John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and political activist. After a troubled childhood, he gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles.
Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Lennon initially was the group’s de facto leader, a role he gradually seemed to cede to McCartney.
John Winston Lennon was born on 9 October 1940 at Liverpool Maternity Hospital, the only child of Julia (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon. Alfred was a merchant seaman of Irish descent who was away at the time of his son’s birth.His parents named him John Winston Lennon after his paternal grandfather, John “Jack” Lennon, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
In July 1946, Lennon’s father visited her and took his son to Blackpool, secretly intending to emigrate to New Zealand with him. Julia followed them – with her partner at the time, Bobby Dykins – and after a heated argument, his father forced the five-year-old to choose between them.
