John Lennon is his killer. Who was the killer of the great musician

Start of the day

On the morning of December 8, John and Yoko posed for the cover of Rolling Stone for photographer Annie Lebowitz: a naked John hugs and kisses a black sweater-clad Yoko. Although, according to Annie's memoirs, "nobody needed Yoko on the cover", John insisted that they be together in the picture. The magazine with this photo came out on January 22, 1981. In 2005, the American Society of Magazine Editors recognized this cover as the best magazine cover in the past 40 years.

John later gave what was to be his last interview with San Francisco radio host Dave Sholin for the RKO Radio Network.

Around 5:00 pm, John and Yoko left the house and headed to the Record Plant Studio to mix Yoko's track Walking on Thin Ice. thin ice). In front of the house, as usual, there were several autograph hunters, among them the future killer, Mark Chapman. He silently held out a copy of Double Fantasy, which Lennon had signed (the moment was filmed by Paul Goresh). After that, John politely asked Is this all you want? (Is that all you wanted?). Chapman smiled and hesitantly replied, "Yes, that's all, thanks, John."

In November 2010, this record was put up for auction with an initial price of 850 thousand US dollars.

Murder

John and Yoko returned home around 10:50 pm to wish Good night Sean. The limousine did not arrive courtyard The Dakotas, John, and Yoko got off at 72nd Street. John caught up with Chapman and gave him a quick glance, Youko walking a little ahead. They went into the arch of the house, Mark David Chapman called out to Lennon: "Hey, Mr. Lennon!", John slowed down, about to turn around, but the killer shot him in the back 5 times, the first bullet went over Lennon's head and hit the wall, the rest hit John : the second and third to the region of the heart, the fourth and fifth to the left shoulder. Staggering, walking 5 steps, John fell.

The doorman Perdomo knocked the pistol out of the killer's hands and threw it on the pavement. He yelled at Chapman, “Do you know what you’ve done? (Do you know what you've done?)" He calmly replied: "Yes, I just shot John Lennon (Yes, I just shot John Lennon)." Chapman took off his coat and hat, demonstrating that he was unarmed. He made no attempt to escape and remained at the scene of the crime until police arrived. When he was discovered book "The Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger in paperback. On inside The cover was written in Chapman's handwriting: To Holden Caulfield. From Holden Caulfield. This is my statement. (To Holden Caulfield. From Holden Caulfield. This is my statement.)

Entrance to the Dakota

At 22:55 the police arrived at the scene of the crime. In 5 minutes, covering 15 blocks, an ambulance brought John to Roosevelt Hospital. Dr. Stefan Lynn took action to save Lennon. When he arrived, he had no pulse and was not breathing. Dr. Lynn and two other doctors worked for 20 minutes opening chest and tried to do a direct cardiac massage to restore circulation, but the damage to the blood vessels around the heart was too great. Lennon was pronounced dead upon arrival at the emergency room at Roosevelt Hospital at 11:15 p.m. Dr. M. Elliott Gross, chief medical examiner, said that no one could live a few minutes after such multiple injuries. After all, Lennon was killed by four shots of bullets that are hollow from the inside, which expand when entering the target and seriously tear most internal tissues. Lennon's affected organs were virtually destroyed by the gunshots. His wife, sobbing and screaming, "Oh no, no, no, no... tell me it's not true!", was taken to Roosevelt Hospital and taken away in shock after learning that her husband had died. At that moment, the song “All My Loving” sounded on the radio in the hospital.

The next day, Ono announced, “There will be no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for human race. Do the same for him, please. With love, Yoko and Sean." On December 10, 1980, John's body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery. The ashes were given to Yoko.

Reaction to murder

The murder of Lennon shocked the rest of the ex-Beatles and reinforced their already existing fears for their lives. Shortly after the murder of Paul McCartney, when asked by a journalist "how did you feel when you learned about John's death?" replied "Drag isn't it?" (the word "drag" is usually understood as "nerdiness, whining" and Paul subsequently had to repeatedly make excuses for a remark misunderstood by many)

Currently

Chapman is serving a life sentence at Attica Prison. Since 2000, he has the right to apply for early release every two years, which he always uses, each time also invariably getting a refusal.

