Birthdate: October 9th, 1940
Birthplace: Liverpool
Height: 5 foot, 11 inches
Weight: 11 stone, 5 pounds
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Brown
Brothers: none
Sisters: none
Instruments Played: Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Piano
Education: Quarry Bank Grammar School & Liverpool Art College
Age Entered Show Business: 20
Former Occupation: Art Student
Hobbies: Writing songs, poems and plays, Girls, Painting, Meeting people
Favourite Singers: Shirelles, Miracles, Chuck Jackson, Ben E. King
Favourite Actors: Robert Mitchum, Peter Sellers
Favourite Actresses: Juliette Greco, Sophia Loren
Favourite Foods: Curry and Jelly
Favourite Drinks: Whiskey and Tea
Favourite Clothes: Sombre
Favourite Band: Quincy Jones
Favourite Instrumentalist: Sonny Terry
Favourite Composer: Luther Dixon
Likes: Blondes, Leather
Dislikes: Stupid People
Tastes in Music: R-and-B, Gospel
Personal Ambitions: To Write a Musical
Professional Ambition: To Be Rich and Famous
John Winston Lennon was born at 6:30 p.m. on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England.
His parents were Julia and Alfred Lennon. Throughout the week before John was born,
Liverpool was subjected to heavy air raids but on the night of John's birth there was a
lull in the bombing.
John's father rarely saw his son because he was away at sea. John's mother was also
more of a friend to John than an actual mother. Julia felt like she couldn't care for the
boy so she sent him off to live with his Aunt Mary "Mimi" Smith and Uncle George. In
1946 Fred Lennon returned to Liverpool and took his son to Blackpool where he made
plans to emigrate to New Zealand with John. John's mother came to the rescue and
return John to Aunt Mimi.
John's childhood was a very tough one. John went to Dovedale Primary School where he
began to betray the streak of rebelliousness which was to remain with him the rest of
his life. At the age of 5, he was expelled. It was here were John first became interested in drawing. In 1955, while John
was away visiting another Aunt, his Uncle George died. John was left to deal with more
grief. Uncle George was the closest thing John every had as a father figure.
John began attending Quarry Bank Grammar School in September 1952. He quickly
became friends with Peter Shotton and the two became inseparable. They always got
into trouble by playing pranks on teachers, this didn't help their grades. John was
displaying, however, great talent as a writer and an artist. He was always into books and
started to read at an early age.
The major fad going though Britain in the mid-1950's was a thing called "skiffle
groups". John quickly gathered some friends together in May 1955 and named the
band "The Quarry Men". The Quarry Men's first major gig was at "The Woolton
Parish Church Fete" on July 6, 1957. After John and The Quarry Men had finished
their set, John met a young and talented guitar player by the name of Paul McCartney.
John called Paul up and ask him, "Do you want to join me band?", and Paul said yes the
next day. George Harrison was later introduced into the band by Paul McCartney. John
at first put up him like a kid brother but then saw how much talent George really had.
John loved the music of Elvis Presley and it had a profound effect on The Quarry Men's
performances. At one point they had been known as folkies but soon had developed into
a rock 'n' roll group. As for John and Paul, their musical relationship grew stronger
and soon they became a song writing team coming up with their now legendary
vocal-harmony style. Around this time there was a lot of pressure for the group to
change their name. At that time many bands had the leader's name in front of the group
name. At one point they did change their name to "Johnny & The Moondogs" but they
quickly changed their minds and went back to The Quarry Men. Soon John would come
up with the legendary name "The Beatles" and kept it as the band's name.
In September 1957, John enrolled in "The Liverpool Art College." There he met, and
would later marry, Cynthia Powell. He also met Stuart Sutcliffe, who became his best
friend and the "Fifth Beatle." In 1960, with new band member Pete Best in tow, The
Beatles traveled to Hamburg for the first time. Stuart had little interest in music and
could barely play the bass so after Hamburg he decided to go back to art college. John,
although disappointed, remained good friends with Stuart and Paul took over as bass
player. In 1961, The Beatles first met Brian Epstein in "The Cavern Club" after one of
their many performances there. Later that year Brian Epstein became The Beatles
manger and the following year they signed with Parlphone after George Martin
suggested getting a new drummer. Brian and The Beatles decided on Ringo Starr.
