Kristen+Fitzgerald

Kristen Fitzgerald

**__John Lennon: Imagine__**

“John and I drifted into each others lives for about two years. I was terrified of meeting him because of his biting wit and musical genius- he was warm, sweet, and very funny. No attitude no swagger, just humility and warmth. It was as if the sun had shone directly on me and that heat has stayed with me forever. I loved him and will never forget him.”-Elton John I would be honored for anyone to talk about me as kindly as Elton John spoke about John Lennon. John Lennon influenced such a magnitude of people including Elton John, who is the godfather of John’s children. You would not say that John invented rock and roll or was as well known as artists such as Elvis, Little Richard, or Madonna, but he shook up the music world and created such an impact that people are still mourning him to this day. Lennon affected the 1960’s in a political, musical, and social way. He touched many lives in his unfortunate brief 40 years of life, and still continues to inspire and move millions. For this reason, John Lennon must be recognized for his work and the vast impact he had on people all over the world. John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England during the Nazi bombing of Britain. He lived with his parents until they separated when he was five years old. Lennon moved in with his Aunt Mimi and her husband George Smith who bought him his first instruments, the harmonica and a guitar. From there, Lennon played obsessively to the point where his Aunt made the coincidental statement, “The guitar’s all very well as a hobby, John. But you’ll never make a living out of it.” John attended school but struggled with ADHD; he was the class clown and often mimicked his teachers and made fun of them. He was a prankster who enjoyed getting into trouble, he struggled with depression most of his life which intensified after the death of his mother when he was 18. Most of Lennon’s life he also suffered from an eating disorder. He was constantly obsessively compulsive with his diet and was extremely self-conscious because he was the heaviest member of The Beatles. John dropped out of college during his final year in 1957 and began to focus more on music. He then formed his first group, The Quarrymen. John had experienced war since a he was child after living through the Vietnam era. From a young age, John craved peace. This was a major influence on his music as well as his life. During a show at a church in England, Lennon was introduced to Paul McCartney. They began writing songs together from there, Paul convinced Lennon to allow George Harrison to join the band, then Ringo, and the phenomenon that was The Beatles evolved. Lennon was the oldest member of The Beatles and therefore fulfilled the role of the leader. McCartney was quoted saying, “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”. The group released their first single “//Love Me Do//” which reached number seventeen on the charts. From there, the album soon hit number one which caused Capital Records to release their single //“I Wanna Hold Your Hand”// in America where it also quickly topped the charts at number one. The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein booked them for a show on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963 which was such a success that it set new records for entertainment broadcasting. More than seventy two million viewers tuned in to watch them perform. Later, Lennon was interviewed on London Evening Standard and was quoted saying, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I do not know what will go first, rock n’ roll or Christianity. We’re more popular than Jesus right now.” After this statement, it was apparent that Lennon’s outspoken nature and urgency to speak his mind often got him into trouble. The comment sparked controversy in America as well as Britain causing some radio stations to ban The Beatles’ music and caused many venues to cancel their shows. The comment nearly ended The Beatles’ career, therefore Lennon later apologized for his arrogant remark. However, the London Catholic Herald said that Lennon’s statement was “…still probably true.” Lennon began experiencing heavily with drugs such as LSD and acid. He boasted that he had taken psychedelic drugs a reported 1,600 times. This revolutionized their music from songs about love such as //“I Wanna Hold Your Hand”// to //“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”// and //“Strawberry Fields Forever”//. John met his future wife and soul mate Yoko Ono in 1966. Yoko and Lennon had similar interests in pacifism and unity. They did the famous “Bed-In” together at the Amsterdam Hilton which made international headlines. Lennon stated, “We’re staying in bed for a week, to register our protest against all the suffering and violence in the world.” Yoko & Lennon during their week-long “Bed-In”

Yoko supposedly did not fully support The Beatles and is said to be a major factor in the group’s split in 1970. The breakup of The Beatles caused a worldwide panic and sadness to their fans. After the breakup, John realized “//Imagine//” as his first solo album, it was his passion and his pride and joy. It summed up his dream of world peace and his idealism. Although Lennon is not really admired for his political activism and dedication to peace, he was a huge voice in the anti-war movement during the late 1960‘s. Lennon wrote most of his hits during the anti-war movement such as //“Give Peace a Chance”, “Imagine”// and //“Happy Christmas, War is Over”//. In 1972, Lennon did a charity concert at Madison Square Garden benefiting the living conditions of mentally handicapped children. From there President Nixon tried to get John deported from the country. Supposedly, the U.S. government saw Lennon as such a threat that the FBI closely monitored his actions and compiled a file on Lennon of over 400 pages. After the birth of his son, Lennon disappeared from the music world as well as dropped his role as a peace activist to lay low and raise him properly. Five years later in 1980, he began recording his next much anticipated album which came to an abrupt end on December 8. Lennon was returning from a recording session where he was shot five times in the back by Mark David Chapman in the hallway of his apartment. John had signed an autograph for Chapman earlier that night. Chapman remained on the scene until police arrived, and pleaded not guilty of second degree murder by reasons of insanity. He had been diagnosed as delusional and possibly psychotic, and the defense team stated that Chapman was not competent enough to make the decision he had made. However, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, and has been denied parole five times. The death of John Lennon shook up the rock world with disbelief. Millions mourned the loss of such a monumental person. Following his death Yoko Ono issued a statement, "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him”. John devoted his life to encouraging the importance of peace and unity, he was a leader from his early days with The Beatles and beyond. He continues to influence people almost 30 years after his death with his music and wisdom. The mosaic christened //“Strawberry Fields”// in Central Park is said to be “the truest appreciation of its meaning is to be found in the creative and spiritual contribution of the person it memorializes and in the surrounding environment that was touched by and in turn influenced the life of John Lennon”. It can be seen from Yoko Ono’s New York City apartment.

“Strawberry Fields” mosaic tribute, Central Park New York