John Lennon,
Rock Musician / Songwriter
Born: 9 October 1940
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Died: 8
December 1980 (shot to
death)
Best Known As: One of
The Beatles
As half of
The Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were one of the most successful songwriting teams of the century. Together they wrote dozens of hit tunes, ranging from "Help!" and "Ticket to Ride" to "Penny Lane" and "Let It Be." Lennon's romance with Yoko Ono was a major influence on his post-Beatles career, and he collaborated with her on everything from the modern pop hymn "Imagine" to avant-garde noise and poetry.
The Beatles broke up in 1970, and Lennon followed with a solo career marked by uneven recordings and public pleas for world peace. After a reclusive five years as a family man, Lennon released an album with Yoko in 1980, Double Fantasy. As their new song "Just Like Starting Over" was reaching the top of the charts, Lennon was shot to
death outside his New York home by Mark David Chapman, a schizophrenic fan.
Lennon published two illustrated books of poetry and wit in the mid-1960s, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works... His son Julian Lennon is also a singer and musician... Lennon's political positions gained him the enmity of J. Edgar Hoover's F. B. I. and the U.S. State Department, and researchers are still trying to get files on Lennon made public.
RIP John Lennon
1940-1980 (Assassination)
The Beatles (1958-1970)
Spouse: Cynthia Lennon (Divorced)
Spouse: Yoko Ono (Until His Passing)
Son: Julian Lennon
Son: Sean Lennon