While all this was going on John found time to marry Cynthia on August 23, 1962 and
she gave birth to their son Julian on April 8, 1963.
The Beatles were enjoying international success when John's first book "In His Own
Write" was published on March 23, 1964 and became a best-seller. On June 24, 1965
his second book "A Spaniard In the Works" was published. During that same year The
Beatles received their MBE's or "Members of the British Empire". John would later
turn in his MBE in the late 60's because of Britain's support of the United States in
Vietnam. Around the time when John got his MBE his father turned up in his life
again. John slammed the door in his face and said, "Why should I look after a father
who never really looked after me?".
In 1966 there was a degree of anti-Beatle fever in America following comments John
had made in an interview with Maureen Cleave, in which he said that The Beatles were
more popular than Jesus, and he reluctantly made a public apology. In November of that
year The Beatles played their lasted live concert in August at Candlestick Park in San
Francisco. In November John met a Japanese artist named Yoko Ono at the Indica
Gallery in London.
The Beatles had been experimenting with various drugs since late 1964 when they first
smoke marijuana with Bob Dylan and now in the mid-to-late 60's they began to
experiment with LSD. John and George were into LSD more than Paul and Ringo. Paul
felt that you would never be the same after you'd have taken it. In August 1967, The
Beatles met the Marharishi Mahesh Yogi. During that same month their manager
Brian Epstein was found dead from an accidental drug overdose. John's relationship
with Yoko grew stronger and he sponsored an exhibition of her work call "Yoko and
Me" in October 1967. Later that month "How I Won The War", in which he played his
first solo feature film role, premiered.
After The Beatles went to Maharishi's ashram in India to learn transcendental
meditation, John and Cynthia divorced and he began to live with Yoko. John and Yoko
were raided by the police while staying at Ringo's flat in Montague Square and John
was fined for possession of cannabis. John and Yoko's album "Unfinished Music No. 1:
Two Virgins" was issued in November and created international controversy due to the
cover, which showed the couple in a full frontal nude pose. John also appeared on the
un-shown "Rolling Stones Rock 'n' Roll Circus".
In 1969, The Beatles started their own company "Apple Corps." After many months of
shuffling around responsibilities The Beatles chose Allen Klein to take control of
Apple. In February 1969 Yoko divorce from Anthony Cox came through and John and
Yoko were married in Gibraltar March 20. John and Yoko made a series of films
together, "Apotheosis, Clock, Fly, Freedom Films, Imagine" just to name a few. In May
1969 they bought a mansion in Ascot called Tittenhurst Park and issued their second
album "Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions". In September John first
introduced the "Plastic Ono Band" on record. In November the couple issued their
"Wedding Album".
After The Beatles officially broke up in April 1970 John went on to write and record
many more albums with Yoko through out the early 70's. In 1972 John first fought to
get his green card so he could be able to stay in the United States. He was finally
successful in 1976. During this time John and Yoko had been trying to have a baby but
were plagued by several miscarriages. Sean Lennon was born on John's 35th birthday.
John would later say, "I felt higher than the empire state building!".
John didn't mind reversing roles at all with Yoko. John was staying home taking care
of Sean while Yoko was out working. John described himself as a "house husband"
during the period. He liked taking care of Sean and baking, particularly bread. "I took
a Polaroid of my first loaf!", John once said.
In August 1980, John came out of retirement to record his first album in six years and
agreed to a number of interviews prior to him becoming active in the music scene
again. On December 8, 1980 around 10:45 p.m. tragedy stuck. While coming home from a
late-night recording session with Yoko, John was shot by David Mark Chapman outside
his apartment building The Dakota. John was rushed to the hospital but was
pronounced dead upon arrival, at 11:15pm.