John Lennon’s Musical Influences & Solo Career

By Mia DohrmannPeriod 2

Born: October 9, 1940

Liverpool, England

Mother Julia absent throughout John’s childhood

Died in a car crash when Lennon was 17

Mimi was the disciplinerGeorge was an artistic influence

Taught Lennon to draw and paint

The Beatles

• Member of world famous rock band, The Beatles

• One of 4 members

Paul McCartney George harrison

Ringo StarrJohn Lennon

Involvement with The

Beatles

Co-wrote with McCartney

Founder Singer Guitarist

Lennon's lyrics reflected his personal and career

demands, philosophical outlook, his

unease with his fame and current events. – http://www.popstarsplus.com/music_johnlennon.htm

Songs envisioned a peaceful ,

Utopian society

“Rain”

“In My Life”

Marriages

First Wife: Cynthia Powell

Marriage lasted from 1962 – 1968

Son: Julian

2nd Wife: Yoko Ono

Son Sean

1969 – June 1973

May Pang

“Lost Weekend”

1973 - 1974

Yoko: 1974 – 1980

Drug Influence

LSD (“I Am the Walrus”)

Preludin

Cannabis

Marijuana

Book: The Psychedelic Experience

BREAKUP IN 1970

Solo Career

Plastic Ono SongsReflect Childhood

“Mother”

“Working Class Hero”

“Remember”

Possibly the most popular solo album of John Lennon

Songs written about equality,

realism,

war, love,

Yoko Ono

“Imagine” Lyrical Meaning

“Imagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die forAnd no religion too

Imagine all the peopleLiving life in peace...”

“You may say I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join usAnd the world will be as one”

Peace

Equality

Anti-War

World Conflicts

Dreaming

Solo Albums Continued..

Some Time in New York City (1972)

Mind Games (1973)

Walls and Bridges (1974)

Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975)

Shaved Fish (1975)

Double Fantasy (1980)

Mark David Chapman

New York City

December 8, 1980

Musical Influences/Dreams

Yoko Ono

Social Activism

Peace

Equality

• “Innumerable times since his death Lennon has been sorely missed. And just as many times and more he has been present - evoked by all of us who find ourselves and each other in the music he made and the vision that he articulated and tried to make real.”

– Anthony DeCurtis

Works Cited

• Info– http://www.johnlennon.com/html/biography.as

px– http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/john-lennon

– http://www.john-lennon.com/songlyrics/– http://www.popstarsplus.com/music_johnlenn

on.htm