John Winston Lennon

John Winston Lennon was one of the most talented songwriters and musicians of our time. His music is
as timeless and relevant today as it was a generation ago. His songs and his actions revolutionized
our music and our culture forever. He will always be remembered and missed, and his inspiration will
endure forever.

In his remarkable lifetime, John Lennon and the Beatles achieved spectacular worldwide fame. No band
before or after them has come close to the level of success and popularity that they attained. With
his sometimes poignant, sometimes playful, and always compassionate lyrics, Lennon touched more than
just his own generation. He and his band have influenced many generations to come.

Born in England in 1940, Lennon was a child of the second World War. As a young boy, Lennon lived in
Liverpool primarily under the care of his aunt Mimi. Lennon's father had abandoned the family, and
his mother Julia was unable to care for her son properly. She would later die in a car crash, and
became a frequent subject of Lennon's song-writing. After a stint at Liverpool College of Art,
Lennon formed a group called the Quarry Men with three boyhood friends, a group that would later
become the Beatles.

Throughout the 1960s, Lennon and his band mates, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and song-writing
partner Paul McCartney had an extraordinary influence on rock and roll. Together with McCartney,
Lennon wrote dozens of instant classics which lost none of their power in the decades that followed.
These songs are so well known that their melodies and lyrics are recognized instantly all over the
world. After meeting eccentric artist Yoko Ono in 1968, and separating from his wife Cynthia Powell,
Lennon became increasingly active in peace efforts and began a successful career as a solo artist.
On his own, he released many wildly popular albums, the most well-known of which being Imagine.

The shooting of John Lennon on December 8, 1980 shocked and horrified the entire world. He was
gunned down outside his hotel in New York City by Mark David Chapman, a crazed fan from Honolulu.
The Beatles' song "Come Together" predicted with uncanny accuracy what would happen in the days that
followed — the world truly came together in grief. John Lennon is notable for more reasons than
would fit in a book, and it is hard to boil his life down to a few paragraphs. However, his greatest
achievement was probably bringing the Beatles to such a level of popularity that their musical
message of peace and love permeated the entire culture, affecting individuals across the globe.

Reportedly. as Lennon was dying in a New York hospital after being shot, the Beatles song "All my
Loving" began playing over the hospitals P.A. system. The reaction to the shooting was immediate—
in fact, before Lennon's death was even announced, a crowd of horrified fans had gathered in the
hospital's courtyard, some praying on their knees.