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The legendary John Lennon had a profound influence on music as well as a major social, economic, and political impact on society. His involvement as one of the leading members of The Beatles established him as a talented songwriter and performer, while his solo work displayed his personal and philosophical reflections which he used to educate the public.

Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England. Abandoned by his father, John was handed over to the care of his “Aunt Mimi” Smith and her husband George as his mother was unfit to raise him on her own. Continued...

At the age of 17, John learned the tragic news that his mother was killed in car crash, an event which would later inspire the songs “Julia”, “Mother”, and “My Mummy’s Dead”. His growing passion for music eventually led him to drop out of the Liverpool College of Art. He formed his first band the Quarry Men which was originally a skiffle act, however the group began to play rock and roll once joined by Paul McCartney and George Harrison. This formation eventually led to The Beatles who came to be in 1960. Two years later, Lennon married his first wife Cynthia Powell who was pregnant with their child Julian.
The Beatles emerged as a triumphant phenomenon igniting the British Invasion and infamous “Beatlemania”. Despite John’s numerous achievements with the Beatles, he often embraced his own side projects which eventually led him to drift from the band. His distance is often attributed to his intense relationship with his second wife Yoko Ono. Lennon’s first music project outside of the group was with Unfinished Music No 1: Two Virgins in 1968, the first of three experimental albums released by himself and Ono. The album cover featured the couple nude sparking much controversy which resulted in meager sales. The next experiment, Unfinished Music No 2: Life With the Lions, saw release the following year. Although sales showed a slight improvement from their first project, the actual figures proved to be a major disappointment. On March 20, 1969, the couple married and delivered Wedding Album, the last of their projects which failed once again to receive any praise. Shortly after their first political demonstration, “Bed-In for Peace” at the Amsterdam Hilton, the couple engaged in their second “bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. On June 1, 1969, they recorded the infamous “Give Peace a Chance”, accompanied by Tommy Smothers on acoustic guitar, in their hotel room. The single which was released by The Plastic Ono Band, became a classic hit.
In 1969, John and The Plastic Ono Band which comprised of Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and Alan White performed at the rock and roll revival concert Live Peace in Toronto 1969 which was recorded and then released three months later. Soon after the single “Cold Turkey”, which depicted Lennon’s heroin addiction, was released failing to place in the Top Ten. In February of 1970, Lennon issued the hit single “Instant Karma” which was impressively recorded and released within the time span of a week. The track proved to be a major success peaking at number three on the US charts and at number five in the UK. Two months later, Paul McCartney announced the break-up of the Beatles.

An enraged Lennon displayed his frustration on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album using Arthur Janov’s Primal Therapy which consists of screaming out one’s emotional pain. The album features the tracks “Mother”, “God”, and “Working Class Hero”. Lennon’s relationship with his ex-bandmates would eventually deteriorate as he often denounced them and the Beatles in numerous interviews. In 1971, he released Imagine which spawned the title track anthem which encouraged the emergence of anti-war and anti-religion movements. The song was an instant hit placing first on the UK charts and peaking at number three in the US while the album itself occupied the number one spot worldwide. The political double album, Some Time in New York City was issued in 1972 and was perceived with much controversy. The album’s radical nature led to poor sales and Lennon’s corrupting reputation.

While recording the 1973 album, Mind Games, Lennon and Ono split to test the purity of their love. He retreated to Los Angeles with his personal assistant and lover at the time, May Pang. This period is often referred to as the “lost weekend” due to his avid drinking and partying lifestyle with friends Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, and Mickey Dolenz (aka the “Hollywood Vampires”). During this time he released the acclaimed Walls and Bridges album. He eventually returned to his true love Yoko Ono in 1975 upon the birth of their son Sean. Lennon made a major comeback in 1980 with Double Fantasy scoring with hits such as “(Just Like) Starting Over”, “Watching the Wheels”, and “Woman”. Shortly after the release of the album, Lennon’s life was tragically ended when he was shot and fatally wounded in front of his apartment building on December 8, 1980 by deranged fan Mark David Chapman. Since his death, Lennon has been survived through the numerous tributes and memorials celebrated in his name.