He is recognised when one of a greatest musical icons of the 20th century; and his songs, like "Imagine" and "Strawberry Fields Forever", are typically ranked among a better songs within popular music history. Within 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to discover a 100 Greatest Britons of all instance, & a British public voted Lennon into Eighth place.

Early years
Lennon was natural within Liverpool on the evening of October 9, 1940 during a period of very much turmoil when a UK was heavily engaged within World War II. Two of his parents experienced musical backgrounds & personal experience, though neither pursued the two seriously. Lennon accept his parents around Liverpool until his father Alfred (nicknamed Alf, and late "Freddy"), the merchandiser seaman, walked out on the personal whenever John was 5 years old. His mother, Julia, so decided that she was unable to care for her boy, and then gave him to her sister Mimi. Lennon accept Aunt Mimi & her married man George at Mendips, 251 Menlove Avenue, Liverpool throughout the rest of his childhood & adolescence. Prefer good deal of the people of Liverpool, Lennon got a few Irish heritage; his grandfather, James Lennon, with been innate around Dublin in 1858.

Lennon developed severe myopia as he grew up, & was obliged to get into glass order to watch clearly. When you took his early Beatle career, Lennon bore contacts or even even guide dark glasses (or only "toughed it out" while forgoing the babies). Around 1966, on the set of How I Won The War, Lennon was issued a pair of National Health spectacles. He continued to put on these circular, wire-rimmed glasses which became a share of his iconic public image. Although John lived apart from either his mother he however saved inside call for by owning her across regular visits, & around a period of this instance Julithe was responsible introducing her boy to a womb-to-tomb interest in music by teaching him training play the banjo. In July 15, 1958 - when Lennon was 17 - his mother was flushed when she was stricken by a car caused by the bibulous off-duty policeman, & he experienced to return the mortuary to identify her person. Julia's dying was one of a factors that cemented his friendly relationship by having Paul McCartney, who experienced misplaced his have mother to breast cancer in 1956, when Paul was Fourteen. Years late, Lennon wrote a songs "Julia", "Mother" and "My Mummy's Dead" on his mother, also when naming his eldest boy, Julian, after her.

Though failing inside grammar school, Lennon was accepted into the Liverpool College of Art with help from either his school's schoolmaster & Aunt Mimi, & it was there that he met his first married woman, Cynthia Powell. Nevertheless, Lennon steadily grew to hate a conformity of art school, which proved to be little different from either his earliest school personal experience, & in the end dropped out. He instead devoted himself to music, inspired by Our contries Rock 'n' Roll and singers like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. He'd began the skiffle band in grammar school known as a Quarry Men (after his alma mater, Quarry Bank). By using a addition of Paul McCartney & George Harrison, the band changed to swimming rock 'north' roll, ingesting a title "Johnny and the Moondogs", followed by "The Silver Beetles" (The tribute to Buddy Holly's Crickets), which was later shortened to The Beatles. He married Powell within 1962, after she became pregnant with Julian.

Role in the Beatles
Lenninside experienced a profound influence on rock & roll & in expanding the genre's boundaries when you took a 1960s. He is widely considered, along by owning songwriting partner Paul McCartney, as one of a virtually all influential singer-songwriter-musicians of the 20th century. Numbers of of the songs written by Lennon, but, come additional self-examining — typically in the first person — and personal than McCartney's. His virtually all surreal pieces of songwriting, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "I Am the Walrus", are ticket examples of his unique style. Lennon's partnership around songwriting by having McCartney numerous days required him around complementing & counterbalancing McCartney's upbeat, caring outlook by owning a more side of the coin, when one of their songs, "Getting Better" demonstrates:

Lennin typically spoke his mind freely & the click was wont to querying him on a wide range of cases. In March 4, 1966 in an interview for the London Evening Standard with Maureen Cleave, who was a friend of his, Lennon mass produced an off the cuff remark on religion. a article was printed & nothing come of it, until 5 months late once a Adolescent magazine reprinted the words "I don't know what will go first—Rock and Roll or Christianity. We're more popular than Jesus now," right the front handle.

a firestorm of protest swelled from either the southern U.S. Bible Belt area, as conservative groups publicly burned Beatles records & memorabilia. Radio stations banned Beatles music & concert venues cancelled performances. Possibly The Vatican got involved by having the public denunciation of Lennon's comments. In August 11, 1966, the Beatles held the news conference around Chicago, Illinois, in order to address a growing furore.

the governing members of a Vatican accepted his apology & the furor finally died down, however constant Beatlemania, mobs, crazed teen, & okay, a click ready to tear the two to pieces all over any quote was as well very much to cover. the Beatles shortly decided to prevent touring, & indeed, never performed a scheduled concert over again. From either this point forward a Beatles were a studio band (perhaps the 1st ever). Discharged from either a condition of getting to compose music it may reproduce survive stage, it can choose a technical restricts of music & create unique & original sounds.