Ironically, John sang about the same prison in one of his songs.

Notes

John Lennon, famous rock musician, one of the founders legendary band The Beatles, on the songs of which more than one generation of people of the 20th century grew up, probably did not even suspect that his music would cause someone's death, especially his own. John called peace, love and music his sacred things. He devoted his life to serving these three things. Lennon's shrines were also worshiped by millions of admirers of his talent.

These people for a long time they could not believe that their idol was no longer alive, that some crazy person dared to raise his hand against the sacred.

News of death famous rock musician instantly spread all over the world. In the early morning of December 9, 1980, a crowd of thousands of admirers of John Lennon's talent gathered in front of his New York home. People sang the famous rock musician's song "All you need is love", which became a kind of requiem for an idol. So the mourners mourned the famous singer, poet, active participant in the movement for peace, John Lennon.

Late in the evening on December 8, after a heavy labor day John was returning home from the recording studio with his wife Yoko Ono. The couple were already entering the entrance when a man suddenly called out to the musician. Lennon barely had time to turn around when a shot rang out, followed by a second, third, fourth ...

Youko, shocked by what had happened, screamed piercingly, and the bleeding John crawled to the entrance. He miraculously managed to get to the guard's desk. Choking on blood, the musician croaked: “They shot at me ...”

Soon the police arrived at the scene. There was no time to wait for the ambulance. Having attached the wounded man to the back seat of the car, the policeman rushed at high speed to the nearest hospital.

A few minutes later, Lennon was already on the operating table, but the injuries were so serious (blood loss was about 80%) that it was not possible to save the victim.

The killer, 25-year-old Mark Chapman, made no attempt to escape. The police caught him at the crime scene reading his favorite book, The Catcher in the Rye.

The murder of John Lennon caused a wave of indignation around the world. The next day, all radio stations played the musician's songs, including those performed by him.

A powerful stream of condolences poured into the Lennon family, for short term Yoko received about 250 thousand letters of condolence, and how many more were in telegrams and phone calls! Records of the Beatles were in incredible demand, in England alone, over the next two months, 2 million were sold.

But not only indignation and grief over the death of the great singer and musician dominated those days in the world. Many Americans shamefacedly acknowledged the inability of their security services to secure celebrities.

After all, for the umpteenth time in the "invincible" United States, the killer easily cracked down on a world-famous person.

The assassination of Lennon is comparable only to the death of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The fact is that both Johns, a talented rock musician and the most popular American president, have become a kind of icons for contemporaries, spokesmen for the hopes and aspirations of progressive-minded representatives of new generations.

The American press, paying tribute to the memory of John Lennon, has repeatedly written that the Beatles are an integral part of the life of a whole generation that grew up in the 60s of the XX century.

The shared grief made the teenagers take a fresh look at their lives.

One of the young admirers of Lennon's talent, who was present on January 9, 1980 on the square in front of the house of the deceased musician, said then: "I feel that I am growing up, becoming a completely adult person."

The merits of the famous musician of the Beatles to society were noted even by the 39th US President James Carter. In a speech addressed to Lennon's grieving family and fans, he said: "This man helped create the music and mood of our time. He left behind a compelling and timeless legacy. It is especially bitter that John Lennon fell victim to violence, although he himself always fought for peace.

The famous rock musician apparently felt some kind of threat to his life.

He retired from the world of commercial music and lived as a recluse for a long time in a house near New York's Central Park.

During this period of seclusion, Lennon did not even meet with close friends.

Fears for his life and the lives of loved ones appeared in John after unpleasant incident that took place in 1964 in France.

During a speech in one of the cities, Lennon received a note that spoke of the death prepared for him the next night. dark time The musician spent days in anxious expectation, but the "joker" did not fulfill his promise.

In subsequent years, letters with messages of Lennon's awaiting death continued to come, but the threats always remained only threats.

The musician regarded these messages as unsuccessful jokes of fans on a celebrity, he could not even imagine that there would be a person who would dare to commit such a daring crime as murder.

