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John Lennon(1940-1980)

  • Music Artist
  • Composer
  • Actor
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John Lennon and The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night (1964)
The Beatles, an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, is one the most influential band of all time.  Take a look back at the musical career of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Play clip2:15
The Beatles Retrospective
34 Videos
99+ Photos
John Winston (later Ono) Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon, a merchant seaman. He was raised by his mother's older sister Mimi Smith. In the mid-1950s, he formed his first band, The Quarrymen (after Quarry Bank High School, which he attended) who, with the addition of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, later became The Beatles.

After some years of performing in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany, "Beatlemania" erupted in England and Europe in 1963 after the release of their singles "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me". That same year, John's first wife Cynthia Lennon welcomed their only son Julian Lennon, named after John's mother. The next year the Beatles flew to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka The Ed Sullivan Show), and Beatlemania spread worldwide. Queen Elizabeth II granted all four Beatles M.B.E. medals in 1965, for import revenues from their record sales; John returned his four years later, as part of an antiwar statement. John and the Beatles continued to tour and perform live until 1966, when protests over his calling the Beatles phenomenon "more popular than Jesus" and the frustrations of touring made the band decide to quit the road. They devoted themselves to studio work, recording and releasing albums such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Magical Mystery Tour" and the "White Album". Instead of appearing live, the band began making their own "pop clips" (an early term for music videos), which were featured on television programs of the time.

In the late 1960s John began performing and making albums with his second wife Yoko Ono, as the Beatles began to break up. Their first two albums, "Two Virgins" and "Life With The Lions", were experimental and flops by Beatles standards, while their "Wedding Album" was almost a vanity work, but their live album "Live Peace In Toronto" became a Top Ten hit, at the end of the 1960s.

In the early 1970s John and Yoko continued to record together, making television appearances and performing at charity concerts. After the release of John's biggest hit, "Imagine", they moved to the US, where John was nearly deported because of his political views (a late-'60s conviction for possession of hashish in the U.K. was the excuse given by the government), but after a four-year legal battle he won the right to stay. In the midst of this, John and Yoko separated for over a year; John lived in Los Angeles with personal assistant May Pang, while Yoko dated guitarist David Spinozza. When John made a guest appearance at Elton John's Thanksgiving 1974 concert, Yoko was in the audience, and surprised John backstage. They reconciled in early 1975, and Yoko soon became pregnant. After the birth of their son Sean Lennon, John settled into the roles of "househusband" and full-time daddy, while Yoko became his business manager; both appeared happy in their new life together.

After a five-year break from music and the public eye, they made a comeback with their album "Double Fantasy", but within weeks of their re-emergence, Lennon was murdered on the evening of December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman, a one-time Beatles fan angry and jealous over John's ongoing career, who fatally shot Lennon four times in the back outside his apartment building, The Dakota, as Lennon was returning from a recording session. Within minutes after being shot, John Lennon was dead at age 40. His violent death was a sudden and tragic end to the life of a talented singer and musician who wanted to make a difference in the world.
BornOctober 9, 1940
DiedDecember 8, 1980(40)
BornOctober 9, 1940
DiedDecember 8, 1980(40)
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  • Won 1 Oscar

Double Take: Showstopping Biopic Transformations

Double Take: Showstopping Biopic Transformations

We've rounded up some of the best biopic transformations, including Naomi Ackie in I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
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[object Object]
Photos

Photos582

John Lennon
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Astrid Kirchherr, and The Beatles
John Lennon, Astrid Kirchherr, and The Beatles
Mia Farrow, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
John Lennon, Anne Clune, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, George Martin, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Pete Best, George Harrison, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and The Beatles in How the Beatles Changed the World (2017)

