The Rebel

John Lennon had always had a passion for music. It was his escape from the problems in his family. His father was an absent parent and his mother, Julia, handed the care of her son to her sister after splitting up with Lennon’s father.  Julia used to visit her son regularly and was she the one that introduced him into music; she also gave him his first guitar in 1956. The same year, Lennon formed his first band, the Quarrymen, with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe. When Lennon was seventeen, his mother died (he reflected his loss in his 1968’s song, “Julia”), before he entered Arts college. The death of his mother reflected in his behavior at the college, and his was repeatedly threatened with expulsion. He was finally expelled before graduating. 

In the Beatles, Lennon was usually portrayed as the “rebel”. He was the one who made the most polemic statements (“More popular than Jesus”) and the one that was more involved in political issues. But he was also an amazing composer and writer, with and without the help of Paul McCartney, and his songs are among the best in the history of music.

As a solo artist, Lennon enjoyed an amazing career. After a few solo albums, he decided to quit music for a time, in order to have more time with his family. In 1980, after releasing his last album he was killed by a deranged fan outside the Dakota Building, where he used to live.