John Lennon died just at the moment when he began to appear in public again after a long period of seclusion. He made new plans, wrote songs. There was even talk about the revival of the Beatles, which had practically collapsed by that time.

A few hours before his death, John gave his first (and at the same time the last) interview in many years, dedicated to the new album called "Double Fantasy".

The musician addressed the disc to his peers, which is confirmed by his words: “To the people who grew up with me, I say:“ Here I am, but how are you? How is your family doing? Tell me, were the 70s boring years? Let's make the 80s great!“

However, he failed to fulfill his plan, the killer cut off the life of the "star" with his insidious shot. And who knows, maybe John Lennon's songs would have made it possible to achieve more?

The famous musician thought little about death, he still had a lot to do in this world before leaving for that one. In one of recent interviews, published in Newsweek magazine, John said: “I don’t feel like I’m forty. I feel like a child and I have so much more to come good years life with Yoko and my son, at least we hope so."

John Lennon's killer, Mark Chapman, was a megalomaniac. Imagining himself a legendary musician, he considered the real Lennon his double, which must be destroyed.

Chapman became an ardent admirer of the Beatles and John Lennon in particular from the very moment he heard their first song album, imbued with a deep philosophical sense. Lennon appeared before the future assassin as a preacher eternal love, kindness and peace.

Chapman strove to be like his idol in everything, he even began to play the guitar. However, Mark was very far from the legendary musician. Awareness of one's own mediocrity became the reason fierce hatred to the star. It was this hatred that pushed Chapman to the crime.

During the investigation of the death of John Lennon, it was possible to establish that his killer was a mentally unbalanced person. It was difficult for him to stay in one place, he could not study because of frequent depression, and once even attempted suicide.

At the same time, the hated Lennon continued to bask in glory and luxury. Chapman could no longer put up with such injustice, he soon decided on a crime. Having bought a gun, the killer went to New York.

It took him only a few days to reconnoiter the situation. In the crowd of fans who wandered around Lennon's house day and night with the sole purpose of looking at his idol, Chapman was invisible. The day before the murder, he even managed to get an autograph from a famous rock musician.

Chapman, who was arrested at the scene of the crime, did not deny his guilt. After passing a sanity test that established psychical deviations, the killer was imprisoned and strict supervision was established in order to prevent a possible suicide attempt.

Soon the megalomania of Mark Chapman reached highest point. The killer confidently stated that he - famous singer and musician John Lennon. In confirmation, the criminal provided his autograph, which imitated the painting of a real star.

10 years after the high-profile murder that shocked the whole world, in an interview with one of the American newspapers, Mark Chapman revealed the "true" reasons for his act.

The killer claimed that the demons and Satan were pushing him to the crime, they were the main initiators of the murder of John Lennon (naturally, this looked like the delirium of a mentally unbalanced person). In addition, the offender spoke in detail about the preparations for the murder.

What is most interesting, in the words of Mark Chapman there is a drop of common sense: he hopes to someday beg forgiveness from God and from people for the crime he committed. But, most likely, he will not be able to do this, since this is not forgiven ...

The history of mankind knows a lot of murders that changed the world. As a rule, we are talking about assassination attempts on influential political figures, royalty and military leaders. But in 1980, the world shuddered at the death of a man who had nothing to do with strong of the world this, but at the same time became an idol for millions of people in different countries.

1980 was to be a career turning point John Lennon. After five years of de facto seclusion and a break in musical activity, which Lennon announced in 1975 in connection with the birth Sean's son, the musician released new album Double Fantasy. It was highly acclaimed by critics and enthusiastically received by fans.

Fans of the Beatles, after the resumption of active creative activity by Lennon, again began to cherish the dream of reuniting their favorite group.

John Lennon, who celebrated his 40th birthday on October 9, 1980, was in the prime of life and was quite satisfied with life. Behind him was the success of the Beatles, the active anti-war activities of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which even resulted in a temporary ban on entry into the United States. By the age of 40, Lennon had achieved worldwide recognition as a musician and public figure both from society and from those in power.

"Is that all you wanted?"

Together with his Yoko Ono's wife and son Sean Lennon lived in New York, in the “premium class” house “Dakota”, worked on recording new songs at a recording studio and willingly communicated with fans who besieged the approaches to his house in crowds.

