John Lennon & Music

Life, Music, Affairs, History and more.

Out of all the Beatles, John Lennon had the most interesting—and frustrating—solo career. Lennon was capable of inspired, brutally honest confessional songwriting and melodic songcraft; he also had a tendency to rest on his laurels, churning out straight-ahead rock & roll without much care.

But the extremes, both in his music and his life, were what made him fascinating. Where Paul McCartney was content to be a rock star, Lennon dabbled in everything from revolutionary politics to the television talk-show circuit during the early '70s.

After releasing a pair of acclaimed albums, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, in the early '70s, Lennon sunk into an infamous "lost weekend" where his musical output was decidedly uneven and his public behavior was often embarrassing. Halfway through the decade, he sobered up and retired from performing to become a house-husband and father.

In 1980, he launched a comeback with his wife Yoko Ono, releasing the duet album Double Fantasy that fall. Just as his career was on an upswing, Lennon was tragically assassinated outside of his New York apartment building in December of 1980. He left behind an enormous legacy, not only as a musician, but as a writer, actor and activist.

Considering the magnitude of his achievements with the Beatles, Lennon's solo career is relatively overlooked. Even during the height of Beatlemania, Lennon began exploring outside of the group. In 1964, he published a collection of his writings called In His Own Write, which was followed in 1965 by A Spaniard in the Works, and in 1966, he appeared in Dick Lester's comedy How I Won the War. He didn't pursue a musical career outside of the group until 1968, when he recorded the experimental noise collage Unfinished Music, No. 1: Two Virgins with his new lover, avant-garde artist Yoko Ono.

Two Virgins caused considerable controversy, both because of its content and its cover art, which featured a nude photograph of Lennon and Ono. The couple married in Gibraltar in March 20, 1969. For their honeymoon, the pair staged the first of many political demonstrations with their "Bed-In for Peace" at the Amsterdam Hilton. Several months later, the avant garde records Unfinished Music, No. 2: Life with the Lions and The Wedding Album were released, as was the single "Give Peace a Chance," which was recorded during the Bed-In.

During September of 1969, Lennon returned to live performances with a concert at a Toronto rock & roll festival. He was supported by the Plastic Ono Band, which featured Ono, guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White. The following month, Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band released "Cold Turkey," which was about his battle with heroin addiction.

When the single failed to make the Top Ten in Britain and America, Lennon sent his MBE back to the Queen, protesting Britain's involvement in Biafra, America's involvement in Vietnam and the poor chart performance of "Cold Turkey."

Before the release of "Cold Turkey," Lennon had told the Beatles that he planned to leave the group, but he agreed not to publicly announce his intentions until after Allen Klein's negotiations with EMI on behalf of the Beatles were resolved. Lennon and Ono continued with their campaign for peace, spreading billboards with the slogan "War Is Over! (If You Want It)" in 12 separate cities. In February of 1970, he wrote, recorded and released the single "Instant Karma" within the span of the week.

The single became a major hit, reaching the Top Ten in both the U.K. and the U.S. Two months after "Instant Karma," Paul McCartney announced that the Beatles were splitting up, provoking the anger of Lennon. Much of this anger was vented on his first full-fledged solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, a scathingly honest confessional work inspired by his and Ono's primal scream therapy. Lennon supported the album with an extensive interview with Rolling Stone, where he debunked many of the myths surrounding the Beatles. Early in 1971, he released another protest single, "Power to the People," before moving to New York. That fall, he released Imagine, which featured the Top Ten title track. By the time Imagine became a hit album, Lennon and Ono had returned to political activism, publicly supporting American radicals like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and John Sinclair. Their increased political involvement resulted in the double-album Sometime in New York City, which was released in the summer of 1972. Recorded with the New York hippie band Elephant's Memory, Sometime in New York City consisted entirely of political songs, many of which were criticized for their simplicity. Consequently, the album sold poorly and tarnished Lennon's reputation.