In November 9, 1966, when their final tour all over & perfect after he got wrapped higher filming the bit part in the film How else I personally Won a War, Lennon visited an art exhibit of Yoko Ono's at the Indica picture gallery inside London. Lennon began his romance using Ono within 1968 after returning from either India and leaving his alienated married woman Cynthia, world health organization filed for divorce later that year. Lennin & Ono were from either so on inseparable publically & buck private, too when in the period of Beatles recording sessions. the click wwhen highly pitiless to Ono, posting a series of uncomplimentary articles all about her, of these possibly running thus far as to call for her "ugly." This infuriated Lennon, world health organization rallied in the area of his freshly partner & said publicly that there was there is no John & Yoko, however that it were of these individual, JohnAndYoko. These developments led to friction by owning a more members of a class action, & heightened a tension in the period of the 1968 White Album sessions.

A bit of Beatles fans blame Ono for the Beatles' breakup, however a band got been growing apart nigh immediately fallowing a demise of their manager Brian Epstein in 1967. Lennon particularly cited Epstein when a mucilage which experienced held the two completely together. He resolved disputes among members, balanced their egos & — above completely — handled a money; inside his absence (together sustaining a influence of doses, a want to wash supplementary act independently, outside friends, alternate collaborating partners, recently marriages/relationships & a calamitous Apple Corps venture), the Beatles' interpersonal relationships just disintegrated.

At a prevent of 1968, Lennon & Ono performed when Dirty Mac on The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus.

In a period of his go ii years as a member of The Beatles, Lennin spent lot of his instance by using Ono on public displays protesting the Vietnam War. He remit a MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) he received from Queen Elizabeth II during the height of Beatlemania "in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing and support of America in Vietnam," adding as a joke, "as well as "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts." In March 20 1969, Lennon and Ono were married around Gibraltar, and spent their honeymoon around Amsterdam in a "Bed-In" for peace. It followed higher their honeymoon by using a second "Bed-In" for peace this period held around Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. When you took a 2nd "Bed-In" the few recorded "Give Peace a Chance" which would go in to turn into an international anthem for the peace movement. It were chiefly patronized when a few eccentrics per media, however it did much for the peace movement, also as for more pet drives, like women's liberation and racial harmony. When by owning a "Bed-In" campaign, Lennon & Ono normally advocated their induces using impulsive demonstrations, like Bagism, first introduced in the period of the Vienna news conference. Shortly fallowing, Lennon changed his middle title from either Winston to Ono to show his "oneness" by owning his fresh married woman. Lennon wrote "The Ballad of John and Yoko" about his marriage and a subsequent click it generated.

A failing Become Back/Let It Be recording/filming sessions did nothing to improve relations within a band. Fallowing each Lennon & Ono were wounded in the summertime of 1969 around a car accident in Scotland, Lennon arranged for Ono to become constantly using him around the studio (including with the good-sized bed rolled in) when he worked on The Beatles' endure album, Abbey Road. When a class action managed to hang together to make of these go superior musical theater act, presently thenceforth business issues related to Apple Corps came between them.

Lennon decided to quit a Beatles however was talked away from saying anything publicly. Phil Spector's involvement in trying to revive a Let It Be material then drove the farther wedge between Lennon (world health organization supported Spector) & McCartney (world health organization opposed him). Though a split would lone be legal a select few instance in the future, Lennon & McCartney's partnership experienced came to the bitter prevent. McCartney shortly manufactured a click announcement, declaring he got quit the Beatles, & promoting his fresh solo record.

