; 9 October 1940 – 8December 1980) was an Englishrock musician, singer, and songwriter who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. Lennon along withPaul McCartneyformed one of the most influential and successfulsongwriting partnerships and "wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history".

[3]

Lennon revealed arebellious nature and biting wit in his music, on film, in books, and at press conferencesand interviews. He was controversial through his work as a peace activistandartist. After The Beatles, Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career with such acclaimed albumsasJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono BandandImagine and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After a self-imposed "retirement" from 1976 to 1980, Lennon reemerged with a comeback album,

Double Fantasy

, which would win the 1981GrammyAward for Album of the Year . Less than one month after the release of the album, Lennonwas murdered in New York City on 8 December 1980.In 2002, respondents to aBBCpoll on the 100 Greatest Britonsvoted Lennon into eighth place. In 2004,

Rolling Stone

magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of "TheImmortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked The Beatles at number one.He was also ranked fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2009.

[4]

He wasinducted into theSongwriters Hall of Famein 1987, and theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Contents

[hide]

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1 Early years: 1940–1957

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2 The Beatles: 1957–1970

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3 Solo career

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4 Marriages and relationships

4.1 Cynthia Lennon

4.2 Yoko Ono

4.3 May Pang/The "Lost Weekend"

4.4 Julian Lennon

4.5 Sean Lennon

4.6 The former Beatles

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5 Political activism

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6 Drugs, meditation and primal therapy

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•

•

•

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11 Awards with The Beatles

11.1 Solo career

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12 Discography

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13 Musical instruments

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14 Notes

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15 References

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16 External links

[edit] Early years: 1940–1957

Further information: Julia Lennon

, Alfred Lennon

, Mimi Smith ,and George Toogood Smith

John Winston Lennon

was born in the Liverpool Maternity Hospital, Oxford Street,Liverpool, toJulia Lennon(née Stanley) andAlfred (Alf, or Freddie) Lennon, during the course of aGerman air raid in World War II. Julia's sister, Mary Smith, (Mimi) ranthrough the blacked out back roads to reach the hospital. A two mile trek to the hospital,she used the explosions to see where she was going.

[5][6][7]

He was named after his paternalgrandfather, John 'Jack' Lennon, andWinston Churchill.

[7]

Alf was amerchant seaman during World War II, and was often away from home, but sent regular pay cheques to Julia, who was living with the young Lennon at 9 Newcastle Road, Liverpool, but thecheques stopped when Alf wentAWOLin 1943.

[8][9]

When Alf eventually came home in1944, he offered to look after his wife and son, but Julia (who was pregnantwith another man's child) rejected the idea.

[10]

After considerable pressure from her sister, Mary"Mimi" Smith(who contacted Liverpool'sSocial Servicesto complain about Julia), she handed the care of Lennon over to Mimi.

[11]

In July 1946, Alf visited Mimi and took Lennon toBlackpool,secretly intending to emigrate to New Zealand with him.

[12]

Juliafollowed them, and after a very heated argument, Alf made the five-year-old Lennonchoose between Julia or him, and Lennon chose him twice. As Julia walked away,however, Lennon began to cry and followed her. Alf then lost contact with Lennon untilthe height of Beatlemania, when father and son met again.

[13]

Mendips

; George and Mimi Smith's home, where Lennon lived for most of his childhoodand adolescence.