Imagine: John Lennon’s life and legacy
- Paulina Wróblewska
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
John Winston Lennon, born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, remains one of the most iconic and influential musicians and cultural figures of the 20th century. He is best known as a founding member of The Beatles, the legendary band that revolutionized music and pop culture. Lennon’s life was marked by a profound social influence, extraordinary creativity and controversy.
John’s parents separated early on in his childhood and he lived mostly with his aunt Mimi. His mother Julia was very supportive of his musical interests, she even bought him a guitar. Although John didn’t live with his mother, he remained close to her, frequently visiting her house and listening to music together. One day after Julia had visited Mimi’s house, a tragedy occurred – Julia got hit and killed by a passing car. Lennon was sixteen years old when his mother passed away. At that same age John started playing in a band called The Quarry Men. One of the band’s gigs would ultimately lead to the formation of The Beatles. Although John failed his exams after high school, he started attending the Liverpool College of Art in 1957. There he met his first wife Cynthia Powell who helped him on his exams (although he failed them anyway). John was not a loving and affectionate partner to Cynthia; he could be downright abusive and would frequently slap her. In 1962 she discovered she was pregnant and the two got married shortly after. John missed his own honeymoon in order to play at a concert. In 1963 Cynthia gave birth to Julian whom John often neglected and dismissed. Julian openly spoke about this in his adulthood: 'Dad was a hypocrite. He could talk about peace and love to the world but he could never show it to his wife and son'.
The Beatles performed in Hamburg, Germany, in the Kaiserkellar club staying in horrid conditions and surviving on alcohol and drugs. The audience loved them. After their return to Liverpool the band caught the attention of a record store owner – Brian Epstein who became their manager and who Lennon allegedly had an affair with, however, he denied the rumors. By 1964 The Beatles had conquered the United States sparking "Beatlemania." Lennon’s innovative approach to music and his willingness to push boundaries resulted in albums such as "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". John also appeared in a movie called ‘’How I Won The War”. He also published a book “In His Own Write”. In 1966 John told the reporter that he thought “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus” which sparked a lot of controversy especially amongst religious people who started burning albums and photos of the band. Jesus was even supposed to be on the cover of the album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” but he was removed after Lennon’s remark. One of the songs from this album, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” has been thought to be related to the bandmates’ history with drugs because the words in the title create an acronym ‘LSD’.
Around this time John left his wife for a Japanese artist Yoko Ono with whom he cheated on Cynthia. He officially divorced Cynthia in 1968 and married Yoko in 1969. By that time each Beatle started to go their own way and Lennon was fully dedicated to his new life. During their honeymoon Yoko and John set up a camp in a bed at the Amsterdam Hilton to promote world peace. The Beatles officially split on April 10th, 1970 when Paul McCartney publicly announced that he was leaving. During that time John and Paul’s relationship became incredibly sour and they had a very public and heated feud. They even released several ‘diss tracks’ that included McCartney’s “Too Many People’ to which John responded with the track “How Do You Sleep”. John began his successful solo career. He wrote his most famous and iconic album and song “Imagine” while living in a luxurious apartment in New York City. In 1972 the government revoked John’s visa because his advocacy for world peace and speaking very openly about evils of war made him a threat to Richard Nixon’s re-election. He was threatened with deportation and had to appeal to stay in the country; however, after the election he got his Green Card and could stay in the United States safely. During that time he separated fromYoko for a year and had a short relationship with May Pang. Their relationship was marked by alcohol and ongoing abuse from Lennon. A year later he reunited with his wife and Yoko gave birth to their son Sean in 1975. Lennon treated Sean very differently from Julian and was a great and present father. He reunited with his first son who frequently visited him in New York. For a short period of time he gave up music and devoted his whole time to his family, however, in 1980 he released another album called “Double Fantasy”. His return did not last because on December 8th, 1980 John was shot by Mark David Chapman who had a history of mental health struggles and became obsessed with Lennon, viewing him as a symbol of excess of celebrity culture. Chapman saw contradictions in John’s life, particularly his peace activism and his wealth and lifestyle. He believed that by taking Lennon’s life he would fulfil a sense of purpose. The news about John’s death spread quickly and crowds began showing up singing his songs and carrying signs in his memory. Yoko had John’s body cremated and the ashes were scattered in Central Park.
John Lennon’s commitment to peace and artistic expression left a profound mark in history. Although surrounded by controversy, troubled childhood and relationships, substance abuse and controversial public statements, he remains one of the most influential and wildly recognized people. His outstanding music remains timeless and is celebrated for its uniqueness and emotional depth. Even after his death he still inspires social activism movements and striving for world peace.
Bibliography
Logan, Jamie Carter. “John Lennon: The Troubled Beatle.” Biographics, 19 Oct. 2017, biographics.org/john-lennon-troubled-beatle/#google_vignette. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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