Solo career
Of a quaternary previous Beatles, Lennon got mayhap the virtually all varied recording career. When he was however the Beatle, Lennon & Ono recorded trinity albums of experimental & hard electronic music, Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins, Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions, and Wedding Album. His foremost 'solo' album of popular music was Live Peace in Toronto 1969, recorded in 1969 (prior to a breakup of a Beatles) at the Rock 'north' Roll Festival around Toronto with The Plastic Ono Band, which included Eric Clapton and Klaus Voormann. He too recorded trinity singles around his initial solo phase, a anti-war anthem "Give Peace a Chance", "Cold Turkey" (about his struggles by having heroin addiction) and "Instant Karma!".

As a consequence a Beatles' split inside 1970, he released a John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album, a raw, savagely personalized record, heavy influenced by Arthur Janov's Primal therapy, which Lennon had undergone antecedently. A influence of the therapy, which consists literally of screaming retired a single's emotional hurt, is virtually all conspicuous on the songs "Mother" ("''Mama don't go!/Daddy come home!''") & "Well Well Well." A centrepiece is "God," where he lists all the items he doesn't imagine within, ending using "Beatles". Numbers of assume "Plastic Ono Band" to become the major influence in down the road hard rock and punk music. Lennon continued this effort to demythologise his old band using an extended, confrontational locate published within Rolling Stone magazine.

This was followed around 1971 by Imagine, his most successful solo album, which alternates within tone between languor & anger. A title track has become an anthem for anti-war movements, & was matched within image by Lennon's "white period" (whiten material, whiten soft, clean room ...) Maybe around reaction, his next album, Some Time in New York City, was loud, raucous, & explicitly political, using songs just about prison riots, racial & sex act, a British role around the sectarian troubles in Northern Ireland, and his have problems inside obtaining the United States Green Card. This record is typically seen when a nadir of Lennon's career, good of large-handed & simplistic messaging unsaved by tremendously artistic value. In 30 August 1972 Lennon and his backing band Elephant's Memory staged two benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York; it was to be his last full-length concert appearance. Lennon & Ono as well did the week-long guest co-carrier stint on the Mike Douglas Show, in an appearance that showed Lennon's wit & humour however intact.

Inside 1972, Lennon released an anti-sexism song, "Woman Is the Nigger of the World", implying that as melanise humans were discriminated against around a bit of countries and so were women globally. Radio refused to broadcast a song, & it was banned about all over.

Lennon rebounded inside 1973 with Mind Games, which featured the hard title tune & occasionally undefined mumblings just about a "conceptual country" known as "Nutopia", which satirized his on-going immigration example. His virtually all striking song of that month was a wry "I'm the Greatest," which he wrote for Ringo Starr's very successful Ringo album.

Inside 1973, Lennon's personal life fell into disrepair once Yoko kicked John away from a home. Yoko approached May Pang, the attractive Asian woman world health organization was their individual help, at the instance by using a unique proposal. Yoko, world health organization thought May Pang to be an "ideal companion" for John, asked her to "be with John and to help him out and see to it that he gets whatever he wanted." John & Can shortly affected to Los Angeles which experienced been dubbed a "lost weekend" though it lasted until a beginning of 1975. In the period of their period together, Might bucked up John to spend period by having his boy, Julian Lennon, and became friends using Cynthia Lennon. Though John's public drunkenness experienced been a subject of gossip in the period of 1974, Pang wrote that John was usually sober inside his personal life & created the big oeuvre.

Despite alleged episodes of drunkenness, Lennon jointly a easily-received album, Walls and Bridges, which featured a collaboration using Elton John on the up-tempo first hit "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night". A second top tenner hit from either a album was a Beatlesque reverie "#9 Dream". Lennon capped the month by making a surprise guest appearance at an Elton John concert inside Madison Square Garden where they performed "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" & "I Saw Her Standing There" together. It was to become his go-ever concert appearance.

Inside 1975, Lennon released a ''Rock 'n' Roll'' album of cover versions of old rock and roll songs of his youth. This design was complicated by Phil Spector's involvement as producer & by many legal battles; the effect standard usually veto reviews, though it yielded a powerful, lauded handle of "Stand by Me".

At this point Yoko was pregnant by using what would exist as their number one tike, & Lennon — saddened per fact that due to Beatlemania he got never gotten to own household budget fatherhood by owning his number 1 boy Julian — retired from either music & dedicated himself to personal life. This was manufactured more leisurely within 1976 when his U.S. immigration status was finally resolved favourably, after a years-long battle with the Nixon administration that included a FBI investigation involving surveillance, wiretaps, and agents literally following Lennon around as he travelled. Lennon claimed a investigation was politically motivated.

