Early Life
Lennon was raised in Liverpool by his aunt Mimi and formed the skiffle group the Quarrymen in 1956; he met Paul McCartney the following year.
Career
The Beatles, who evolved from the Quarrymen, rose to global fame in the 1960s. Lennon co-wrote much of the band's catalog with McCartney, including “A Day in the Life” and “Strawberry Fields Forever”. After the group split in 1970 he released solo albums such as John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970) and Imagine (1971), and with Yoko Ono staged peace protests including their 1969 “bed-ins”.
Legacy
Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City in December 1980, at age 40. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24