McCartney Times

UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of John Lennon Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

John Winston Ono Lennon (MBE), the co-founder of The Beatles, singer, songwriter and peace activist was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England.

When John was 11 years old, he discovered his love for his music through Elvis Presley’s records and learnt Banjo. John’s mother’s death had a very deep impact on him which reflected in his behaviour, education and life.

Lennon formed the skiffle group, the Quarrymen. Skiffle is a music genre with blues, jazz, American folk influences, folk musical instruments which were a combination of manufactured and home-made instruments.

The Quarrymen evolved into the Beatles, with members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, a group which was widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history.

The Beatles tried several music styles, from Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, pop ballads induced with classical elements, and unorthodox recording techniques which led them to new innovative music. Their enormous popularity emerged as “Beatlemania”. Some of the most notes songs of The Beatles are Hey Jude, Money Can’t Buy Me Love, Hard Day’s Night, Yellow Submarine, Within You Without You, Blue Jay Way, Don’t Bother Me, And I Love Her and many more which topped the charts.

On December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot four times in the back at a close range when he was returning to apartment in a limousine. His killer, Mark David Chapman, had, in fact, got an autograph from the legend on a copy of John’s Double Fantasy that very evening.

Thirty-eight years after John Lennon’s demise, fans still feel the songs he wrote so refreshing. Having contributed a lot as a peace rights activist, John Lennon, who wrote and recorded a single Give Peace a Chance, an anti-war anthem, which was sung by demonstrators against the Vietnam War in Washington. John has prominently made an impact on the world through his music and the selfless charity work.

So, John’s words All we are saying is give peace a chance holds true even today.