Sometime in New York City was the beginning of a three-year downward spiral for Lennon. Shortly before the album's release, he began his long, involved battle with US Immigration, who refused to give him a green card due to a conviction for marijuana possession in 1968. In 1973, he was ordered to leave America by Immigration, and he launched a full-scale battle against the department, frequently attacking them in public. Mind Games was released in late 1973 to mixed reviews; its title track became a moderate hit. The following year, he and Ono separated, and he moved out to Los Angeles, beginning his year-and-a-half long "lost weekend."

During 1974 and 1975, Lennon lived a life of debauchery in Los Angeles, partying hard with such celebrities as Elton John, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, David Bowie and Ringo Starr. Walls and Bridges appeared in November of 1974, and it became a hit due to the inclusion of "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," a song he wrote with Elton John. At the end of the year, John helped reunite Lennon and Ono, convincing the ex-Beatle to appear during one of his concerts; it would be Lennon's last performance.

Rock & Roll, a collection of rock oldies recorded during the lost weekend, was released in the spring of 1975. A few months before its official release, a bootleg of the album called Roots was released by Morris Levy, who Lennon later sued successfully.

Lennon's immigration battle neared its completion on October 7, 1975, when the US court of appeals overturned his deportation order; in the summer of 1976, he was finally granted his green card. After he appeared on David Bowie's Young Americans, co-writing the hit song "Fame," Lennon quietly retired from music, choosing to become a house-husband following the October birth of his son, Sean Lennon.

During the summer of 1980, Lennon returned to recording, signing a new contract with Geffen Records. Comprised equally of material by Lennon and Ono, Double Fantasy was released in November to positive reviews.

As the album and its accompanying single, "(Just Like) Starting Over," were climbing the charts, Lennon was assassinated on December 8 by Mark David Chapman. Lennon's death inspired deep grief from the entire world; on December 14, millions of fans around the world participated in a ten-minute silent vigil for Lennon at 2 p.m. EST.

Double Fantasy and "(Just Like) Starting Over" both became number one hits in the wake of his death. In the years after his death, several albums of unreleased recordings appeared, the first of which was 1984's Milk and Honey; perhaps the most substantial was the 1998 four-disc box set Anthology, issued in conjunction with a single-disc sampler titled Wonsaponatime.

Key moments in John Lennon's History

(see also John Lennon's Biography)

October 9, 1940 - As sirens wailed during a German Luftwaffe attack, John Lennon is born at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool, England to Julia Stanley and Alfred Lennon.

1956 - John's mother buys him a guitar. He forms his first group, the Quarrymen, with pals Pete Shotton, Nigel Whalley, and Ivan Vaughan.

July 6, 1957 - John meets Paul McCartney at the Woolton Parish Church in Liverpool during a performance by the Quarrymen.

1958 - John writes his first song, "Hello Little Girl," which is later recorded by the Beatles at their 1962 audition for Decca Records.

July 15, 1958 - John's mother is killed while crossing the road by an off-duty policeman.

1960 - In his final year of art school in Liverpool, John forms a group with Paul, George, and Stu Sutcliffe.

August 1960 - Pete Best joins The Silver Beetles as drummer for their six week residency at a strip bar in Hamburg. Stu eventually leaves the group, and Paul takes over on bass.

January 1961 - The Beatles debut at the Cavern Club, Liverpool.

January 24, 1962 - The Beatles agree verbally to be managed by Brian Epstein

June 4, 1962 - George Martin signs The Beatles to Parlophone EMI.

August 23, 1962 - John marries Cynthia Powell as news hits the press that Brian Epstein has fired Pete Best.

February 1963 - The Beatles begin their first U.K. tour. They take one night off to record the album Please Please Me in one session.

April 8, 1963 - John Charles Julian Lennon is born to Cynthia and John at Sefton General Hospital, in Liverpool.

August 3, 1963 - After almost three hundred performances at the venue, The Beatles play their farewell show at the Cavern Club.

February 7, 1964 - The Beatles embark on their first US tour.

February 9 and 16, 1964 - The Beatles headline twice on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

March 1964 - With "Can't Buy Me Love" topping the charts both in Britain and America, shooting begins on the Beatles' first feature film, A Hard Day's Night.

