Contents
John Lennon
Co-founding the Beatles, writing with Paul McCartney and recording Imagine.
Strawberry Fields Forever · John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
- Born
- 9 October 1940
- Birthplace
- Liverpool, England
- Died
- 8 December 1980
More people
John Lennon
John Lennon helped turn a Liverpool band into a defining force in popular music. His solo work ranged from stark self-examination to political songs, with Yoko Ono central to his later artistic life.
Early life
Raised in Liverpool
He grew up largely with his aunt Mimi Smith and uncle George Toogood Smith. His mother Julia Lennon remained an important presence and encouraged his interest in music.
Art school and skiffle
Drawing, wordplay and early rock and roll shaped his teenage interests. He formed the Quarrymen before the Beatles emerged.
Career
- 1957–1962
Building the band
Meeting Paul McCartney began a songwriting partnership; Hamburg performances helped develop the Beatles’ stage craft.
- 1963–1969
An expanding musical language
The band moved from early pop hits towards studio experimentation and more personal writing.
- 1970–1975
Solo and political work
His first solo albums mixed autobiography, peace campaigning and collaborations with Yoko Ono.
- 1980
Returning to recording
After several years away from releasing albums, he returned with Double Fantasy shortly before his murder.
Selected work
Strawberry Fields Forever
A childhood place becomes the starting point for a layered, dreamlike Beatles recording.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
A spare album confronts childhood, identity and belief.
Imagine
The title song presents a simple musical setting for an ambitious vision of shared human life.
Beyond work
Art and protest
Lennon and Yoko Ono used performances such as their 1969 bed-ins to draw attention to peace campaigning.
Two sons
Julian Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon both developed musical careers of their own.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Imagine songwriting credits ↗Featured contribution ↗Photo: Bob Gruen; Distributed by Capitol Records. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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