John Lennon

John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England on October 9, 1940. He lived with his parents, Alfred and Julia Lennon, until Alfred walked out on the family in 1945 when John was five years old. Julia decided that she wasn't able to take care of John so she gave him up to her sister Mimi and her husband George. Lennon developed myopia while growing up and was issued a pair of National Health spectacles. These glasses, which were round and wired trimmed, became part of his iconic image. His relationship with his mother was estranged but there was still contact between the two. She helped to develop his musical interest by teaching him to play the banjo. Tragically Julia was killed by a drunken police officer on July 15, 1958 when John was 15 years old. Even though Lennon failed grammar school he got into the Liverpool College of Art. Here he met his first wife Cynthia Powell. John began to grow to hate the school and soon dropped out and became more interested in the American rock and roll music scene. He started up a band called the "Silver Beatles" with George Harrison and Paul McCartney, the name of the band's name was soon shortened to "The Beatles". 1962 he married Cynthia after she became pregnant with his first son Julian.

The Beatles became phenomenally during the mid 1960s, a time which has become to be known a "Beatlemania". John Lennon, along with Paul McCartney, has gone down in history as one of the most influential singer-songwriter of the 20th century. While McCartney's songs seem to be more general, Lennon's songs were more personal. He wrote about subjects which he himself had experienced. As The Beatles popularity grew, John found himself in controversy. He said that The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. This caused uproar across the country, even the Vatican was angry at the comments. John apologized and all was soon forgiven. Even though the controversy had died down The Beatles, under pressure and stress, stopped touring and began to become only a studio band.

The Beatles rigorous schedule put a stain on John's relation ship with his wife Cynthia and son Julian. Julian said that he and Paul McCartney had a better relationship than he and his dad did. In November 1966 John visited the art exhibit of Yoko Ono in London. Cynthia filed for divorce in 1968 and John and Yoko began to date. The press was not kind to Yoko and even went as far as to call her ugly, this upset John and said that there was no "John and Yoko" but that they were one "JohnandYoko".

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