JohnLennon
BORN:October9,1940,Liverpool,England
DIED:December8,1980,NewYork,NY
JohnLennonwasbornonOctober9,1940inLiverpool,England.Whenhewasfouryearsold,hisparentsseparatedandheendeduplivingwithhisAuntMimi.John'sfatherwasamerchantseamanandJohndidnotseealotofhisfatherwhenhewassmall.Asachild,Johnwasapranksterandheenjoyedgettingintrouble.Asaboyandyoungadult,Johnenjoyeddrawinggrotesquefiguresandcripples.OneofthereasonsforhisobsessionwithcripplesanddeformitieswasbecauseoftheDeathofhisMotherJulia.TheJohn'sschoolmasterthoughtthatJohncouldgotoanartschoolforcollege,sincehedidnotgetgoodgradesinschool,buthadartistictalent.Hemadeittoartschool,andwasnotallowtoplay"RockandRoll".
Atthiscollege,hemetawomanbythenameofCynthiaPowell,whobecamehisfirstwife.Asachild,Johnlivedalifeofuninterruptedcalm.Hedidn'trecallfeelingdesperatelysadorunusuallyhappy.Unfortunatelythatcalmwassuddenlyshatteredwhenhismotherdiedbeforehis18thbirthday.Johndidnotliketotalkaboutthedeathofhismother,becauseitwastogreatasorrowtobepublicized.Afterthedeathofhismother,JohnwenttolivewithhisAuntMimi.JohnconsiderhisAuntMimithegreatestperson.Theylivedinalittlehouse,withfrillycurtainsatthewindows,andanoldappletreeinthefrontgarden.WhenJohnwasawayfromhome,hethoughtaboutAuntMimiandherfrillycurtainsandherappletree,andherealizedhowfortunatehewas.Because,thoughhismotherwastakenawayfromhim,hewasgivensomethingpreciousinreturn.
Atsixteen,Elvisiswhatwashappening.Johncreatedthegroupcalledthe"QuarryMan".Theyperformedatschool.Oneday,PaulMcCartneywasintroducedtohim.Atthispoint,JohnaskPaulifhecouldjointhegroup,andheacceptedthenextday.PaulMcCartneyintroducedGeorgeHarrisontoJohnLennon.Thefirstrecordingtheymadewascalled"Thatwillbetheday"byBuddyHolly.
JohncameupwiththenameBeatlesforthegroup.Johnhadavisionwhenhewas12yearsold-amanappearedonaFlamingpieandsaiduntothem'FromthisdayonyouareBeatleswithan'A'.TheBeatleswerediscoveredbyBrianEpsteinintheCavern,wheretheywereperforming.AfterBriandiscoveredtheBeatleshebecametheirmanager.TheBeatlesreleasedtheirfirstsingle"LovemeDo",withGeorgeMartinastheirproducer.Thissongwentupthechartstheseconddayitwasreleased."LoveMeDo"gotupto17.TheBeatlesfirstnumberonechartwas"PleasePleaseMe"writtenbyJohnLennon.ThissongwasinspiredprimarilybyRoyOrbisonbutalsofedbyJohn'sinfatuationwiththepuninBingCrosby'sfamous"Please,lendyourlittleearstomyplease,"
JohnmarriedCynthiaPowellinAugust1962andtheyhadasontogetherwhotheycalledJulian.CynthiadescribedJohnas"Rough,readyandnothertypeatall,buthadanirresistiblecharacter".SincetheBeatleswerebecomingverypopularatthetime,Cynthiahadtokeepaverylowprofile.JohnLennonporcedCynthiaandre-marriedwithYokoOnowhohemetattheIndicaGalleryinNovember1966.In1970,theBeatlespokeupalso,afterPaulMcCartneyhasannouncedthatheisleavingtheBeatles.AftertheBeatlespokeup,JohnLennonwenthiswayandhetriedtosendouthismessageoutclearer.HestarteddoingthisbyreleasinghisfirstsoloalbumImagine.
ImaginewasapassionofJohn.Itcrystallizedhisdreamfortheworldandhisidealism.AnditwassomethingthatJohnreallywantedtosaytotheworld.ImaginewasthemostcommerciallysuccessfulandcriticallyacclaimedofallJohnLennon'spost-Beatlesefforts.AftertheBeatlespokeup,Paulwrotesomesongswithhiddenmessage,whichupsetJohn.InresponsetothisJohnwrote,"Howdoyousleep?"andreleasedthisalsoontheImaginealbum.
In1972,JohnLennongaveacharityconcert.TheconcertwasheldinMadisonSquareGarden,August30,1972,tohelpimprovethelivingconditionsofthementallyhandicappedchildren.StartingwiththeTorontoPeaceFestivalin1969,JohnwithYokodidaseriesofrockconcertsastheirstatementofPeaceandLove,andtospotlightvarioussocialissueseffectively.Allproceedsfromtheconcertsweregiventotheneedy.ThisconcertinMadisonSquaregardenturnedouttobethelastconcertJohndidwiththePlasticOnoBand.In1972theVietnamWarprotestwasatitsheight.TheFeministMovementwasinastageofawakening.Theconcertwasfilledwithloveofpotherhoodandsisterhood.Everybodyjoinedinonthestageattheendwhentheysang"GivePeaceachance".PeoplecouldnotcontainthemselvesandmarcheddownFifthAvenueaftertheperformance,singing"GivePeaceaChance".JohnLennonperformedwithhisnewband:"PlasticOnoBand".
In1973,JohnandYokoseparatedfor14month,becauseofallthepublicpressureandproblemstheyweregoingthrough.JohnwenttoLosAngelesandhewassingleagainafteralongtime.Johnbecameadrunkandwasonlypartying.MayPangbecameJohn'scompanionduringthistimeasaguidance.Duringthistime,peoplestartseeingmoreofJohn.Johnrecordeddifferentrecordslike"MindGames","RockandRoll","WallsandBridges".HeworkedwithRingoonhisalbum,DavidBowiewithhis"Fame"albumandalsowithEltonJohnduringthistime.Aftergoingthroughallthis,Johnrealizesthattherewasnotreallyanybodythatloveshim,besidesYoko.SohereturnedbacktoYoko.Herealizesthathereallyreallylovesherandthathecouldnotlivewithouther.
OnOctober9,1975,YokogavebirthtoJohn'sothersonSean.Johnlefthiswholemusiccareerfor5yearstoraisehisson.Johndidnotmissmusicatallduringthisperiod.Hebecameahousehusbandandraisedhisson.Johndidnotreallyexistanymoreinthemusicworld.Johnrealizedthatthereisnolifewithoutmusicafter5years.Hewasabletowritesongsnowwitheasesincetherewerenopressure.Johnwroteallthesongson"DoubleFantasy"inaperiodof3weeks.Thisalbumwaswritten,recorded,andreleasedin1980.WhenJohnwassingingandwritingthisalbum,hewasvisualizingeverybodyinhisagegroup.Unfortunately,JohnwasshotinfrontofhisapartmentcomplexinNewYorkwhilehewasintheprocessofreleasinganotheralbum"MilkandHoney".Johndiedoftheageof40intheRooseveltHospitalonDecember8,1980,afterreceivingmultiplegunshotintheback.
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