The John Lennon Thread.

[MIKA_OBESSED]

This is a thread to discuss the very loved....

JOHN LENNON


John Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English songwriter, singer, musician, graphic artist, author and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founders of The Beatles, with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In his solo career, Lennon wrote and recorded songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine".

Lennon revealed his rebellious nature and irreverent wit on television, in films such as A Hard Day's Night (1964), in books such as In His Own Write, and in press conferences and interviews. He channelled his fame and penchant for controversy into his work as a peace activist, artist, and author. Lennon had two sons: Julian, with his first wife Cynthia Lennon, and Sean, with his second wife, avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. During a separation from Ono, Lennon spent almost two years with May Pang in Los Angeles and New York from 1973 to 1975, before returning to Ono.

Lennon was murdered in New York City on 8 December 1980 as he returned home after a recording session. In 2002, respondents to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted Lennon into eighth place. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Lennon number 38 on their list of "The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time"

Early years: 1940-1957
John Winston Lennon was born on 9 October 1940, in the Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred "Freddie" Lennon,during the course of a German air raid in World War II.He was named after his paternal grandfather, John 'Jack' Lennon, and Winston Churchill.Freddie was a merchant seaman during World War II, and sent regular pay cheques to Julia, who was living with Lennon in 9 Newcastle Road, Liverpool, although the cheques stopped when Freddie went AWOL.When Freddie eventually came home in 1944, he offered to look after Julia and Lennon, but Julia rejected him.After considerable pressure from her sister, Mary "Mimi" Smith—who contacted Liverpool's Social Services—Julia handed the care of Lennon over to Mimi.In July 1946, Freddie visited Mimi and took Lennon to Blackpool, secretly intending to emigrate to New Zealand with him.Julia found out and found them, and after a heated argument Freddie made the five-year-old Lennon choose between Julia or him. Lennon chose Freddie (twice) and then Julia walked away, but Lennon, crying, followed her. Freddie then lost contact with the family until Beatlemania, when father and son met again.

Throughout the rest of his childhood and adolescence, Lennon lived with his 'Auntie Mimi' and her husband George Smith (who had no children of their own) in a middle class area of Liverpool at 'Mendips' (251 Menlove Avenue). Mimi bought volumes of short stories, and George, who was a dairyman at a local farm, engaged Lennon in solving crossword puzzles and bought him a harmonica.Julia Lennon visited 'Mendips' almost every day and Lennon often visited her at 1 Blomfield Road, Liverpool. Julia taught Lennon how to play the banjo, and played Elvis Presley's records to him.

Lennon was raised as an Anglican, and attended Dovedale County Primary School until he passed his Eleven-Plus exam.From September 1952 to 1957, he attended the Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool, where he was known as a "happy-go-lucky" pupil, known for drawing comical cartoons and making fun of his teachers by mimicking their odd characteristics.

Julia bought Lennon his first guitar in 1957; a Gallotone Champion acoustic. It was an inexpensive model that was "guaranteed not to split", but she insisted it be delivered to her house and not Mimi's.Mimi hoped that Lennon would soon grow bored with music, as she was sceptical of Lennon's claim that he would be famous one day, and often told him, "The guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make a living out of it."On 15 July 1958, when Lennon was 17, Julia was killed on Menlove Avenue — close to Mimi's house, when struck by a car driven by an off-duty police officer.Her death was a factor in Lennon's friendship with McCartney, who had lost his own mother to breast cancer in 1956.

Lennon failed all his GCE O-level examinations, and was only accepted into the Liverpool College of Art with help from his school's headmaster and Mimi. Lennon met his future wife there, Cynthia Powell, when Lennon was a Teddy Boy.Lennon was often disruptive in class, and ridiculed his teachers by mimicking them, resulting in teachers refusing to have him as a student.Lennon failed his annual Art College exams despite help from Powell, and dropped out before the last year of college.

1957-1960: The Quarrymen and the Silver Beetles
Lennon started The Quarrymen, a skiffle band, in March 1957, while attending Quarry Bank Grammar School.Their first engagement was on 9 June 1957 at an audition for impresario Carroll Lewis, known as "Mr. Star-Maker."A few weeks later, on 6 July 1957, Lennon and The Quarrymen met McCartney at the Woolton Garden fête held at St. Peter's Church.McCartney's father later allowed the Quarrymen to rehearse in his front room at 20 Forthlin Road.During their early friendship Lennon encouraged McCartney to steal cigarettes, sweets, or books from shops, and they found a shared interest in playing jokes on the other band members and on their teachers.It was around this time that Lennon and McCartney started writing songs with each other. The first song that Lennon completed was "Hello Little Girl" when he was 18-years-old, which later became a hit for the Fourmost. McCartney convinced Lennon to allow George Harrison to join the Quarrymen - even though Lennon considered Harrison to be too young - after Harrison played at a rehearsal in March 1958.Harrison joined the band as lead guitarist, and Stuart Sutcliffe—Lennon's art school friend—later joined as bassist.Lennon was considered the leader of The Beatles, as McCartney explained: "We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader - he was the quickest wit and the smartest and all that kind of thing."

1960-1970: The Beatles
Allan Williams started to manage The Beatles in May 1960 after they had played in his Jacaranda club.A few months later he booked them into Bruno Koschmider's Indra club in Hamburg, Germany.Lennon's Aunt Mimi was horrified when he told her about Hamburg. She pleaded with him to continue his studies, but was ignored.Koschmider reported McCartney and Best for arson after the two attached a condom to a nail in the 'Bambi' and set fire to it. They were deported, as was George Harrison for working under-age.A few days later Lennon's work permit was revoked and he went home by train.The Beatles went back to Hamburg in April 1961, and recorded 'My Bonnie' with Tony Sheridan.

