John Lennon

Bio:
John Lennon (born John Winston Lennon in Liverpool, England on October 9, 1940) was a British musician, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of The Beatles. The group’s albums include Yellow Submarine; Please, Please Me; Help!; Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; Abbey Road; and Let It Be. Some of his iconic hit singles include songs he wrote, like “Give Peace a Chance,” “K Cera Cera,” and “Imagine.” His solo discography and partnerships with Yoko Ono included John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Some Time in New York City, Mind Games, Walls and Bridges, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Double Fantasy, and Milk and Honey.

John was killed on Dec. 8, 1980. He was shot in the back four times at his apartment by Mark David Chapman, who was sentenced to second-degree murder with 20 years in prison. He remains in prison, having been denied parole 7 times.

John was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Best Known For:
John Lennon is best known for being a member of The Beatles.

Personal Life:
John Lennon met Cynthia Powell in 1957 and asked her out even though she said she was engaged. Cynthia became pregnant in 1962, so the pair got married on Aug. 23, 1962. Their son Julian was born on April 8, 1963. The pair divorced in 1967 after both reportedly had affairs. In 1962, John had a fling that he said he “never consummated” with an openly gay man, Brian Epstein.

John Lennon’s most iconic relationship was with Yoko Ono. There are many versions of the telling of their love affair and how the pair met, but John put the timeline at 1965 when they began their affair. Yoko became pregnant in 1968 and miscarried the child: a boy they named John Ono Lennon II. The miscarriage happened just weeks after John’s divorce from Cynthia was finalized. In 1969, the pair married, and John added the surname “Ono” legally into his full name as a middle name. While the pair was estranged, John started an affair with his assistant, May Pang — but reunited with Yoko in 1975. Yoko got pregnant after they reunited. She claimed she wanted an abortion, but eventually decided to have the baby. Sean was born on Oct. 9, 1975 — John’s 35th birthday.

John died on Dec. 8, 1980.