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John Lennon Biography (1940-1980)

Original name, John Winston Lennon; name legally changed, April 22, 1969; born October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England; died of gunshot wounds, December 8,1980, in New York, NY; son of Alfred (a merchant seaman, dishwasher, and porter) and Julia (Stanley) Lennon; married Cynthia Powell, August 23, 1962 (divorced, November 8, 1968); married Yoko Ono (an artist and singer), March 20,1969; children: (first marriage) John Charles Julian (a musician); (second marriage) Kyoko (stepdaughter), Sean Ono Taro (a musician). Career: Actor, musician, composer, producer, director and writer. Nurk Twins, band member, 1957; Quarrymen, co-founder and member of musical group, 1958; Moondogs, member of trio, 1959; Silver Beatles, band member, 1960; premiered with the Beatles, Liverpool, England, 1960; The Beatles, band member, 1960-70. Apple Boutique, London, co-owner, 1967-68; Apple Corp. Ltd., London, partner, beginningin 1968. Plastic Ono Band, founder and band member, 1969; also performed asa solo musical artist, 1970-80. Awards, Honors: Foyles Literary Prize,1964, for In His Own Write; Grammy Award (with the Beatles), best newartists, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1964; Grammy Awardnomination (with the Beatles), best original score for a motion picture or television show, 1964, for A Hard Day's Night; Grammy Award nomination(with Paul McCartney), song of the year, 1964, for "A Hard Days Night;" decorated Order of the British Empire, 1965; Grammy Award nomination (with Paul McCartney), song of the year, 1965, for "Yesterday;" Grammy Award nomination (with the Beatles), best original score for motion picture or television show,1965, for Help!; Grammy Award (with McCartney), song of the year, 1966, for "Michelle;" Grammy Awards (with the Beatles), album of the year, best album cover, best contemporary rock and roll recording, and best engineered recording, all 1967, for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; Grammy Award nomination (with McCartney), song of the year, 1968, for "Hey Jude;" Grammy Award (with the Beatles), best engineered recording, 1969, for Abbey Road; Grammy Award nomination (with the Beatles), best original score fora motion picture or television special, 1969, for Yellow Submarine; Grammy Award (with the Beatles), best original score for music or television, 1970, for Let It Be; Grammy Award nominations (with McCartney), song ofthe year and best contemporary song, and Academy Award (with the Beatles) best original song score, all 1970, for "Let It Be;" Ivor Novello Award (with the Beatles), 1970, for "Get Back" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da;" Trustee Award (with the Beatles), National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1972; Grammy Award nomination (with the Beatles), cast show album, 1978, for Beatlemania; Grammy Award (with Yoko Ono), album of the year, 1981, for DoubleFantasy; Grammy Award nomination (with Ono), spoken word or non-musicalrecording, 1981, for Heart Play (Unfinished Dialogue); posthumously inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1988; Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1991; numerous gold and platinum albums.

