home

JOHN LENNON: “Peace on Earth for the conservation of life- In Honor of John Lennon 1940-1980"



John Lennon had a different perception about both life and love, and he showed that through his music, his interviews, and his lucid dedication to the things he believed in. He denounced the United States government in regard to war and peace, and advocated many anti-war movements. Even 30 years after his death, John Lennon left a prolonged legacy that had an everlasting impact on American society.

John Lennon was born on October 9th, 1940 in Liverpool, England. He formed his first band //The Quarrymen//, and asked Paul McCartney to join- which led to one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in world history. In 1964, //The Beatles// began touring the world, and became one of the most influential and famous bands ever. John Lennon wrote many of their most famous songs, and became widely known. Lennon had married Cynthia Powell in August 1962 and they had a son together who they called Julian, named after John's mother. Cynthia had to keep a very low profile during the time in which the Beatles were gaining popularity. They divorced in 1968 and he re-married Japanese music artist Yoko Ono. John and Yoko's artist partnership began to cause tensions within the band. Together they invented a form of peace protest by staying in bed while being filmed and interviewed, and the single recorded under the name of The Plastic Ono Band, //Give Peace a Chance// (1969), became the national anthem for pacifists. Lennon left The Beatles in September 1969, just after the group completed recording //Abbey Road.// Lennon and Ono moved to the U.S. in September 1971, but were constantly threatened with deportation by President Nixon. Lennon believed the reason was his activism against the unpopular Vietnam War. In 1976, he was granted permanent citizenship in the Unites States. In 1972, Lennon performed at Madison Square Garden to benefit mentally handicapped children and continued to promote peace. In the fall of 1973, John and Yoko separated. During these troubling times in John’s life, he still managed to release hit albums, such as //Mind Games// and //Walls and Bridges// and. In the end, Lennon realized he really loved Yoko and he could not live without her. They got back together and she gave birth to their son, Sean on October 9th, 1975. John decided to leave the music business to raise his son. In 1980, Lennon returned to the music world with the album //Double Fantasy//. Unfortunately, just a few weeks after its release, Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman, a fan in front of his apartment complex in New York. Lennon died of the age of 40 at the Roosevelt Hospital on December 8th, 1980, after receiving four gun shots in the back. His death affected millions of people, and he still continues to be one of the most famous music artists of all time.

In 1969, when John and Yoko’s song //Give Peace a Chance// premiered, they announced there would be a “happening” in their bed during their honeymoon. They invited the press, and when the press showed up, John and Yoko proclaimed that they would stay in bed for a week to “protest against all the suffering and violence in the world.”-JL. They protested to advocate the Civil Rights Movement, and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Riots began in New York, Los Angeles, London, Johannesburg and many other major cities around the world, and the couple took part in supporting them. They also protested against the Vietnam War. //“All we are saying, is give peace a chance”// became an anthem for pacifists and anti-war movements.”

John began an anti Vietnam War movement, which resulted in a conflict between President Nixon and John, with many failed attempts to get John deported. He was threatened with deportation, because President Nixon knew that he had a lot of power over the young voters, and Nixon believed that Lennon’s protests and rallies were affecting his chance for a reelection. When Nixon’s attempts at deporting John failed, he was granted citizenship in 1976. He becomes a house husband, and takes care of Sean and began composing music again.

John Lennon will be a legacy to the world, and especially America because of his peace and anti-war movements. Aside from his musical talents, and his being one of the most famous musicians in American history, he was a major contributor in peace activism, whether through his “bed-ins” or his song lyrics taking part in movements, John Lennon will always be remembered as a historical figure who greatly impacted American society. His life was honored October 9th, 2010 on what would have been his 70th birthday. A sculpture was unveiled by Cynthia and Julian Lennon, and the sculpture read “Peace on Earth for the conservation of life- In Honor of John Lennon 1940-1980. The sculpture incorporated many symbols, including a dove, a peace sign, and a white feather. ” His first wife Cynthia quoted “I think the mourning is over for John. I think it’s time to celebrate which is what we’re doing, thinking about his life which was positive and good, enjoying the joy he had and we all have from hearing his music.”

media type="youtube" key="2xB4dbdNSXY" height="390" width="480" align="center"

//“Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.”//