John Lennon Informative Essay

Rough Draft
"Imagine all the people, living life in peace" These lyrics, written by John
Lennon in !", were from his best# selling song in his solo career title$ "Imagine%"
This song challenges the listener to imagine a worl$ at peace with no $ivisions or
$enominations among humanity% These lyrics must&ve came from e'perience% John
Lennon le$ a life full of ups an$ $owns inclu$ing, but not only, his life in the (eatles,
after he $isban$e$ from his ban$, an$ en$ing with his $eath%
In !)*, at age si'teen, John Lennon bought his +rst, ine'pensive acoustic
guitar with money his mother gave him% The guitar was $elivere$ to his mother&s
house, because his aunt, whom he was living with, $i$n&t approve of his musical
aspirations% ,is aunt believe$ he shoul$ be focuse$ on something "worth his while"
li-e e$ucation% .et, $uring his high school years an$ throughout, he was note$ for
being a $isruptive class clown whom faile$ most of his e'ams% During these high
school times, he starte$ his +rst ban$ "The /uarrymen," which woul$ later evolve
into the (eatles% "The /uarrymen" were name$ after /uarry (an- ,igh 0chool, the
school he atten$e$% (y the ban$&s secon$ performance, John met 1aul 2c3artney
an$ as-e$ him to 4oin% they continue$ playing together, an$ Lennon wrote his +rst
song ",ello Little 5irl" at age eighteen% 5eorge ,arrison shortly after 4oine$ as the
lea$ guitarist, but John thought he was too young at the age of fourteen% 5eorge
au$itione$ again for Lennon6 this time he was convince$% Then, John as-e$ his
frien$ from art school, 0tuart 0utcli7e, to 4oin% Lennon, 2c3artney, ,arrison, an$
0utcli7e became the (eatles in early !*8%
During a tour in 5ermany, John began e'perimenting with $rugs to stay up
$uring late performances, an$ 0utcli7e $eci$e$ to stay in ,amburg% 2c3artney then
playe$ bass for the ban$6 1ete (est, the $rummer at the time, was replace$ by
Ringo 0tarr% This woul$ be the four (eatles until their brea-#up% Their +rst single,
"Love 2e Do," was release$ in 9ctober,!*:6 "1lease, 1lease 2e," their $ebut album
came out ;ebruary th, !*<% They achieve$ their mainstream success in the
=nite$ >ing$om in !*<% The (eatles playe$ for the Royal ?ariety 0how, which the
@ueen an$ (ritish royalty atten$e$% After (eatlemania in the =>, they ma$e a $ebut
on the =nite$ 0tates E$ 0ullivan 0how in !*B, mar-ing their international star$om%
The (eatles toure$ for the ne't two years% They were recogniCe$ by the (ritish
Establishment when appointe$ to the 2embers of the 9r$er of the (ritish Empire in
!*)% Later, after two inci$ents involving $rugs an$ @uotes ta-en the wrong way,
they stoppe$ touring% Lennon then thought of leaving the ban$, an$ his use of the
$rug L0D was increasing% During these times, the (eatles release$ 0gt% 1epper&s
Lonely ,earts 3lub (an$% The ban$ atten$e$ a personal instruction seminar, $uring
which they were informe$ their manager ha$ $ie$% John continue$ to have further
$oubts an$ thoughts of leaving% In !*D, they forme$ the Apple 3orps, a multime$ia
corporation, but soon foun$ out it was in nee$ of professional -eeping% They signe$
it o7 to be manage$ by Allen >lein% After this time, Lennon preforme$ with many
other artists an$ even starre$ in a movie% ,e e'perimente$ in $oing $uets with his
newlywe$ wife, .o-o 9no% John Lennon left the (eatles in 0eptember,!*! without
notifying the me$ia%
After John $isban$e$ from the (eatles, John an$ .o-o went to therapy for the
troubles of early chil$hoo$% 0hortly after, they move$ bac- to Lon$on% Lennon&s +rst
$ebut solo album was "John LennonE1lastic 9no (an$%" John continue$ to write
many songs to $eal with his emotions% ,e wrote "2other" to e'press his chil$hoo$
re4ection% ,is song ",ow Do .ou 0leepF" was $irecte$ towar$s 1aul 2c3artney to
a$$ress the resentment he felt% John ha$ been ma$ at 1aul for releasing his own
solo album an$ announcing his leave from the (eatles publicly, giving 2c3artney all
the cre$it of brea-ing them up% John continue$ to use $rugs an$ alcohol, but also
ma$e many songs to promote the anti#war e7ort such as ",appy Gmas HIar Is
9verJ% ,e move$ bac- to Kew .or- in !"% ,is last full#length performance was in
the 2a$ison 0@uare 5ar$en on August <8th, !":% John continue$ to play guitar for
artists in some songs, inclu$ing helping Ringo 0tarr with his new album% Eventually,
John too- a +ve year brea- of the musical career to be a family man% This $ecision
was ma$e by him after the birth of his secon$ son, 0ean, on 9ct% !th, !")% ,e
ma$e another single in !D8 title$ "HJust Li-eJ 0tarting 9ver" e'pressing his
newfoun$ happiness with his family%
A cruel en$ came to John Lennon&s life when he was mur$ere$% 9n December
Dth, !D8, aroun$ 8L )8 12, 2ar- Davi$ 3hapman shot John in the bac- four times
upon his arrival to his Kew .or- apartment with .o-o% John was ta-en to a nearby
hospital but was $ea$ before he arrive$ at aroun$ L8" 12% There was no funeral
for John, instea$, he was cremate$ an$ his ashes were sprea$ in 3entral 1ar-% .o-o
ma$e a statement in his memory, " John love$ an$ praye$ for the human race%
1lease pray the same for him%"
John Lennon le$ a very famous life full of ups an$ $owns% Through his early
years forming the (eatles, all the way to the time he was writing on his own% ,is
creativeness was sometimes ta-en negatively, but he maintaine$ an$ too- his
stance% I believe Lennon foun$ a greater amount of wis$om in his later life an$ put it
into his lyrics% Everyone ma-es mista-es, but the wise ones learn from them%