April 1964 - John's first book of stories and poems, In His Own Write, is published.

August 1964 - After touring Austrailia, The Beatles visit the U.S. for a 32-day tour. Bob Dylan introduces them to marijuana.

January 1965 - John composes "Help!"

Spring 1965 - A friend of George Harrison's secretly spikes coffee with LSD, sending John, his wife Cynthia, George, and Patti Boyd on their first LSD trip.

June 1965 - John's second book, A Spaniard In The Works, is published.

July 29, 1965 - Help! premieres in London's West End.

August 1965 - The Beatles visit Elvis Presley at his home. Elvis refers to each of them as "Beatle," not knowing their individual names.

December 3, 1965 - Rubber Soul is released.

June 20, 1966 - The American album Yesterday and Today is released with the infamous "butcher cover." It was later recalled after complaints.

August 5, 1966 - Revolver is released.

August 29, 1966 - After major difficulties on the road, including death threats, The Beatles perform their final concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. They are now solely a studio group.

November 1966 - Yoko Ono and John Lennon meet at Indica Gallery in London.

February 1967 - John and Paul receive the Song of the Year Grammyi"?1/2 Award for "Michelle."

June 1, 1967 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is released.

September 1967 - John writes "I Am the Walrus."

November 27, 1967 - Magical Mystery Tour is released in America.

February 1968 - George convinces The Beatles to visit the Maharashi in India.

August 22, 1968 - Cynthia files for divorce. Paul soon writes "Hey Jude" to comfort Julian.

November 11, 1968 - John and Yoko's first of three experimental albums is released. The cover of Two Virgins is a photograph of the couple standing naked.

November 22, 1968 - The Beatles [The White Album] is released.

January 13, 1969 - Yellow Submarine is released.

January 30, 1969 - The Beatles perform together as a group for the final time on the roof of the Apple building, during the filming of Let It Be.

March 20, 1969 - John and Yoko marry in Gibraltar.

May 26, 1969 - Life with the Lions, the second experimental collaboration between John and Yoko, is released.

September 1969 - Lennon releases the single "Cold Turkey," about his heroin withdrawl.

September 26, 1969 - Abbey Road is released.

October 20, 1969 - Wedding Album is released.

December 12, 1969 - Lennon's impromptu concert in Toronto with Eric Clapton assisting on guitar is released as Live Peace in Toronto, 1969.

December 11, 1970 - Plastic Ono Band is released.

May 8, 1970 - Let It Be is released.

September 3, 1971 - John leaves the U.K. for New York, never to return.

September 9, 1971 - The album Imagine is released.

June 12, 1972 - John and Yoko release the more mainstream Sometime in New York City/Live Jam.

October 1973 - John travels to Los Angeles, later calling his eighteen-month separation from Yoko his "lost weekend."

November 2, 1973 - John releases the album Mind Games.

September 26, 1974 - Sessions from the "lost weekend" are released as Walls and Bridges.

February 17, 1975 - Rock 'N' Roll is released.

October 5, 1975 - U.S. Court of Appeal overturns John's deportation order, granting him residency.

October 9, 1975 - Sean Taro Ono Lennon is born at New York Hospital on John's thirty-fifth birthday.

November 17, 1980 - The Double Fantasy album is released.

December 8, 1980 - Returning home from the studio, John Lennon is assassinated while walking toward the entryway of his building.

February 1982 - John posthumously wins the Album of the Year Grammyi"?1/2 for Double Fantasy.

January 27, 1984 - Milk and Honey is released.

February 10, 1986 - A concert recorded on August 30, 1972 is released as Live in New York City.

November 3, 1986 - A collection of alternate takes from Rock 'N' Roll and Walls and Bridges is released as Menlove Ave.

February 1992 - John receives the Grammyi"?1/2 Lifetime Achievement Award.

January 1994 - John is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

November 2, 2004 - A collection of recordings with John performing solo with a guitar is released as Acoustic.

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