When Lennon was nearly 21 in October 1961, his Aunt Mater (who lived in Edinburgh) gave him 100 pounds, which he spent on a holiday to Paris with McCartney.Julia Baird—Lennon's half-sister—refutes this, saying that the money came from Lennon's mother's insurance policy, which was to be paid out to her children when they were 21-years-old. Julia and Jackie—Lennon's second half-sister—also received money when they reached the age of 21.In April 1962, The Beatles returned to Hamburg to play at the Star-Club, and were told that Sutcliffe had died a few hours before they arrived.This was another shock for Lennon, after losing Uncle George and Julia.

All Lennon-McCartney songs on the first pressing of Please Please Me album (recorded in one day on 11 February 1963)as well as the single "From Me to You", and its B-side, "Thank You Girl", are credited to "McCartney-Lennon", but this was later changed to "Lennon-McCartney".Lennon and McCartney usually needed an hour or two to finish a song; most of which were written in hotel rooms after a concert, at Wimpole Street—Jane Asher's home—or at Cavendish Avenue; McCartney's home,or at Kenwood (Lennon's house).

Lennon was not the first member to leave The Beatles, but did so in September 1969 (Starr had left and returned during 1968, and Harrison left on 10 January 1969 during the filming for Let It Be, but returned after a Beatles' meeting at Starr's house two days later).Lennon agreed not to make an announcement while the band renegotiated their recording contract, but McCartney released a question and answer interview that he had written himself in April 1970, declaring that he was no longer a member of The Beatles.Lennon's reaction when told was, "Jesus Christ! He [McCartney] gets all the credit for it!" Lennon later told Rolling Stone: "I was a fool not to do what Paul did, which was use it to sell a record," and later wrote, "I started the band. I finished it."

In 1970, Jann Wenner recorded an interview with Lennon that was played on BBC in 2005. The interview reveals his bitterness towards McCartney and the hostility he felt that the other members held towards Ono. Lennon said: "One of the main reasons The Beatles ended is because ... I pretty well know, we got fed up with being sidemen for Paul. After Brian Epstein died we collapsed. Paul took over and supposedly led us. But what is leading us when we went round in circles? Paul had the impression we should be thankful for what he did, for keeping The Beatles going. But he kept it going for his own sake."

Lennon later expressed his displeasure with the scant credit he was given as an influence on George Harrison in his autobiography, I Me Mine, and unhappy that McCartney's Beatles songs, such as "Yesterday", "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" were more covered than his own contributions.Lennon also stated his true feelings about his former band members by saying: "I still love those guys. The Beatles are over, but John, Paul, George and Ringo go on."

[Hannah]

Now this is a good thread!

John Lennon is, hands down, one of the most influential, amazing people that I can think of. I never knew him, I was not alive at the time of his life OR death, but I still am deeply attached to him, both as a person and an artist.

[GhostsInTheRadio]

TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME.

*runs off and makes George Harrison thread*

Except I'm too lazy... *snaps fingers* HOLLIS, make me a George Harrison thread!

[backflip_76]

Originally Posted by GhostsInTheRadio

TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME.

*runs off and makes George Harrison thread*

Except I'm too lazy... *snaps fingers* HOLLIS, make me a George Harrison thread!

But I would never want to take that joy away from you, treacle. He's your man. It should be your thread.

[GhostsInTheRadio]

Originally Posted by backflip_76

But I would never want to take that joy away from you, treacle. He's your man. It should be your thread.

Good point!

*puts on warrior gear*

I ammmmmmm the warriorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[backflip_76]

Originally Posted by GhostsInTheRadio

Good point!

*puts on warrior gear*

I ammmmmmm the warriorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Well I am the walrus.

[GhostsInTheRadio]

Originally Posted by backflip_76

Well I am the walrus.

boo boo ba boob?

[kk448]

Originally Posted by GhostsInTheRadio

boo boo ba boob?

It's coo coo ca chu!

(SARCASM)

[GhostsInTheRadio]

Originally Posted by kk448

It's coo coo ca chu!

(SARCASM)

I was calling John Lennon a boob.
In a John Lennon thread!

REBELLLLLL!

[queenmikamop16]

Originally Posted by kk448

It's coo coo ca chu!

(SARCASM)

it's goo goo ga joob!! they were humpty dumpty's last words before his tragic death... *Hangs head in shames while mourning over old Humpty*

[Hannah]

There's this woman that lives near me that wrote an article in the town newspaper about how, when she was living in New York, she went to one of John and Yoko's art exhibits and somehow ended up sharing a cigarette with John. She says that she still has the cigarette butt. You have no idea how close I was to looking her up in the phonebook and asking if she could leave it to me after she dies. No joke. She's probably 70 now. I'm glad I didn't, though, because now, I'm not as material about stuff like that, and I really have no interest in owning a cigarette butt, no matter who smoked it.

[backflip_76]

Originally Posted by Hannah

There's this woman that lives near me that wrote an article in the town newspaper about how, when she was living in New York, she went to one of John and Yoko's art exhibits and somehow ended up sharing a cigarette with John. She says that she still has the cigarette butt. You have no idea how close I was to looking her up in the phonebook and asking if she could leave it to me after she dies. No joke. She's probably 70 now. I'm glad I didn't, though, because now, I'm not as material about stuff like that, and I really have no interest in owning a cigarette butt, no matter who smoked it.

Call her up and tell her to send it to me!