The Beatles - John Lennon - Stand By Me
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; October 9, 1940 -- December 8, 1980) was an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles.In his solo career, Lennon wrote and recorded songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". Lennon revealed his rebellious nature and wit on television, in films such as A Hard Day's Night, in books such as In His Own Write, and in press conferences and interviews. He was controversial through his work as a peace activist, artist, and author.Lennon had two sons: Julian Lennon, with his first wife Cynthia Lennon, and Sean Ono Lennon, with his second wife, avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. After a self-imposed retirement from 1976 to 1980, Lennon reemerged with a comeback album, but was murdered one month later in New York City on 8 December 1980. In 2002, respondents to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted Lennon into eighth place. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of "The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked The Beatles at number one.John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in the Liverpool Maternity Hospital, Oxford Street, Liverpool, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred (Alf, or 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. Alf was a merchant seaman during World War II, and was often away from home, but sent regular pay cheques to Julia, who was living with Lennon at 9 Newcastle Road, Liverpool, but the cheques stopped when Alf went AWOL in 1943. When Alf eventually came home in 1944, he offered to look after Julia and Lennon, but Julia (who was pregnant with another man's child) rejected the idea.[6] After considerable pressure from her sister, Mary "Mimi" Smith (who contacted Liverpool's Social Services to complain about Julia), she handed the care of Lennon over to Mimi. In July 1946, Alf visited Mimi and took Lennon to Blackpool, secretly intending to emigrate to New Zealand with him.[8] Julia followed them, and after a very heated argument, Alf made the five-year-old Lennon choose between Julia or him, and Lennon chose Alf twice. As Julia walked away, Lennon began to cry and followed her. Alf then lost contact with Lennon until Beatlemania, when father and son met again....In one of his last major interviews, in September 1980, Lennon said that he had never questioned his chauvinistic attitudes towards women until he met Ono. Lennon was always distant with his first son, but was close to his second son, calling him, "My pride". Near the end of Lennon's life, he said that he accepted the role of househusband, after taking on the role of a wife and mother in his relationship with Ono.....On the night of 8 December 1980, Lennon was shot four times in the back (the fifth shot missed) in the entrance hallway of the Dakota by Mark David Chapman. Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman earlier that same night.Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival in the Emergency Room at the Roosevelt Hospital at 11:15 p.m. On the following day, 9 December 1980, Ono issued a statement: "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean." Chapman pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life. He is still in prison, 27 years since his arrest, having been denied parole five times.Two days after his death, Lennon's body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, and his ashes were kept by Ono....Awards;With The BeatlesBRIT Awards: * 1977: Outstanding contribution to music during the past 25 years. * 1977: Best British band of the past 25 years. * 1977: Best British album of the past 25 years (for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). * 1983: Outstanding contribution to music.Solo career; * 1982 BRIT Awards - Outstanding contribution to music. * 2002 In 2002, a 100 Greatest Britons BBC poll voted Lennon into eighth place. * In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of "The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time".....[Wikipedia]
Author: mtoo30
Keywords: The Beatles John Lennon Stand By Me
Added: August 30, 2008