John Lennon: Musician, Beatle, and Activist
Remembering the Beatle himself, John Lennon.
Written on December 8th, 2024 by Rami Abuhamra.
His name was John Lennon He was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool. He was brought up by his aunt, when he was about five years old and live with her until he was eighteen. When John was seventen, his mother was killed in a car accident. John recalled the moment as, "the worst thing that ever happened to me." The song, "Julia" is dedicated in her memory. When he was sixteen years old, he'd met Paul McCartney, and the two became fast friends. John had formed a band called "The Quarrymen" and as Paul to join, to which he agreed. Paul had suggested to John that his childhood friend, George Harrison, should join the band. John agreed.
In 1960, just a couple of years after John Lennon formed "The Quarrymen," he renamed the band to "The Beatles." The band lasted from 1960-1970. Now that was a time to be alive. People say the '60s were a fun time, and they are correct. The Beatles certaintly helped proved that point. In 1962, Ringo Starr had replaced Pete Best who missed the gig that day. But that wasn't the actual reason, it was because John, Paul, and George released that Ringo was a better fit for the band, instead of Pete Best.
Between the years 1962-1967 marked the best years of the Beatles. They were going on a lot of tours, had massive positive feedback from fans, and have grown to become celeberites. One factor of that was their manger, Brian Epstein, who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. He had no previous experience managing artists, but he had a strong influence on the group's dress code and attitude on stage. After his death in 1967, The Beatles began having problems of their own. After Brian's death, the Beatles hired Allen Klein as their new manager. That man really messed things up. Paul tried telling the others that he was trouble, but they didn't listen until it was too late.
Another factor was John's love life. Between the years of 1962-1968, John married his college sweetheart, Cynthia Lennon. When the two found out she was pregnent in 1962, John decided the best thing for Cynthia was to marry her, which they did. However, toward the later years, John's addiction to LSD was getting worse which lead to John cheating on Cynthia with Yoko Ono, who John had met through Paul. John had stated that felt regretful for his actions and he still loved Cynthia, but felt he had rushed things with her. Had he and her taken things slowly, they probably would've made it work. That was what John thought.
John's second marriage was with Yoko Ono, a very complex and controversial figure who is often accused of breaking up The Beatles. When John met Yoko, he'd fallen deeply in love with her. According to Paul, "John loved stong women." Her way of viewing life had attracted John too much that he always wanted to be with and never leave her. People claim Yoko broke up The Beatles, but John, Paul, George, and Ringo all say it was John, because he wanted to move on with his life and dedicate it Yoko, as a way he couldn't with Cynthia.
When the Beatles broke up in 1970, John and Yoko moved to New York City, cutting all his contacts in England. John and Yoko would go on to write music and fight for peace. Yoko gave birth to their son, Sean, in 1975. That was around the time when John decided to make up for his mistakes. He and Paul had an ongoing conflict with eachother, but decided to make up and become friends again. The last thing John told Paul when they met in person was, "Think of me, everynow and then, old friend." John also hope to work with Paul again and it was rumored that John wanted to work with George and Ringo also, sort of like a Beatles reunion. John also was trying to fix his relationship with his son Julian, whom he had neglected after his divorce with Cynthia. Who John also tried to make a mend with.
However, John's mistakes were never fully fixed because on December 8th, 1980, John was shot four times in the back by Mark David Chapman, in front of his apartment in New York. Police tried rushing him to the hospital, but John had unfortunately died shortly after arrival. Chapman had been planning to kill Lennon for many of years. He was a Beatles fan, but was angry at Lennon for his "More Popular Than Jesus" remark, which Lennon did apologize for. But that wasn't the real reason. Chapman has mental issues and was jealous that Lennon was famous and he wasn't. So, he thought by killing Lennon, it would make him famous. If any of you say that we shouldn't hate Chapman because of his mental illness, then you need therapy.
The news of John's death came as an immense shock. It was devastating, heartbreaking, and enraging. No one like John deserves to out like that, especially by some nobody like Chapman. Paul, George, and Ringo were all hurt by John's death. Ringo flew out to New York to be with Yoko and Sean. George thought he was having a bad dream, so he went back to sleep, only to find out that his fear was true. Paul was affected the most. He cried and went to the studio to try and get away from it, only to have the press stick a microphone in his face. Julian and Cynthia were also devastated by the news. John's aunt, who took him in found it hard to believe as he wanted to see her the night before.
John's death marked the end of The Beatles. Sure, the band did breakup in 1970, but they could've easily came back together for a reunion. However, after John's death, it wasn't possible for that anymore. The Beatles wouldn't have existed without John. George Harrison made that remark in his tribute song to John, "All Those Years Ago." If you haven't heard it, give it a listen, and watch the music video. It's a very emotional piece. Plus, Ringo is on the drums and Paul is the backup vocalist.
44 years later since his death, John Lennon is still remembered by many for his work, activism, music, and brotherly relationship with The Beatles. Paul still struggles with John's death, and often dreams of him. Many Beatle fans still do, as he was the reason he and any of those guys even exist.