The musician loved his fans and did not refuse them meetings. In early December 1980, Lennon noticed in an interview that people approached him, asked for autographs or said "Hello", but did not bother or bother.

December 8, 1980 was the most ordinary day for Lennon. Around 10 am, she and Yoko gave interviews to journalists in their apartment, then a photo session for the magazine took place there. Rolling stone. With that done and some rest, Lennon and his wife went to the Record Plant to continue work on the song "Walking on Thin Ice".

John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

There was a hitch near the house due to a limousine not arriving on time, which was used by fans asking for an autograph. Lennon refused no one.

A young man of about 25 handed the musician an album "Double Fantasy" and a pen. Lennon smiled and wrote "John Lennon, December 1980" on the copy. At this time, the photographer captured the star and the fan.

Is that all you wanted? Lennon asked.

- Yes. Thank you John,” the fan replied.

The fan's name was Mark David Chapman.

The little man who craved fame

The 25-year-old Texas native became a Beatles fan at the age of 10. He collected all the records of the group and posters with the image of its members, tried to imitate them by playing the guitar in a school rock band. Mark dressed like the Beatles and wore the same hairstyles as them.

But when Mark was 15 years old, the group broke up. For a teenager, this was a real blow. After some time, he changed dramatically - he cut his hair short, began to wear strict clothes, studied Holy Bible. As it turned out, Mark joined the Young Christian Association.

From his youth, he dreamed of becoming famous, becoming famous and respected. After graduating from school, he did not study anywhere else, did not receive a profession, but traveled extensively as an "agent for Asian refugees."

In the end, Chapman settled in Honolulu, Hawaii, getting a job as a security guard in the Waikiki cooperative house, and started a family.

But he could not settle down - dreams of glory haunted. Chapman decided that the most reliable and fast way to become famous is to commit murder famous person, politician, athlete or artist. A whole list of potential victims was spinning in the head of the security guard from Honolulu, but John Lennon, the main idol of youth, was number one. He adored and hated him at the same time. Chapman's wife later said that Mark, after reading another article about Lennon, became furious, calling him a "bastard" who, preaching peace and love, made a million-dollar fortune on these sermons.

"I'll be waiting"

In the early fall of 1980, Chapman began planning the assassination. He acquired weapons and ammunition, but still hesitated. He told his wife about his plan, who, horrified, advised him to urgently consult a psychiatrist. Mark at first agreed and even made an appointment with a doctor, but then the determination to carry out his plans took over.

He convinced his wife that he got rid of the weapon and no longer thinks about any murder. Then he told his wife that he had the idea of ​​writing a children's book, in connection with which he needed to go to New York.

Chapman, armed with a revolver, arrived in New York on December 6. He hung around the Dakota, where fans of Lennon and the Beatles gathered, waiting for an opportunity. In order to have a reason to turn to Lennon, Chapman purchased the Double Fantasy album.

On December 8, Chapman asked amateur photographer Paul Goresh, who was also a fan of the musician, helped ask Lennon for an autograph and paid him $50 to take a picture of him with John, as he said no one in Hawaii would have believed him.

John Lennon autographing Chapman's Double Fantasy album cover six hours before the assassination. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Paul Goresh

When the autograph was received and the photo was taken, and Lennon and Yoko Ono left for the recording studio, Paul Goresh said that he was going home, since John would return late.

- I'll be waiting. You never know if you'll see him again," Chapman remarked. None of those present saw a threat in these words.

Chapman stayed at the house, talking to one of the doormen of the Dakota.

"I just shot John Lennon"

At 10:30 pm, Lennon and his wife finished the studio and drove home. They wanted to go out for dinner, but then decided to return home to say goodnight to their son, who was staying in the Dakota apartment with a nanny.

It wasn't just about his son - Lennon knew that his fans were gathering around the house and late at night, and did not miss the opportunity to reward their devotion with his appearance.

The car that Lennon and Yoko Ono were driving could have entered the Dakota's guarded yard, which was inaccessible to outsiders, but they asked to be dropped off on the street. John felt no danger.

