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10 Apr 2008

Unforgettable People (XVI): John Lennon


John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Oxford Street Maternity Hospital during a lull in the WWII bombing of Liverpool, England. He formed his first band at age sixteen. Paul McCartney attended a performance in 1957 and shortly afterward became a member. George Harrison eventually joined and, later, Pete Best, who was replaced by Ringo Starr. Known variously as the Quarry Men, they finally settled on the name the Beatles.

John complimented Elton when he said “there was something about his vocals that was an improvement on all the english vocals till then”. Lennon certainly looked up to the younger musician and admired his stamina. They became friends and exchanged experiences when John recorded with Elton, as “Dr. Winston O’Boggie” on “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” . “I couldn’t believe it when I went to their New York apartment” reminded Elton about meeting John and Yoko. “Yoko has a refrigerated room for all her fur coats. And she has rooms full of those clother racks like they have in Marks and Sparks. She makes me look ridiculous. I buy things in threes and fours. She buys fifty. The funny thing is that you rarely see her wearing them”.

He became the last of four ex-Beatles to hit the US number one. Elton played in the “Walls And Bridges” sessions for “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” single. Recognizing the song’s potential, Elton made a bargain with John that if the disk goes to number one, John have to appear in concert with him. John accepted. On Thanksgiving Night, Lennon made what would be his final concert appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York, with a standing ovation for more than twenty minutes, they did three songs, after Davey Johnstone tunned his guitar due to nerves: “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”. That day John and Yoko ended their personal troubles and, thanking Elton for that, he became the godfather to Sean Taro Ono Lennon, born on 9th October 1975.

On the sad of one 8th December 1980 day, Lennon and Yoko returned home from the recording and entered the courtyard of the Dakota building, Lennon turned around when he heard: “Mr. Lennon?”. He was miserable shot five times by Mark Chapman and died of blood loss shortly ater at the Roosevelt Hospital, he was dead on arrival... Rest in peace John!!

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