John Lennon Tribute

Born John Winston Lennon, he gained world wide fame as one of the founders of  ‘The Beatles”.  Lennon was considered cynical and introspective.  Lennon came from a musical family.  Both his parents sang and played the banjo for personal entertainment.

His father was a merchant seaman who lost contact with the family, and when he reappeared in 1944 John’s mother left with John.  He had an unstable early childhood, being forced to choose between parents, and eventually ending up being taken by social services and being placed with his Aunt Mimi who raised him in Liverpool.

His mother maintained contact with him throughout his childhood.  She taught John how to play the banjo and piano.  His mother bought him his first guitar.  She was tragically killed when John was 19 by a drunk driver.

John went on to fail grammar school, and to fail his exams at the Liverpool College of Art.

He established his first band The Quarry Men in 1957 while at grammar school.  A few weeks later he met Paul McCartney who also joined the band.  George Harrison went on to join in 1958.  By 1960 the band was known as The Beatles.  They went on to play very successfully for a decade, changing the face of Rock and Roll music and firmly establishing themselves as an iconic band of the century.

John had a raucous relationship with his band mates by then end of 1969 he quit the band.  He went on to pursue a solo career, releasing many experimental albums along with mainstream hits.  He retired in 1975 when his son Sean was born.

He came out of retirement in 1980 and began thinking about a new album.  He also continued to battle with his former band members.  Throughout hiw life he was outspoken about religion and politics.  This caused him some troubles in his life.

John Lennon was murdered outside his apartment by Mark David Cahpman.