JOHN LENNON

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"When I hear rock, good rock, of the calibre of Chuck Berry, I just fall apart and I have no other interest in life.  The world could be ending if rock and roll is playing."
J O H N
(The Beatles Anthology)

        John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool.  His father was Alfred Lennon, and his mother was Julia Stanley.  Julia and Alfred separated when John was 4 years old, and soon after, Julia sent him to his Aunt Mimi (Mary Smith) to be cared for. 
        John learned to play the mouth organ and a small accordion, and he wanted to be an artist.  He was also particularly influenced by the works of Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, etc. 
        When he finally heard rock & roll music, he fell in love with it.  Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel and Carl Perkins' first albums really affected him.  John particularly admired Chuck Berry's ability to write lyrics.  He began to see more of his mother, who became like a big sister to him, and she taught him several banjo chords.  John used to borrow guitars when he could, and finally Julia bought him his first guitar (from a mail order) when he was 16.  He promptly formed a skiffle group called The Quarry Men, with Eric Griffiths (guitar), Pete Shotton (washboard), Len Garry, Colin Hanton (drums), Rod Davis (banjo), and Ivan Vaughan.  The group was named after the Quarry Bank school that John attended, which had a Latin motto meaning "out of this rock you will find truth." 
        John met Paul McCartney when The Quarry Men were playing the Woolton Parish Church fete.  John was playing banjo chords on a 5-string guitar, and Paul showed him how to play properly (left-handed, of course).  John invited Paul to join, deciding that his talent would be useful to the group.  George Harrison, who knew lots of guitar chords and was quite talented, joined soon after.   
        John then attended the Liverpool College of Art, hoping to be a painter or illustrator. 
        His mother was killed when a drunk off-duty cop hit her with his car, and John hence lost her a second time.
        John met Cynthia Powell while at art school and married her in 1962.  By this time, the Beatles - as the reformed Quarry Men had become to be known - had signed with Parlophone/EMI.  Ringo Starr officially became their drummer when they recorded their first record with EMI.  In 1963, John and Cynthia's son, John Charles Julian Lennon, was born.  In 1964, John published his first book, In His Own Write.  He published his second book, A Spaniard in the Works, a year later. 
        The Beatles made their last concert tour in 1966.  The same year, he acted in Richard Lester's film How I Won the War.  Soon after, he met Yoko Ono at an exhibition of her art and the Indica Gallery.  In 1968, John & Yoko showed their first official joint art exhibit.  They moved in together later this year.  John held his first solo art show, "You Are Here - to Yoko From John, with Love."  John and Cynthia were soon divorced.  This same year, John & Yoko released their first album together (Two Virgins).  They were married in 1969, and John changed his name to John Ono Lennon.  They conducted their Bed-In this year as well. 
        In 1970, John released his first solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.  In 1972 - upon the expiration of his non-immigrant US visa - deportation proceedings began.
        In 1972, John performed his last concert as a headliner at Madison Square Garden.  A year later, in 1973, he and Yoko purchased an apartment at the Dakota in New York.  The same year, John began his year and a half long "lost decade," in which he separated from Yoko.  In 1974, he made his last public performance (with Elton John), and a year later he reunited with Yoko.  In 1975 - on John's 35th birthday - John & Yoko's son, Sean Taro Ono, was born in New York.  In 1976, John's application for permanent residency was approved.  He primarily lived as a house-husband until 1979.     
        In 1980, he released his first single in 5 years ("(Just Like) Starting Over").  In November of that year, he and Yoko released Double Fantasy.  His life was cut tragically short when, on December 8, 1980, he was shot and killed by Mark Chapman.  John and Yoko had been returning to the Dakota from a recording session.

information sources: The Beatles Anthology by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr (Chronicle Books: 2000); BeatlesStory.com

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IN MEMORIAM

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