They approached the house, Yoko walked a little ahead of her husband. Chapman waited. Coming up with him, Lennon gave the fan a short glance and moved on. They were approaching the arch when Chapman drew his revolver and opened fire.

He fired five bullets, four of which hit Lennon. Two of them hit the left side of the back, two - in the left shoulder. Chapman fired expansive bullets that, when hit in soft tissues, increase their diameter and cause terrible damage.

Lennon managed to take six more steps, then said: "I'm hurt," and fell, dropping the cassettes recorded in the studio.

One of the concierges rushed to Chapman and knocked out his weapon. However, the shooter did not resist. When asked if he understood what he had done, he replied:

Yes, I just shot John Lennon.

Chapman took off his coat and hat and calmly sat down on the sidewalk, not even trying to hide.

"Dead on Arrival"

The second concierge at that time tried to help Lennon, but when he saw the nature of the injuries, he realized that only the immediate arrival of doctors could help. So he just covered the wounded man with his jacket.

The police squad that arrived at the scene of the shooting almost grabbed the compassionate concierge - after trying to help Lennon, he was covered in the musician's blood. However, colleagues from the Dakota concierge pointed to the true culprit - Chapman continued to sit quietly on the sidewalk, reading a novel. Jerome Selinger"Catcher in the rye".

The second police detachment, which arrived at the scene, saw that the suspect was detained, set to work on the victim. After examining Lennon, the police came to the conclusion that the score was for minutes. Without waiting for the doctors, they loaded the musician into the back seat of the car and rushed to the St. Luke-Roosevelt Hospital located 800 meters from the scene.

Along the way, which took a matter of minutes, the policeman tried to talk to Lennon, but the wounded man's condition rapidly deteriorated.

By the time Lennon was on the operating table, he was no longer breathing and had no pulse. Nevertheless, the most experienced doctors tried to resuscitate the musician for 20 minutes. Alas, all attempts were unsuccessful.

At 23:07 December 8, 1980 Stefan Lynn, the hospital's first emergency doctor declared John Lennon "dead on arrival".

According to witnesses, at that moment one of the Beatles' songs, "All My Loving", sounded in the hospital.

Yoko Ono leaves the hospital after her husband's death. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

At 11:15 pm, Dr. Lynn went to the hospital after her husband Yoko Ono and said: “He had no chance. There was nothing we could do to save your husband. We believe that the first bullet killed him. It ruptured John's chest and caused irreparable damage to the main artery."

At that moment, a journalist from the ABC television channel, who had an accident, was in the hospital. He managed to get to the phone and tell his colleagues the sensational news.

The ABC channel broadcast a message about the murder of John Lennon during the broadcast of an American football match between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.

An autopsy revealed that the cause of John Lennon's death was shock of pain and massive blood loss.

"Killers are not anybody"

Mark Chapman was charged with second-degree murder. The main issue during the proceedings on this case It was not the guilt of the suspect, but his sanity.

Many believed that Lennon's killer was mentally ill, but in the end it was decided that he was capable of answering for the crime.

During the investigation, another detail surfaced - Chapman had a "spare victim." If for some reason it had not been possible to kill Lennon, the Honolulu guard was going to shoot him. Chapman visited the play "The Elephant Man", in which Bowie played, taking a photo of the artist at the entrance to the stage. Thus, the death of John Lennon, no matter how terrible it sounds, saved David Bowie from this fate.

On August 24, 1981, the court sentenced Mark David Chapman to imprisonment for a term of 20 years to life with mandatory treatment by a psychiatrist.

Beginning in 2000, Chapman became eligible to apply for parole. Hearings on this issue are held every two years, and invariably Chapman is rejected.

Lennon's killer seems to have resigned himself to his fate. In an interview, he remarked: “I felt that by killing John Lennon, I would become someone. Instead, I became a killer, and killers are not somebody."

And the copy of the album "Double Fantasy", which Lennon signed to his killer in a few hours for death, has become a real rarity. In 2011, it was sold at auction for £530,000.