Known for

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night (1964)
A Hard Day's Night
7.5
  • John
  • 1964
Barry Gibb, Peter Frampton, Maurice Gibb, and Robin Gibb in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4.2
  • Music Department
  • 1978
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Paul Angelis, Peter Batten, John Clive, Dick Emery, George Harrison, Geoffrey Hughes, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in Yellow Submarine (1968)
Yellow Submarine
7.4
  • John(uncredited)
  • 1968
Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood in Across the Universe (2007)
Across the Universe
7.3
  • Soundtrack("Girl", "Helter Skelter", "Hold Me Tight", "All My Loving", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "With A Little Help From My Friends", "It Won't Be Long", "I've Just Seen A Face", "Let It Be", "Come Together", "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?", "If I Fell", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "Dear Prudence", "Flying", "I Am The Walrus", "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite", "Because", "Oh! Darling", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Revolution", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Blackbird", "Hey Jude", "Don't Let Me Down", "All You Need Is Love", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "A Day In The Life", "Across The Universe", "And I Love Her")
  • 2007

Credits

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IMDbPro

Composer

  • The Beatles: Here, There and Everywhere (2022 mix) (2022)
    The Beatles: Here, There and Everywhere (2022 mix)
  • The Beatles: I'm Only Sleeping (2022 mix) (2022)
    The Beatles: I'm Only Sleeping (2022 mix)
  • The Beatles: Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
  • John Lennon: Mother
  • John Lennon: Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
  • John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band: Give Peace a Chance (Version 2)
  • John Lennon: Borrowed Time - Version 2
  • John Lennon: Nobody Told Me - Version 2
  • John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: Working Class Hero - Version 2
  • John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band: Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Version 2
  • John Lennon: Watching the Wheels
  • John Lennon: Jealous Guy - Version 4
  • John Lennon: Mind Games (2003)
    John Lennon: Mind Games
  • Plastic Ono Band: Cold Turkey
  • John Lennon: Stand by Me - Version 2

Actor

  • John Lennon: Mother
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: Working Class Hero - Version 2
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band: Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Version 2
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon Feat. Elton John: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - Version 2 (1994)
    John Lennon Feat. Elton John: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - Version 2
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band: Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Version 1
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon: Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
    • (voice)
  • John Lennon and Yoko Ono in John Lennon: (Just Like) Starting Over (First Version) (1980)
    John Lennon: (Just Like) Starting Over (First Version)
  • Fire in the Water (1977)
    Fire in the Water
  • John Lennon: Stand by Me (1975)
    John Lennon: Stand by Me
  • John Lennon: Slippin' & Slidin' (1975)
    John Lennon: Slippin' & Slidin'
  • John Lennon Feat. Elton John: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - Version 1 (1974)
    John Lennon Feat. Elton John: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - Version 1
  • John Lennon: Mind Games - First Version (1973)
    John Lennon: Mind Games - First Version
  • Yoko Ono: Don't Count the Waves
  • John Lennon: Oh Yoko!
  • John Lennon: How?

Videos34

The Beatles Retrospective
Clip 2:15
The Beatles Retrospective
I Met The Walrus
Clip 0:17
I Met The Walrus
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:01
Official Trailer
Watch Now
Trailer 0:31
Watch Now
Trailer
Trailer 3:15
Trailer
Watch Now
Trailer 0:31
Watch Now
Teaser Trailer
Trailer 1:04
Teaser Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:47
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 3:58
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:53
Official Trailer
Teaser
Trailer 0:55
Teaser
Re-release Trailer
Trailer 1:40
Re-release Trailer

Personal details

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  • Official sites
    • Apple Music
    • Facebook
    • October 9, 1940
    • Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK
    • December 8, 1980
    • New York City, New York, USA(murdered by gunshot)
    • Yoko OnoMarch 20, 1969 - December 8, 1980 (his death, 1 child)
    • Sean Lennon
    • Mimi Smith(Aunt or Uncle)
  • Other works
    TV commercial: One2One cell phones (archive footage)
  • Publicity listings
    • 23 Biographical Movies
    • 28 Print Biographies
    • 25 Portrayals
    • 8 Interviews
    • 74 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 47 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    During the 1960s he had attempted to instigate a live action adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" books (of which he was a fan), starring himself and his Beatle bandmates. Lennon had expressed interest in the role of Gollum, with Paul McCartney playing Frodo, Ringo Starr playing Sam and George Harrison playing Gandalf.
  • Quotes
    When real music comes to me - the music of the spheres, the music that surpasseth understanding - that has nothing to do with me, 'cause I'm just the channel. The only joy for me is for it to be given to me, and to transcribe it like a medium...those moments are what I live for.
    • Round-framed glasses and army-surplus jacket

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