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70 years ago today John Winston Lennon was born in Liverpool, England during a Luftwaffe air raid on the city. Not the best way to enter the world with chaos around you, but fitting seeing Lennon would spend the vast majority of his adult life in the eye of the storm.

The Beatles was John’s band. They were born out of The Quarrymen – a Band Lennon named after his school Quarry Bank High School. Initially a skiffle band made up of his childhood mates, they were eventually replaced by two other guys called Paul McCartney & George Harrison.

It was about 15 minutes after this photo was taken in 1957 that John & Paul would meet for the first time.

John’s childhood had very hot and cold moments. Bought up by his Aunt Mimi in Mendips, Lennon enjoyed a comfortable, middle class upbringing. By the time he was 17, he had re-established a relationship with his mother, Julia who encouraged his musical passion. Then, tragically, she was killed when a drunk, off duty Policeman ran her over while she was walking home from Mendips one night.

The movie Nowhere Boy gives a true insight into the pre-Beatle Lennon. This movie is worth a look.

Paul McCartney & John Lennon together were a collaborative Everest. Nearly all musicians of note since the Beatles have been influenced by them one way or another. They broke ground on so many levels. It is hard to fathom now because of there being so many musical genres, but The Beatles dominated everything. They had the top 5 songs on the American Billboards at one time. The top five!!!

“I met Paul and said do want to join my band? Then George joined and then Ringo joined. We were just a band who made it very, very big, that’s all.”

John Lennon was more than a musician though. He was an artist. Although people don’t like her, Yoko Ono was a great influence in giving John an opportunity to express himself in ways he had only previously touched on, the Bed In of Peace in Amsterdam for example.

WAR IS OVER (if you want it)

Lennon became an advocate for Peace as well as becoming more and more political. The US Government were worried about him, but his intelligent, thought through views. By this time he had unshackled himself from the wholesome Beatle image (some would say he did that when he was quoted out of context saying the Beatles were bigger than Jesus). His music had changed also.

Gone were the I Wanna Hold Your Hand & A Hard Days Night songs, replaced by Working Class Hero & Imagine.

While being a Lennon fan, the bulk of his solo music missed the McCartney polishing (just like McCartney’s missed the Lennon edge).

John Lennon went through many chapters in his life. The teenage rebel, turned rock n roll superstar, turned peace advocate, turned Dad.

Unfortunately for the world he was cut down at 40 – nearly 30 years ago. Fortunately that only added to the legend.

The world owes John Lennon for essentially giving every part of his soul to it.

“You are all geniuses, and you are all beautiful. You don’t need anyone to tell you who you are. You are what you are. Get out there and get peace, think peace, live peace, and breathe peace, and you’ll get it as soon as you like.” – John Lennon

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