On October 9, 2010 John Lennon would be turning 70 years old if he had not been killed 3 months after the release of his comeback album Double Fantasy in 1980. I wonder what the world has missed by losing an artist and humanitarian of his magnitude so early in his life.Say the name John Lennon and many images come to mind. His mop top hair cut, The Beatles singing to millions of adoring fans, his fight against war and injustice , and his love for Yoko Ono.
Music From the 60's
I grew up along thousands of other baby boomers listening to the Beatles on tinny am/fm radios in the 60’s and 70’s. My parents thought the music was a fad and allowed me to plaster my room with posters, trading cards, and liner notes from albums. But my parents were wrong. The Beatles and their music have touched a multitude of lives and is part of numerous aspects of our daily thoughts and dreams. From commercials, to college poetry classes the songs written by Lennon and McCartney will undoubtedly leave a legacy that will go on for hundreds of years.
John Winston Ono Lennon was born in 1940 on October 9th in Liverpool, England to Julia and Alfred Lennon. Lennon was raised by his aunts and at the age of 5 saw his parents only sporadically. When he was seventeen Julia was killed by a car and John lost her a second time.
John Lost His Mother Early
John was often in trouble as a child and carried an artistic temperament and creativity that provided him with a rebellious nature. His mother, before she was killed, had bought his first guitar. His started his first band, The Quarrymen, in 1957 when he was just 17 years old. This band provided John with some release to his creative energy. He wrote often and it was during this time that he met Paul McCartney and started focusing most of his energy in writing songs.
The Beatles arrived in America in 1964 and rocked the record players of teens, preteens, and adults around the country. I could hardly believe the songs coming from my Philco record player. The Beatles ‘songs seemed to be written just for me. From 1963 until 1970 The Beatles recorded 219 songs with 20 of them becoming number 1 hits.
Lennon found the love of his life, Yoko Ono,and the Beatles disbanded in 1970 but that didn’t stop John from creating music. Imagine and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band were both solo albums that were released during this time. Imagine became an anthem for most anti-war movements and to this day can cause me to re-think negative thoughts. John became Mr. Mom in 1975 with the birth of his second son, Sean. He used the five years to devote himself to raising Sean and express himself with his art.
Starting Over with Yoko
In 1980 he released the album Starting Over close to his birthday and by all reports seemed happy and content. He was shot and killed outside the apartment building where he lived at 10:50PM on December 8th 1980. A crazed fan killed him after John had autographed the newly released album for him earlier in the evening. I joined the world mourning the loss of such a creative soul.
I often reflect on what the world is missing by not having John’s star to shine. As it is when creative people leave us early, sadness and emptiness trails behind the insights he shared. Despite having trials and tribulations associated with living such a visible and harried life, Lennon’s contributions to the world have been many. His anti-war song “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” is played at Christmas every year on radios all over the world helping us think about the ramifications of war.
Imagine an Older Lennon
If his life had not tragically been taken thirty years ago what would John be sharing with us now? A Lennon who is 70 is hard to picture since he left us so long ago. I am sure he would still be contributing to the Peace movement and women’s rights.
He would have probably written his autobiography and maybe even a compilation of poetry. It is hard to lose someone who had so much to offer and had come so far. The Lennon at the end of his life had grown and matured so much from the early rocker in the 60’s. I find it hard to believe that any band in the future will make a mark on our culture like The Beatles, and we will be hard pressed to find a man of the creative spirit that lived in John Lennon.
I am sure his 70th birthday will be celebrated by many. According to Yahoo news, http://www.imaginepeace.com,Yoko has planned a big party in Iceland to celebrate this momentous day. Others may tune their MP3 player to a Lennon montage or perhaps visit a park. I plan to have a piece of cake, a little wine and sing. Happy Birthday John, we love you …yeah, yeah, yeah.
References:Lawerence, Ken. John Lennon: In His Own Words. Andrews Publishing. New York. 2005
Also see: Beatle Songs Written for Real People
Brenda Gargus - Brenda Gargus has a Masters' degree in Psychology and an undergraduate degree in Education. She has taught for 29 years in a variety of ...
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