Remembering John Lennon

John Lennon, born and raised in Liverpool, England, was a member of the famed band The Beatles, and produced popular, memorable, and meaningful music. As a co-writer and performer, he is associated with 27 number one hits on the US Hot 100 chart.

In 1969, he left The Beatles, and further pursued his political activism and support of civil rights movements. He even organized a few Bed-Ins with his wife, Yoko Ono, including the one in March 1969 in Montreal that attracted worldwide press coverage. His activism was a source of controversy, and he became well known for his anti-war stance, particularly through songs like Imagine and Give Peace a Chance.

On December 8, 1980, three weeks after the release of his solo album, Double Fantasy, Lennon was shot in the back four times by Mark David Chapman, and died shortly after. Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for him earlier that night. The following day, Ono released a statement, saying, "There is no funeral for John...John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him." His ashes were scattered in Central Park in New York City, where the Strawberry Fields Memorial now stands. Gone too soon.