lennon's school master thought that he could go to an art school for college, since he did not get good grades in school, but had artistic talent.

Whilst in his early teens he got his first guitar and would spend many hours playing. His aunt Mimi, used to regularly say:

“The guitar’s all very well, John, but you’ll never make a living out of it.”

After, the Beatles were famous John presented Mimi with a silver platter out of this.

Forming the Beatles

Elvis Presley's explosion onto the rock music scene inspired a 16-year-old Lennon to create the skiffle band called the Quarry Men, named after his school. Lennon met Paul McCartney at a church fete on July 6, 1957. He soon invited McCartney to join the group, and the two eventually formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in musical history.
McCartney introduced George Harrison to Lennon the following year, and Harrison and art college buddy Stuart Sutcliffe also joined Lennon's band. Always in need of a drummer, the group finally settled on Pete Best in 1960.
The Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein in 1961 at Liverpool's Cavern Club, where they were performing on a regular basis. As their new manager, Epstein secured a record contract with EMI. With a new drummer, Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), and George Martin as producer, the group released their first single, "Love Me Do," in October 1962. It peaked on the British charts at No. 17.

Beatlemania

In 1964, the Beatles became the first British band to break out big in the United States, beginning with their appearance on television's The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Beatlemania launched a "British Invasion" of rock bands in the United States that also included the Rolling Stones and the Kinks. Following their appearance on Sullivan, the Beatles returned to Britain to film their first film, A Hard Day's Night (1964), and prepare for their first world tour.

https://vimeo.com/86034507

The Beatles Break Up

In 1969 the Beatles had started to split up; it was John Lennon who was the main factor behind this. After 1970, John Lennon created a very successful solo career, often with the help of his second wife, Yoko Ono.  In the early 1970s John Lennon also became a figurehead for the anti war Movement. His song “Give Peace a Chance” became an anthem for the anti-war movement. Due to his anti war stance the Nixon administration tried to have him deported, but after a long struggle he was able to gain a green card in 1976. His song “Imagine” has also become a tremendously influential song; it was voted ‘most popular song’ by the British public.

John Lennon was shot dead in 1980, by David Chapman – an obsessed fan. Lennon died at New York City's Roosevelt Hospital on December 8, 1980, at the age of 40.

 The death shocked the world, both musical and non musical.