John Lennon - On the Boards

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John Lennon

Sir John Winston Ono Lennon. (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), Was the original founding member of the band that became the Beatles. With the addition of McCartney to the Quarrymen, (John's first band), the journey was beginning, the addition of Harrison was followed by Colin Hanton on drums, and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass. Hanton left within the year, and a series of drummers followed until the addition of Pete Best. The group went through a progression of names including; "Johnny and the Moondogs" , "Long John and The Silver Beetles" and the "Silver Beetles", until Sutcliffe suggested the name "The Beatals or Beetles" " as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets, with the eventual spelling change to Beatles. The line up became John, Paul, George, and Best after Sutcliffe left the band. At the very point of "make or break" Best was fired and Ringo hired, and the foursome were set for success.

John Lennon John, in my opinion, was the original foundation on which the band was formed, the addition of the final three members added reinforcement until they eventually melded together into a cohesive unit. With his imagination, quick wit, and oft misunderstood sense of irony and satire, John helped move the band into previously unexplored territories for the genre of rock n' roll. His extroverted nature made him the most controversial member of the band and eventually led him into become an activist against the political and social injustices occurring throughout the '60s and '70s.

In 1957 Lennon met Cynthia Powell at the Liverpool Art College and shortly thereafter formed a relationship that led to pregnancy, and eventual marriage in August 1962. John Charles Julian Lennon was born in Sefton General Hospital on April 8, 1963. It was evident, though, that the marriage was more of convenience than love as Lennon showed little interest in his newborn son, who felt closer to McCartney than to his own father. Julian later said, "I've never really wanted to know the truth about how dad was with me. There was some very negative stuff talked about me ... like when he said I'd come out of a whiskey bottle on a Saturday night. Stuff like that. You think, where's the love in that? Paul and I used to hang about quite a bit ... more than dad and I did. We had a great friendship going and there seems to be far more pictures of me and Paul playing together at that age than there are pictures of me and my dad."

In late '65 or '66, depending on which version of the story you prefer, John and Yoko Ono met. Version #1 has Yoko meeting John while she was compiling material for a book in 1965, version #2, being much more entertaining, is included here: Lennon went to the Indica gallery in London, where Ono was preparing a conceptual art exhibit, and they were introduced by gallery owner John Dunbar. Lennon was intrigued by Ono's "Hammer A Nail" Piece: patrons hammered a nail into a wooden board, creating the art piece. Lennon wanted to hammer a nail in the clean board, but Ono stopped him because the exhibit had not opened. Dunbar then said to Ono, "Don't you know who this is?" Ono had not heard of The Beatles but relented, on the condition that Lennon pay her five shillings. Lennon then said, "I'll give you an imaginary five shillings and hammer an imaginary nail." Whatever the facts, their relationship was forged, and led to Cythia filing for divorce when it was discovered that Yoko was pregnant in 1968.

Yoko Ono John and Yoko were married in March of '69, the earlier pregnancy had resulted in the miscarriage of John Ono Lennon II on November 21, 1968. To all outward appearances the union of John and Yoko was compatible, but in June of 1973 Ono decided that she and Lennon should separate. Ono suggested that he take their personal assistant, May Pang, as a companion. Lennon soon moved to California with Pang, and embarked on an eighteen-month period he would later call his "Lost Weekend." On January 31, 1975, the Lennon's reunited and 9 months later on John's 35th birthday, Ono gave birth to Sean Taro Ono Lennon.

Following the marriage on March 20, 1969, John and Yoko used their honeymoon in Amsterdam as a means of attracting media coverage against the Viet Nam war by staging a "Bed-in for Peace" which was followed by a second "Bed-in" in Montreal where they recorded "Give Peace a Chance" in their hotel room. "Give Peace a Chance" quickly became a rallying song for the growing anti war movement and helped to further immerse the couple in the Peace Movement. After moving to New York, in '71 and due to their involvement in the peace movement, the Lennon's became friends to many of the more vocal activists at the time, most notably Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman, and attended or performed at many of the rallies and concerts for peace.

As a result of the anti-war activism and his notoriety the Nixon Administration tried to have Lennon deported from the U.S., fearing that Lennon's support for George McGovern could cost him re-election. Lennon was ordered to leave the U.S. on March 23, '73 while Ono was granted permanent residence. In response, Lennon and Ono held a press conference at the New York chapter of the American Bar Association on April 1,1973 to announce the formation of the conceptual state of "Nutopia"; a place with "no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people", and all of its inhabitants would be ambassadors. The Lennon's asked for political asylum in the U.S. while waving the white flag of Nutopia; two white handkerchiefs. In June 1973, Lennon and Ono made their last political statement by attending the Watergate hearings in Washington, D. C.. In 1976, Lennon's U.S. immigration status was finally resolved favorably, and he received his green card.

On December 8, 1980, just before 11 p.m., Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times in the entrance to his home. Earlier that evening, Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman who had been stalking Lennon since October. Hours before his murder, Lennon told RKO Radio that he felt he could go out anywhere in New York City and feel safe. While still a Beatle, Lennon was asked how he might die. Lennon replied: “I'll probably be popped off by some loony.“

Cynthia Lennon Julian Lennon Sean Lennon