Nationality

English

Gender

Male

Occupation

Musician, actor, composer, producer, director, writer

Birth Details

October 9, 1940

Liverpool, England

Death Details

December 8, 1980

New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• John, A Hard's Day Night, United Artists, 1964
• The Beatles at Shea Stadium, 1965
• John, Help! (also known as Eight Arms to Hold You), UnitedArtists, 1965
• Gripweed, How I Won the War, United Artists, 1967
• Voice of himself, Yellow Submarine (animated), United Artists, 1968
• Himself, The Magic Christian, Commonwealth, 1970
• Himself, Let It Be, United Artists, 1970
• Himself, Dynamite Chicken, EYP Programs, 1971
• Fire in the Water, 1977
• Himself in archival footage, Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol,1982
• Himself in archival footage, The Compleat Beatles, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1982
• Himself in archival footage, Ready Steady Go, Volume 1, 1983
• Himself in archival footage, Ready Steady Go, Volume 2, 1985
• Himself in archival footage, Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Sixties (also known as Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Sixties), 1986
• Himself in archival footage, Rolling Stone: The First Twenty Years(documentary), 1987
• Himself in archival footage, Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, 1987
• Himself in archival footage and narrator, Imagine: John Lennon (documentary), 1988
• The Dirty Mac, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (documentary), 1995
• Himself in archival footage, The History of Rock 'n' Roll, Volume 3 (also known as Britain Invades, America Fights Back), 1995
• Film Work
• Creator and director, Apothesis (short), 1971
• Also created several short films, including Erection, Cold Turkey, and The Ballad of John and Yoko.
• Television Appearances
• Specials
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, 1963 Royal Command Performance (also known as Royal Variety Show), ITV, 1963
• What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A., 1964
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, Around the Beatles, ITV, 1964
• Rock and Roll Circus, 1968
• Host, John Lennon and Yoko Ono Present the One-to-One Concert, 1972
• The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, 1996
• Episodic
• Juke Box Jury, BBC, 1963
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, Parnell's Sunday Night atthe London Palladium, Anglia TV, 1963
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, The Morecambe and Wise Show, Anglia TV, 1963
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, The Jack Paar Show, NBC, 1964
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, The Ed Sullivan Show,CBS, 1964 and 1965
• Lavatory Attendant, Not Only-But Also.., BBC, 1965
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, The Morecambe and Wise Show, BBC, 1969
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, Ready, Steady, Go! (rebroadcast of the 1960s series), The Disney Channel, 1990
• Also appeared in Ready, Steady, Go! A-R, in the 1960s.
• Other Television Appearances
• Himself, Magical Mystery Tour (movie), BBC, 1967
• The Beatles Anthology (miniseries), 1995
• Television Work
• Movies
• Director and producer (with others), Magical Mystery Tour, BBC, 1967
• Stage Work
• Co-creator, Oh! Calcutta!, Eden Theatre, 1969
• Composer, Beatlemania, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1977
• Radio Appearances
• Series
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, Pop Go the Beatles, BBC, 1963
• Specials
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, The Beatles, Popgrupp fran Liverpool pa Besoek i Stockholm (title means The Beatles, Pop Groupfrom Liverpool Visiting Stockholm), Sverige Radio, 1963
• Himself and song performer with the Beatles, 1963 Royal Command Performance (also known as Royal Variety Show; highlights from the television special), BBC, 1963
• RECORDINGS
• Albums with the Beatles
• Introducing.the Beatles, Vee-Jay, 1963
• Please Please Me, EMI, 1963
• With the Beatles, EMI, 1963
• Songs, Pictures, and Stories, Vee-Jay, 1964
• The Beatles' Second Album, Capitol, 1964
• Something New, Capitol, 1964
• Beatles VI, Capitol, 1964
• A Hard Day's Night, EMI, 1964
• Meet the Beatles, Capitol, 1964
• The Beatles for Sale, Parlophone, 1964, EMI, 1965
• Beatles '65, Capitol, 1965
• Sing a Song with the Beatles, Tower, 1965
• Help!, EMI, 1965
• Rubber Soul, Parlophone, 1965
• Yesterday.and Today, Capitol, 1966
• Revolver, EMI, 1966
• A Collection of Beatle Oldies, Parlophone, 1966
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, EMI, 1967
• Magical Mystery Tour, EMI, 1967
• The Beatles: The White Album, Apple, 1968
• Yellow Submarine, Apple, 1969
• Abbey Road, Apple, 1969
• Let It Be, Apple, 1970
• Hey Jude (Or the Beatles Again) (compilation), Capitol, 1970
• The Beatles-Circa 1960-in the Beginning, Polydor, 1970
• The Beatles 1962-1966, Apple, 1973
• The Beatles 1967-1970, Apple, 1973
• Rock 'n' Roll Music, Capitol, 1976
• The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Capitol, 1977
• The Beatles Live! At the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany: 1962, Lingagon, 1977
• Love Songs, Capitol, 1977
• Rarities, Capitol, 1979
• Dawn of the Silver Beatles, PAC, 1981
• Reel Music, Capitol, 1982
• Twenty Greatest Hits, Capitol, 1982
• All Our Loving, 1987
• Past Masters Volume One, Parlophone, 1988
• Past Masters Volume Two, Parlophone, 1988
• Live at the BBC, Apple/Capitol, 1994
• The Ultimate Box Set, Capitol, 1995
• Beatles Anthology One, Apple/Capitol, 1995
• Beatles Anthology Two, Apple/Capitol, 1996
• Beatles Anthology Three, Capitol, 1996
• Singles with the Beatles
• "I Want to Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There," Capitol, 1964
• "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That," Capitol, 1964
• "A Hard Day's Night"/"I Should Have Known Better," Capitol, 1964