As well inside 1975, David Bowie achieved his first The states first hit by using "Fame", co-written by Bowie, Lennon (who as well contributed backing vocals) & Carlos Alomar. Lennon's retirement, which he began as a result a birth of his 2nd boy, Sean in 1975, lasted until 1980 when Lennon, for the first time around 5 years, picked higher his guitar over again. At a start sole curious to look at whenever he can however write music, he felt fresh & good of ideas, all reinvigorated per lives of fatherhood & a hanker break from either the business. He wrote an telling total of lesson in the period of the Caribbean vacation & began thought process all about the fresh album. For this comeback, he & Ono produced Double Fantasy, a construct album treating by using their relationship. the title come from either a flower Lennon saw at an exposition; he liked the title, & thought it was a hone description of his marriage to Yoko. "(Just Like) Starting Over" began climbing the singles stock & index charts, and Lennon began thinking all about the brand occident tour. Lennin likewise commenced function on Milk and Honey which he would, unfortunately, leave bare. It was a bit of instance prior to Ono can bring herself to complete it.

Murder
In the late afternoon of December 8, 1980, in New York City, deranged fan Mark David Chapman met Lennon as he left for the recording studio & had his copy of Double Fantasy autographed; the event of Lennon signing one of his go autographs was caught by a lensman world health organization found this goodwill gesture. Chapman remained in the neighbourhood of The Dakota for most of the day as a pyrotechnic demonstration around nearby Central Park distracted the doorkeeper & passers-by.

Late that evening, Lennon & Ono returned to their flat from either recording Ono's only "Walking on Thin Ice" for their next album. At X.50pm, their limousine pulled up to a entrance of the Dakota. Ono had away from a car foremost, followed by Lennon. Beyond a independent entrance was the door which would become opened & a little placed of step leading into the flat complex. When Ono went inside, Lennin had away from a car & glanced at Chapman, proceeding on through the entrance to the Dakota.

When Lennon walked past him, Chapman known as out "Mr. Lennon." When Lennon turned, Chapman crouched into what witnesses known as the "combat" stance & pink-slipped 5 hollowpoint bullets into John's back & shoulder. One of a bullets fatally pierced his aorta. However, Lennon managed to stagger higher half a dozen steps into a concierge booth in which he collapsed, gasping "I'm shot, I'm shot."

Chapman stood there, holding his .38 Charter Arms revolver, which was pulled away from his mitts & kicked away by Jose Perdomo world health organization so asked "Do you know what you have done?", to which Chapman replied "I just shot John Lennon." Chapman so calmly took his coat murder, situated it at his feet, took out the book & began reading.

Police force arrived in minutes, to buy Chapman however waiting quietly outside, reading the copy of J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye.

Them officers transported Lennon to a hospital in the back of their cruiser when it thought John was as well badly pain to require the chance of wait for an ambulance. One of a officers asked Lennon in case he knew world health organization he was. Lennon's reply is reported to own been "Yeah" or even only the nod of the head prior to he passed out. Despite extensive resuscitative efforts in the hospital, Lennon got wasted all over 80% of his blood volume & died of shock at the age of Forty. Hundreds to thousands would receive a news that nighttime from either Howard Cosell, commentator for ABC's Monday Night Football.

Whilst asked once in a Sixties how else he required to die, Lennon's offhand guide was "I'll probably be popped off by some loony." Within retrospect, for although he will st& intended it as a joke and did non require it to happen, a comment turned bent exist as chillingly precise. A second chillingly precise comment was manufactured inside his endure locate, inside which he mentioned that he typically felt that someone is stalking him: 1st it was federal offices in a Seventies trying to deport him & late the obsessed fan in 1980.

Memorial

a crowd gathered outside a Dakota the nighttime of Lennon's dying. Ono apprise that their singing saved her come alive & asked that it re-convene within Central Park a resulting Sunday, for tenner minutes of silent prayer ([http://www.johnlennon.it/english.htm see also the 1980 Central Park Vigil - Tribute to John Lennon]). Her asking for the silent gathering was honoured a lot on top the world.