Content

The year 1980, which struck the fans with sad news, was to be a new runway in the career of a musician. After a 5-year break (John wanted to devote time to his newborn son Sean), he released a new album, Double Fantasy. His success amazed everyone. Critics and fans alike raved about the album. But it didn’t take long to congratulate the musician ...

The path to resounding success and glory

When John was born, his parents did not get along with each other, and after 4 years they divorced. Bring up little boy taken by my aunt and uncle on my mother's side. From a young age, the boy assured: he would study music. Among his peers, he stood out for his perseverance. The aunt resisted the guy's hobby, and the uncle supported him in every possible way.

At school, John did not pay attention to acquiring new knowledge. Actively engaged creative activity at school. Went to journalism, sang, drew illustrations for comic stories. The teachers noticed the student's talent and sent him to another school, from where the boy moved to the Liverpool College of Art.

The legendary team The Beatles» John created jointly from close friends. The band members, like everyone at that time, showed a rebellious spirit, dressed like rock stars. But their manager persuaded them to change the image to classic suits and remove swearing from speech. With the advent of new songs, the popularity and demand for the band increased.

Over time, disagreements began to appear in the group members. And in 1970, the legendary team broke up.

Since the beginning solo career John hit the theme of peace and love. At the same time, his behavior towards his wife worsened. John began to abuse drugs. He gave up music lessons. But in 1972 he released the album "Walls And Bridges", which immediately won fans. Critics also appreciated the collection.

In 1975, his wife returned to John, gave birth to a son. Since then, John has gone into the shadows and disappeared from the eyes of the cameras. Even if it was shown to the public, it was only at some event with friends or to receive awards.

After the release of the last album, the musician planned to release another one in a few months, but it was not destined ...

Cause of death of John Lennon

How the death of John Lennon happened, all the newspapers and news spoke. Long before his death, the musician felt a threat to life. Suspicions and fears began to appear as early as 1964 in France, where John received a terrible secret note with death threats. In terrible excitement, the artist spent the whole night, but nothing happened. Such notes came many times. John regarded them as unsuccessful and stupid joke some weird fan.

So how did John Lennon die?

On December 8 at midnight, John and his wife were returning home from work. They were preparing a new album, so there was plenty of work in the recording studio. When the couple approached the entrance, John was suddenly called from behind from the darkness. As soon as the artist turned around, shots immediately followed him. One, then the second, the third... In total, 5 shots were fired: two bullets hit the shoulder, and two more shots hit the back. Youko couldn't help it and screamed piercingly.

Lennon, bleeding, slowly began to crawl towards the entrance. The musician reached the guard and barely croaked loudly: “I was shot at ...” At that moment, the cassette with the song on which they worked so hard in the studio with Yoko fell out of the hands of the dying man.

A couple of minutes later, the police rushed in and, taking the wounded man, took him to the nearest medical center. No matter how they tried to save the musician on the operating table, nothing came of it. Blood loss was 80%. There was no chance for salvation.

Who was the killer of the great musician

John Lennon died because of Mark Chapman. On the day of the artist's death, Mark met John on the way to the recording studio and asked for an autograph. Surprisingly: the two of them were captured in a picture that eventually became fatal. It was made by dedicated Beatles fan Paul Goresh. Later it turned out that Mark himself approached Paul and asked for $ 50 to capture them with Lennon on joint photo. Chapman was questioned about this act. The guy argued that in Hawaii they would not believe him that he was talking to John Lennon.

After Chapman shot Lennon, he did not even try to hide, although there was a subway nearby. The guy calmly sat down in front of the musician's house, opened Salinger's book "The Catcher in the Rye" and plunged into reading. I grabbed this book not by chance, as I equated myself with the main character - Holden Caulfield.

The porter at home, seeing the killer calmly reading, jumped out to him and shouted in a voice that was not his own: “Do you even understand what you have done ?!” To which, with imperturbable calmness, the guy replied: “Yes, he killed John Lennon.”

In order to remember her husband, Yoko invited fans to come to New York's Central Park. More than 225 thousand people remembered the great artist with a minute of silence.

