John Lennon's 80th birthday, accompanied by various events + Biography

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John Lennon's 80th birthday, accompanied by various events + Biography John Lennon would have been celebrating his 80th birthday today, 9 October, and various events marked the day. Late Beatles star and musical legend John Lennon , 9 October, and various events marked the day. The musician, who was shot dead at the age of 40 in New York in 1980, has continued to have an enduring influence on popular culture long after his murder. Following a chance encounter with his future bandmate Paul McCartney at a church fete in 1957, he went on to change the course of musical history with a body of work which has stood the test of time. After helping to propel The Beatles to international stardom and securing their place as one of the world's biggest ever bands, John Lennon continued to enjoy a varied career. Following the band's breakup in 1970, the Liverpudlian released his debut solo effort John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in the same year, which included the likes of Mother and Working Class Hero. The Beatles Less than a year later came Imagine, whose title track has become inextricably linked to his legacy. The Strawberry Fields memorial to the musician in New York's Central Park, where John Lennon 's ashes are scattered, features a mosaic bearing the word. Lennon's landmark birthday is being marked with a pop-up television channel called LENNON80 which will feature special programming. It will feature Bed Peace, the documentary charting Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In For Peace in Montreal, Canada, in 1969, as well as their 1971 interview on Parkinson. Universal Music Group launched the channel on Sky, Virgin and Freeview from today until October 15. His birthday was also marked in Liverpool, where the council has launched a worldwide contest to find another great songwriter. Yoko Ono A collection of previously unseen pictures of Lennon in New York is also going on display at The Beatles Story in Liverpool. Earlier this week, Elton John said that if Lennon had lived he probably would have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to John Lennon 's son Sean, who is his godson, to mark the milestone in a BBC Radio 2 special, Elton John said: "I think if your dad had still been alive he would have definitely been, maybe won the Nobel Peace Prize or something. "That was what your dad was, he wanted to bring people together. He was a uniter and he was prepared to go to any lengths to make people see what his point was." Paul McCartney marked the birthday of his late Beatles band mate by sharing a black and white photograph of the pair together. Sharing a photograph on Instagram, McCartney wrote: "I love this picture, it reminds me of the bond between us. Happy 80th John. Love Paul". Beatles drummer Sir Ringo Starr also remembered Lennon. He posted on Instagram: "Let's celebrate John's 80th birthday with come together Friday, 9 October I still miss you man peace and love to Yoko Sean and Julian." Yoko Ono, John Lennon 's wife, posted a short video showing New York's Empire State Building lit up in blue, and with a peace sign, in honour of the day. Biography John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in musical history. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, Yoko Ono. After the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon continued as a solo artist and as Ono's collaborator. Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed his first band, the Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. He was initially the group's de facto leader, a role gradually ceded to McCartney. Lennon was characterised for the rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. In the mid-1960s, he had two books published: In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with 1967's "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture. From 1968 to 1972, Lennon produced more than a dozen records with Ono, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, his first solo LP John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and the international top 10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". In 1969, he held the two week-long anti-war demonstration Bed-Ins for Peace. After moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year attempt by the Nixon administration to deport him. In 1975, Lennon disengaged from the music business to raise his infant son Sean and, in 1980, returned with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy. He was shot and killed in the archway of his Manhattan apartment building by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release. Sources: https://www.rte.ie/ https://newyork.cbslocal.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/