John Lennon Accomplishments

The life and deaths of these four men inspired the world. “They were the best thing to happen to the twentieth century, let alone the sixties” (rollingstone.com 2017). They are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. John, born October 9th 1940, was one of the more outspoken members later in his life protesting the Vietnam war by famously staying in bed with his wife Yoko Ono. Paul known as the melodic voice of the group could be considered as much of an influence outside the Beatle as with them, he would go on to record numerous smash hits with his wife Linda in the band Paul McCartney and Wings. George Harrison would go down as one of the greatest guitar players ever and would tragically die of lung cancer in 2001.

At the age of four his parents separated and he with to live with his Aunt. His mother would die years later when he was eighteen and it would shake him forever. He would originally go to an art college but would decide to start a band after seeing the impact of Elvis Presley. This would lead to him meeting Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Paul McCartney, born June 18th, 1942, had a great bond that he shared with bandmate John Lennon. Both losing their mothers John to a car crash when he was 18 and Paul to surgical complications at 14. He would learn to play spanish guitar, trumpet, and piano before the age of 16, the same age he wrote the song “When I’m Sixty Four” with the intention of selling the rights to Frank Sinatra. George Harrison, born February 25, 1943, was the soul of the band with his smooth guitar playing that he had been developing since the first time he picked up the guitar at the age of twelve after hearing Elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel”. Ringo Starr, born July 7, 1940 as Richard Starkey, was the last to join the Beatles. He would meet them while they were in Hamburg, Germany and replace Pete Best. Pete Best, then considered the group's undisputed sex symbol, was asked to leave the group August 16,

Hamburg was The Beatles’ baptism by fire (allmusic.com). They would all be deported; Harrison for being underage at the bars they played at, McCartney, Lennon, and the drummer at the time Pete Best for burning a used condom in the restroom they were living in. They would soon return to their hometown of Liverpool, England and finally achieve status, notoriety, and success. Playing at the Cavern Club regularly, they would be noticed by their future manager Brian Epstein ad he would secure them a record deal with EMI records. This would produce their first album “Please Please Me” with single hits “Please Please Me” and “Love Me Do”. They would produce one more album, “With the Beatles” with singles “All my Loving” and “I Wanna be Your Man”, before heading off to America and the Ed Sullivan