John Lennon

October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

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John Lennon Biography

John Lennon achieved worldwide fame in the 1960s as a singer, songwriter and guitarist in one of the most successful bands of all time -The Beatles. He is credited as being the original and founding member of the band and was often referred to as "the smart one" of the group. He came from a working-class neighborhood in Liverpool, England but was influenced by American rock 'n' roll music and often named Elvis Presley as the artist who inspired him the most.

As Lennon and The Beatles experimented with psychedelic drugs and embraced Eastern philosophies they developed a new sound and greatly influenced the cultural movements of the 1960s with their style and social awareness. After the "Fab Four" disbanded in 1970, Lennon immersed himself in the counterculture scene, becoming an outspoken peace activist and producing avant-garde albums with his second wife, Japanese born, conceptual artist, Yoko Ono.

John Lennon impacted society with his profound songwriting, innovative artistry and social views and continues to live on as an icon of musical genius.

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A Potrait of John Lennon

John Lennon Quotes

  • “All you need is love.”
  • “There is nothing conceptually better than rock.”
  • “We're all responsible for war&we all must do something, no matter what.”
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1940 1945 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1970 1972 1975 1980
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John Winston Lennon is born in Liverpool, England on October 9th to Julia and Alfred Lennon.
Lennon goes to live with his mother's sister, Mary Smith and her husband George Smith after his parents separate in 1943.
Forms a skiffle band called The Black Jacks with friends. They soon change the band name to The Quarrymen.
Meets Paul McCartney at a church function, who soon joins The Quarrymen.
Accepted into the Liverpool College of Art.

Meets George Harrison and allows him to join The Quarrymen at the insistence of Paul McCartney.

The Quarrymen make their first recording at Percy Phillips' studio in Liverpool in July.

Lennon's mother, Julia, is hit and killed by a car on July 15th.

Forms a trio band with Harrison and McCartney - they call themselves Johnny and the Moondogs.
Stuart Sutcliffe, Lennon's friend from art school, joins the new band, and they change their name numerous times over the year to The Beatals, the Silver Beetles, then the Silver Beatles and finally The Beatles.

The Beatles debut in Hamburg, where they also meet Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey Jr.
Marries girlfriend Cynthia Powell on August 23rd.

The Beatles make their first recording at EMI studios with producer George Martin in September.

The Beatles replace Pete Best with Ringo Starr.

The Beatles first album "Please Please Me" is released.

Lennon and Cynthia's son, John Charles "Julian" Lennon, is born on April 8th in Liverpool, England.
Publishes "In his Own Write" in March, which becomes a best-seller.

Makes his film debut in "Hard Day's Night".

The Beatles make their American debut.

Publishes "A Spaniard in the Works" in June.
Stars in the film "How I Won the War" (during the film shoot in Spain, he writes the song "Strawberry Fields Forever").

Meets Yoko Ono at a preview of her art exhibition in London.

The Beatles start Apple Corporation in order to maintain their own creative and financial affairs on May 1st.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold an art exhibit together at London's Arts Lab in May.

Holds his first art exhibition titled "You Are Here - To Yoko From John, With Love" in July.

Divorce from Cynthia Powell is finalized on November 8th.

Releases the avant-garde album "Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins" with Yoko in November. The album cover's naked full-frontal picture of them causes controversy.

Performs with the Beatles for the last time on the roof of the Apple Corporation building in London during the filming of "Let It Be" on January 30th.

Marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar on March 20th.

They celebrate their marriage with a "bed-in" at the Amsterdam Hilton for a week in March to protest war and promote peace.

Lennon officially changes his name to John Ono Lennon in April.

May 26 - June 2, 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono conduct a bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. They record "Give Peace a Chance" with Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary and other notables of the era.

Forms the Plastic Ono Band with Yoko Ono and they release the album "Live Peace in Toronto."

Lennon and Yoko simultaneously release solo albums "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" and "Yoko Ono/Plastic Band" in December.

After initially denied re-entry into the United States, Lennon and Yoko are allowed entry on a medical visa, to visit psychiatrist and "primal" therapist Dr. Arthur Janov.

Attempts to deport Lennon are made by the Nixon administration. Lennon later awarded U.S. "residency" in 1976.

Releases the double album "Some Time in New York City" in June.
Lennon and Yoko's son, Sean Ono Taro Lennon, is born in New York on October 9th, Lennon's 35th birthday. Lennon retires from music to care for his new son.

The High Court of Justice in London officially dissolves The Beatles partnership.

Begins working on the concept album "Double Fantasy" with Yoko Ono.

Lennon is shot and killed by disturbed fan Mark David Chapman, outside of his apartment building, The Dakota, in New York City on December 8th.

In 2001, the Liverpool Airport was renamed the John Lennon Airport.

Trivia

  • The first issue of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967 featured John Lennon on the cover.
  • John Lennon's song "Imagine" was broadcast simultaneously in 130 countries on October 9th 1990, what would have been his 50th birthday.
  • A one-act play based upon John Lennon's book In His Own Write was performed in 1968 in London.
  • An area in Central Park was named "Strawberry Fields" in honor of John Lennon in 1981.
  • Yoko Ono unveiled the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland in honor of John Lennon on October 9th 2007, what would have been his 67th birthday. The tower is a stories-tall beam of light that radiates from a wishing well bearing the words "imagine peace" in 24 languages.
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Awards & Honors

  • Foyles Literary Prize for In His Own Write 1964
  • Grammy for Best New Artist (as a Beatle) 1964
  • Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group (as a Beatle) 1964
  • Decorated Order of the British Empire 1965
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Best Album Cover 1966
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Song of the Year "Michelle" 1966
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Album of the Year 1967
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Best Contemporary Rock-and-Roll Recording 1967
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Best Album Cover 1967
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Engineered Recording 1967
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Best Engineered Recording 1969
  • Grammy Award (as a Beatle) for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture of TV Special 1970
  • Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for "Let It Be" (with the Beatles) 1970
  • Grammy Hall of Fame (as a Beatle) 1975
  • Brit Award (as a Beatle) for outstanding contribution to the music 1977
  • Brit Award (as a Beatle) for Best British group of the past 25 years 1977
  • Brit Award (as a Beatle) for Best British album of the past 25 years 1977
  • Brit Award for Outstanding contributions to music 1982
  • Grammy Award for Album of the Year (with Yoko Ono) 1982
  • Brit Award (as a Beatle) for Outstanding contributions to music 1983
  • Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame 1987
  • Inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame (with The Beatles) 1988
  • Grammy Award Lifetime Achievement Award 1991
  • Awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards 1992
  • Inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 1994
  • Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Notable Works

  • 1968 Unfinished Music No 1 - Two Virgins
  • 1969 Unfinished Music No 2 - Life With the Lions
  • 1969 The Wedding Album
  • 1970 The Plastic Ono Band; Live Peace In Toronto 1969
  • 1971 John Lennon Plastic Ono Band
  • 1971 Imagine
  • 1972 Sometime In New York City
  • 1973 Mind Games
  • 1974 Walls and Bridges
  • 1975 Rock 'N' Roll
  • 1980 Double Fantasy
  • 1983 Heartplay - Unfinished Dialogue
  • 1984 Milk And Honey
  • 1986 Live In New York City
  • 1986 Menlove Ave
  • 1988 The Last Word
  • 1988 Imagine - Music From The Motion Picture
  • 1990 John & Yoko: The Interview
  • 1975 Shaved Fish
  • 1982 The John Lennon Collection
  • 1990 The Ultimate John Lennon Collection

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