John Lennon
 | John LennonPre and Post Beatles | |
|---|---|---|
| Born: | Oct. 9, 1940 | |
| Died: | Dec. 8, 1980 | |
| Parents: | Julia Stanley & Alfred Lennon | |
| Wives: | Cynthia Powell (m 1962) | |
| Yoko Ono (m 1969) | ||
| Children: | Julian (Cynthia, b 1963) | |
| Sean (Yoko, b 1975) | ||
| John Winston Lennon was born October 9, 1940, to Alfred (Fred) and Julia Lennon in Liverpool, England. After birth, John was put into care with his Aunt Mimi. His father went to sea and stayed there for several years. When John was five, Fred reappeared, but Lennon chose to stay with his mom. Instead, he again found himself in the care of Mimi. John's relationship with his mother Julia was, in fact, very good. When John was seventeen, Julia passed on from a car accident. John was lost, but soon embarked on his musical career, starting his own band The Quarrymen. His life was to take a fateful turn when he accepted to play at a local church function.... John's Beatles years biography is combined with the others under "Biographies," "THE BEATLES." If McCartney was the most succesful solo artist, John Lennon enjoyed the most illustrious solo adventure. He began a successful solo |
Not living far from each other, the two found common interests in music and mischief. It was the song "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley that inspired John to rock and roll. Lennon even formed his own "Skiffle" group. "Skiffle" music is the use of household items to make sounds that was a short-lived craze in England. Mimi attempted to discipline and conform him, telling John, "That guitar is okay, but you'll never make a living with it!" John would disprove this statement quite thoroughly. 
career (like the others) and released several albums with his wife, Yoko. John and Yoko were very outspoken against the Vietnam War and acted as spokesmen for the peace movement in the late 60's and early 70's. John was also very outspoken for women's rights. In 1975, John took a 5 year hiatus to be a father to his new son, Sean. The public praised him as the model father, forgetting his virtual abandonment of his other son, Julian, with his first wife. In 1980, Lennon returned to music with the fresh hit album Double Fantasy. 
John's future looked bright when, on December 8, 1980, he was shot five times in the back by Mark David Chapman. He was killed outside his apartment, The Dakota, in New York City. The world mourned as the streets outside his apartment became crowded with fans crying "Give peace a chance!" John's legacy continues today. In the mid-90's, the remaining three Beatles joined together to finish two Lennon tracks, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." John's sons, Julian and Sean, are both musicians of various degrees of success.
