Lennon Born: The Beatle Who Changed Music Forever
John Lennon was born in Liverpool on October 9, 1940, during a German bombing raid. His mother Julia played the banjo and taught him his first chords. His father Freddie was a merchant seaman who abandoned the family when Lennon was five. He was raised by his Aunt Mimi, who reportedly told him regularly that 'the guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make a living at it.' He put a plaque on her house with that quote after the Beatles became the Beatles. He was 20 when the band found its sound in Hamburg, playing eight-hour sets to drunks in clubs that stayed open until dawn. He was 22 when they broke through in Britain. He was 30 when the Beatles ended. He had 10 years left.
October 9, 1940
86 years ago
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