• "I'll Cry Instead"/"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," Capitol, 1964
• "And I Love Her"/"If I Fell," Capitol, 1964
• "Matchbox"/"Slow Down," Capitol, 1964
• "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman," Capitol, 1964
• "Eight Days a Week"/"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," Capitol, 1965
• "Ticket to Ride"/"Yes It is," Capitol, 1965
• "Help"/"I'm Down," Capitol, 1965
• "Yesterday"/"Act Naturally," Capitol, 1965
• "Twist and Shout"/"There's a Place," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "Please Please Me"/"From Me to You," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "Do You Want to Know a Secret"/"Thank You Girl," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "Roll Over Beethoven"/"Misery," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "Boys"/"Kansas City"-"Hey Hey Hey Hey," Capitol Starline, 1965
• "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper," Capitol, 1965
• "Nowhere Man"/"What Goes On," Capitol, 1966
• "Paperback Writer"/"Rain," Capitol, 1966
• "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby," Capitol, 1967
• "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever," Capitol, 1967
• "All You Need Is Love"/"Baby You're a Rich Man," Capitol, 1967
• "Hello Goodbye"/"I Am the Walrus," Capitol, 1967
• "Lady Madonna"/"The Inner Light," Capitol, 1968
• "Hey Jude"/"Revolution," Apple, 1968
• "Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down," Apple, 1969
• "The Ballad of John and Yoko"/"Old Brown Shoe," Apple, 1969
• "Something"/"Come Together," Apple, 1969
• "Let It Be"/"You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," Apple, 1970
• "The Long and Winding Road"/"For You Blue," Apple, 1970
• "Got to Get You into My Life"/"Helter Skelter," Capitol, 1976
• "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"/"Julia," Capitol, 1976
• "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"/"With a Little Help from My Friends"/"A Day in the Life," Capitol, 1978
• "The Beatles' Movie Medley"/"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," Capitol,1982
• "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You," Capitol, 1982
• Albums with Yoko Ono
• Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, Apple, 1968
• Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions, Apple, 1969
• Wedding Album, Apple, 1969
• Some Time in New York City, Apple, 1972
• Double Fantasy, Geffen, 1980
• Milk and Honey, Polydor, 1984
• Albums with The Plastic Ono Band
• The Plastic Ono Band-Live Peace in Toronto, Apple, 1969
• Plastic Ono Band, Apple, 1970
• Solo Albums
• Imagine, Apple, 1971
• Mind Games, Apple, 1973
• Approximately Infinite Universe, Apple, 1973
• Feeling the Space, Apple, 1973
• Walls and Bridges, Apple, 1974
• Rock 'n' Roll, Apple, 1975
• Shaved Fish, Apple, 1975
• Roots, Adam, 1975
• John Lennon Box Set, Parlophone, 1981
• The John Lennon Collection, Geffen, 1982
• Heart Play: Unfinished Dialogue, Polydor, 1983
• Reflections and Poetry, Silhouette, 1984
• Menlove Avenue, Capitol, 1986
• John Lennon: Live in New York City, Capitol, 1986
• Imagine John Lennon: Music from the Original Motion Picture, Capitol, 1988
• Lennon, Capitol, 1990
• Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon, Apple/Parlophone, 1997
• WRITINGS
• Films
• Composer (with others), Unless Otherwise Noted
• A Hard Day's Night, United Artists, 1964
• The Beatles at Shea Stadium, 1965
• Help! (also known as Eight Arms to Hold You), United Artists, 1965
• Yellow Submarine (animated), United Artists, 1968
• Let It Be, United Artists, 1970
• Writer (with others), Oh! Calcutta!, 1972
• All This and World War II, 1976
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1978
• I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Universal, 1978
• Beatlemania (also known as Beatlemania: The Movie), 1981
• The Compleat Beatles, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1982
• Yesterday, 1985
• He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life, 1985
• Imagine: John Lennon (documentary), 1988
• Get Back, 1991
• Composer for the video The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit, 1994.
• Television
• Composer
• What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. (special), 1964
• The Beatles (series), 1965
• Magical Mystery Tour (movie), BBC, 1967
• The Beatles Anthology (miniseries), 1995
• Stage Plays
• (With Adrienne Kennedy and Victor Spinetti) The Lennon Play (one act; adapted from In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works),produced at the National Theatre, London, 1968, published by Cape, 1968, Simon & Schuster, 1969
• Nonfiction
• In His Own Write (humor; also known as In His Own Words), self-illustrated, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1964
• A Spaniard in the Works (humor), self-illustrated, Simon & Schuster, 1965
• John Lennon's Erotic Lithographs, edited by Ralph Ginzburg, Avant-Garde Media, 1970
• Bag One: A Suite of Lithographs (exhibit guide), [New York City],1971
• My Mummy's Dead, Mini-Books, 1971
• (With Jann Wenner) Lennon Remembers, Straight Arrow Books, 1971
• The Writings of John Lennon, Simon & Schuster, 1981
• Skywriting by Word of Mouth, Harper (New York City), 1986
• Illustrator
• A Canoe for Uncle Kila, by Stanley Kapepa, Polynesian Voyaging Society, 1976

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

• Coleman, Ray, Lennon: The Definitive Biography, McGraw-Hill, 1984,revised HarperCentennial, 1993.
• Contemporary Authors, Volume 102, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1981.
• Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 35, Gale, 1985.
• Contemporary Musicians, Volume 9, Gale, 1993.
• Davies, Hunter, The Beatles: The Authorized Biography, McGraw-Hill, 1968.
• Goldman, Albert, The Lives of John Lennon, Morrow, 1988.
• Sheff, David, and G. Barry Golson, The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Berkely Books, 1981.*