John Lennon

I CAN'T BELIEVE NO ONE STARTED A WIKI PAGE FOR JOHN LENNON!  I will be honored. I'll start with a picture and a little history because I'm going around starting all of these pages...

Whoever knew him I'm sure misses him very much.

 

For those who don't know, he was unfairly killed near the beginning of his career and life by a man who didn't like his songs. This man walked up to John Lennon's door and shot him. What a way to die.

 

This page shall be devoted to him and his life.

 

John Lennon was born October 9, 1940 in Liverpool England. He was the founder of the insanely popular British rock and roll group The Beatles. Music from The Beatles helped to define the 60s, and they became the best-selling popular musical act of the 20th century.

The Beatles began gaining popularity in the UK in 1963, and by January 1964 they had their first number one hit in the United States. On February 7, 1964, the band members landed in the United Stated, and Beatlemania officially began. During the week of April 4, 1964, all five of the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were by The Beatles. Another seven Beatles songs occupied lower numbers on the charts. Approximately 12% of the chart was taken by Beatles songs. No other band has ever reached that level of popularity.

In 1966 Lennon sparked controversy and backlash when he said in an interview that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus now." Many towns across the country held burning parties, at which people would toss their Beatles records and memorabilia into large fires and burn them in protest. Lennon later apologized, but 1966 marked their final tour. From that point on, they concentrated on recording music rather than performing live shows.

By 1968, the band members were at odds with one another, and Lennon officially departed from the band in 1969, although it wasn't announced until 1970. The Beatles released 12 original studio albums between 1963 and 1970, had 42 number one hits, and have sold over a billion units according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

After his departure from The Beatles, John Lennon embarked on a solo career. In 1970 he released the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album, which was basically therapy set to music. In 1971 he released his most successful solo album, Imagine. The title track became a peace anthem and is still played at anti-war protests and peace festivals to this day. He followed up with Some Time in New York City in 1972, Mind Games in 1973 and Walls and Bridges in 1974. In 1975, he released Rock 'n' Roll, on which he covered rock songs from his youth. It received generally negative reviews and would be Lennon's last album for five years.

John retired from music in 1975 in order to become a house husband and care for his youngest son Sean, who was born on October 9, 1975, to Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. John had another son, Julian, by a previous marriage, but they didn't have a close relationship, possibly due to the intense schedule demands on the members of The Beatles, his heavy partying, and a later divorce from Julian's mother, Cynthia. Shortly before his death in 1980, Lennon professed a regret over missing Julian's childhood, and a hope that they would work on a relationship.

In 1980, Lennon reappeared on the music scene with his album Double Fantasy. That comeback would be cut short in December, however. On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed by a crazed fan, Mark David Chapman. Chapman had waited outside Lennon's place of residence, The Dakota, in New York City all day. Around 5:00 p.m. Lennon and Ono left the apartment building on their way to the studio. Several people approached them as they left. One of those people was Mark David Chapman. He requested Lennon's autograph, Lennon complied by signing a copy of Double Fantasy, and the couple departed.

Chapman, however, did not. Upon the couple's return at approximately 10:50 p.m., Chapman was standing in the arch of the doorway to the courtyard at The Dakota. As they passed him, Chapman yelled out, "Mr. Lennon!" dropped to one knee, and fired five shots from a .38 revolver. Four of the shots hit Lennon, who then staggered up six steps and collapsed. The doorman said to Chapman, "Do you know what you've just done?" to which Chapman casually replied, "I just shot John Lennon." Chapman later recounted that the doorman grabbed his wrist and shook his hand until the weapon fell to the ground, at which point the doorman kicked it away. Chapman then pulled a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" from his pocket, and began reading until police arrived. He was arrested without incident.

Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, due to loss of over 80% of his blood volume. He was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale New York, and his ashes were kept by Yoko Ono. John had once joked that he figured his death would come in one of two ways: "We'll either go in a plane crash or we'll be popped off by some loony." The joke unfortunately turned into an unintended prophecy.

As for Chapman, he pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 20 to life, has been denied parole 4 times, and remains an inmate at Attica Correctional Facility. At his trial he testified that his actions were an attempt to gain attention.

 

 

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