What prompted Mark Chapman to commit a cruel crime

The cause of John Lennon's death and the behavior of his killer have become a mystery to the press and fans. During the investigation, it turned out that Mark has a split personality. The killer himself confessed the next day. He said that two personalities live in it: dark and light. Dark - the devil, who for several months incited the guy to commit a crime. The guy also admitted: he dreamed of being like John, having his fame, luxury and recognition. He even signed as "John Lennon".

Other sources say that Chapman was not just jealous of the musician. The killer thought he was John Lennon and the real musician was a fake.

Yet, despite the touched mind, Chapman was put behind bars. The killer has spent more than 36 years in prison. Mark applied for release more than once, but they were not approved. In particular, Yoko influenced this: she did not want the killer to go free. Otherwise, her peace would be disturbed again.

The creativity and personality of the great musician will forever remain in the memory of the fans. The music of John Lennon finds loyal fans at any time. The creativity of the musician will live forever.

Famous musician, one of the artists the greatest group John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England.
Parents future celebrity were Alfred and Julia Lennon - their first and only child was born during the German air attack on the city. John's parents separated when the boy was not yet four years old. As a result of this breakup, John was taken in by his maternal aunt, Mimi Smith.
Mimi's relationship with John was not easy - she was a very strict woman, and John was as sarcastic as he was smart. His aunt did not at all approve of his passion for the guitar, believing that it was a waste of time that would never benefit him.
Like many creatively gifted individuals, in school subjects John didn't shine. He was bored of earning high scores - instead he published school magazine and sang in the choir. With all this, John was a regular violator of discipline, and even drew caricatures of teachers.
At this time in England, the craze of young people for rock and roll begins. This current could not pass by John Lennon and he, together with his friends, organizes The group Quarrymen. This happened in 1956. John was the guitarist in the band, and besides him there were 5 other people - another guitarist, two drummers, one banjo and even one musician who played on the washboard! In July 1957, a fateful meeting takes place - John meets Paul McCartney and invites him to the group. After a while, Paul also brings in the third member of the future The Beatles - George Harrison.
study in high school ended for John just as it had lasted - he failed final exams. But, thanks to the help of the director, he managed to enter the Liverpool Art College.
In 1959 The The Quarrymen transforms first into the Silver Beatles and then into just The Beatles.
First time popularity new group was local - they were moderately known in Liverpool, and even in Hamburg, where they often came to give concerts.
In 1961, the group changes manager (Brian Epstein becomes it) and image - leather jackets and cheeky demeanor on suits, red ties and reserved manners. Perhaps this marketing ploy served as a detonator, perhaps something else, but the fame of The Beatles grew astronomically - if at 63 they were well known in Liverpool and the surrounding area, then in 1964 the whole world knew about them.
1964-66 - the time of the absolute and undeniable leadership of The Beatles. They toured all over the world. At this time, John inadvertently spoke about the fact that "Christianity is no longer the same, it is losing its position." His words, slightly corrected, were replicated around the world. This led to angry letters, disruption of concerts. John was threatened with death more than once.
Since 1967, Lennon begins to get involved in drugs, gradually moving away from other members of the group. Leadership, previously equally divisible in a pair of Lennon-McCartney, goes to Paul.
Relationships in the team have reached critical point in 1968, and the stumbling block was the contradictions of Paul and John. The band's last album was Abbey Road, released in 1969. By the time of its release, John and Paul announced they were leaving the group.
From 1968 to 72 John Lennon had " political period". At this time, he and his wife Yoko Ono carried out various political actions, very ambiguous in form and content. His main postulate was the denial of war. Since 1971, John and Ono moved to live in New York, and receive a residence permit there. Since then, Lennon has never come to England.
For some time, John continued to engage in politics - in particular, the problem of assimilation American Indians. In 1973, John was ordered to leave the United States. This led to a year-long separation from his wife and creative crisis.
In 1975, Lennon's son Sean is born. After that, John announces the end of his career as a musician and that he will devote the next five years to raising his son. Despite his statement, in 1980 he released the album "Double Fantasy", which was destined to be the last in his life.
On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot at point blank range by Mark Chapman. Four shots out of five hit the target, and John, despite the operational hospitalization, could not be saved - he died from significant blood loss. His killer received a life sentence.

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