John Lennon changed rock and roll music forever... nay, he straight up changed music forever. In his short 40 years of life, his lyrics, style, and political agenda changed the landscape of music and art as we knew it. He made pop albums, rock albums, experimental albums, and redefined what each of those terms even means (needless to say, he was in the Beatles). John Lennon made the world a better place, and his influence is still felt to this day.
But who was John Lennon? What was he like when he wasn't a teeny-bopper's dream date in the Beatles? We've poured through interviews and facts for some of the best Lennon stories that will begin to paint a picture of the real man behind all the fame. This list compiles John Lennon trivia, quotes, anecdotes, and history. Consider this your own personal John Lennon biography!
This John Lennon anthology tracks everything from the epic tales in the recording studio to the exact moments that inspired iconic songs. Interested in his infamous and wild drug experiences? What about his movie-esque personal life and multiple wives? These facts are some of the things that shaped the enigmatic, multi-faceted artist that was John Lennon.
Lennon was cremated after his tragic murder on December 8, 1980. Fans have theorized that his ashes were spread at Strawberry Fields - is a section of Central Park that Lennon often visited and which was posthumously named for his famous Beatles song. However, this has never been confirmed or denied by Ono, and the location of his ashes is still unknown.
According to the Beatle himself, in August 1974 he saw a UFO from his terrace on 53rd Street in Manhattan, and even wandered out undressed to see it. He even summoned his secretary May Pang, who claims to have seen it, too. There were a number of calls to the police that day from others in the neighborhood with similar sightings.
His First Dose Of LSD Was Slipped To Him By His Dentist
The first time John Lennon took LSD it was slipped to him. It was a normal night of socializing in London during April 1965. Lennon's dentist, John Riley, wanted to show him the wonders of the substance and slipped it into his coffee.
Source: Independent
He Would Casually Sleep In A Coffin
An early manager for the Beatles, Allan Williams, owned a coffee bar called The Jacaranda. For whatever reason, this coffee bar had an abandoned coffin on the premises. Lennon was so amused by the coffin he would occasionally nap in it as a joke.
His Last Concert Performance Was During Elton John's Set
Back in 1974, Elton John bet Lennon that if "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" (a song on which they had collaborated) hit #1 on the Billboard charts, Lennon would play it with him at Madison Square Garden. Well, it hit #1 and Lennon was a man of his word. But they didn't just play "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." They also treated fans to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "I Saw Her Standing There."
It would be Lennon's last major concert appearance.
It's no secret that Lennon had bad eyesight (those intense spectacles weren't just for show), but without his glasses he was actually considered legally blind. He also slept with a light on because he didn't like the dark. Later in life, he learned that he was dyslexic.