December 9, 1980, Bruce Springsteen at the Spectrum inside Philadelphia, PA noted when hearing of Lennon's dying "It's a hard night to come out and play but there's nothing else you can do." He ended the indicate by owning a spirited performance of "Twist and Shout".

The favorite commemorating issue of Rolling Stone magazine released shortly when a execution featured when its handle a exposure taken the morning of the shooting by Annie Leibovitz showing a bare Lennon within an embryonic pose kissing a fully cloaked Ono. Around 2005, this handle was voted at a #1 magazine handle ever per A U.s. Society of Magazine Editors.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel remembered Lennon in their 1981 reunion concert in Central Park, performing the song titled "The Late Great Johnny Ace". (Johnny Ace experienced been a promising singer-songwriter, world health organization had likewise died tragically, in the 1950s.) Simon & Garfunkel experienced tried recording in the Seventies by owning Lennon and Harry Nilsson; their one session together got regrettably yielded there are no resolutions.

A Strawberry Fields Memorial was constructed around Central Park through a street from either a Dakota, in memory of Lennon. (Whilst George Harrison died in 2001, people congregated on the "Imagine" tessellated circle inside Strawberry Fields.)

In the 1980's, Lennon fans inside Prague created the "Lennon Wall" through from either a French Embassy. Bedecked by having portraits & quotes from either either Lennon, along by having more grafitti, it was utilized as a venue for anti-government & pro-peace comment from locals. When you took a communistic era, there was a running off battle of sorts between creative person & the police force, since public comment of this nature and severity was illegal.

Around 1988, Warner Bros. produced a infotainment, Imagine: John Lennon (sanctioned in a share by Yoko Ono). the picture show was a life history of the previous Beatle, featuring interviews, seldom seen musical lesson, & narration by Lennon himself (formed from either interviews & tapes recorded by Lennon). It besides introduced "Real Love", one of the survive songs composed by Lennon, around an early demonstration (a later on demo would form the basis for the version rehashed per Beatles for The Beatles Anthology). A following year, at an auction of Beatles memorabilia, Lennon's jukebox was sold at Christie's for 2,500 pounds. A Mellotron that Lennon used to record, amongst more songs, "Strawberry Fields Forever", is presently owned by Trent Reznor of the band Nine Inch Nails.

Specially selected radio stations aired the syndicated series known as The Lost Lennon Tapes in 1990. Hosted by Lennon publiciser Elliot Mintz, the indicate spotlighted raw sessions from either throughout Lennon's career by owning & while forgoing A Beatles, including uncommon poop never freed to the public. In a period of the America: A Tribute to Heroes concert on September 21, 2001, Neil Young (an avowed buff of Lennon) sang "Imagine."

Within 1995, the band Oasis released a song known as "Don't Look Back in Anger", from their second album ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?''. A piano at a beginning of the song is taken from either "Imagine".

Within October 2000 John Lennon Museum was opened in Ono's hometown Saitama, Japan, to preserve knowledge of his works & career.

Around March, 2002, his native city, Liverpool, honoured his memory by renaming their drome "Liverpool John Lennon Airport," and adopting when its slogan the line from either his song "Imagine": "Above us only sky". In the equivalent season, Lennon was voted Eighth per British public in the "100 Greatest Britons" poll run per BBC. BBC History Magazine commented that his "generational influence is immense."

In October 31, 1994, Phish, a jam band, paid tribute to Lennon and a Beatles by covering The Beatles album (also known as a White Album).

Around 2004 Madonna paid tribute to Lennon by singing a handle of "Imagine" during her anti-war themed "Re-Invention World Tour." Too within 2004, A Perfect Circle recorded a handle of "Imagine" in their album eMOTIVe.

Around 2005, a musical titled Lennon'' was shown for the first time inside San Francisco. It received the super lacklustre response from either theatre critics & Beatles fans similar.

Within 2005, Cowboy Junkies covered "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" in their anti-war album, "Early 21st Century Blues".

John Lennon Park was built in Cuba as a memorial to the musician.

Lennon's boy by owning Cynthia, Julian Lennon, enjoys a notable recording career of his have, when does his boy by using Yoko, Sean Lennon.

Throughout his solo career, Lennin appeared on his have albums (besides when people of more creative person rather Elton John) under such pseudonyms as ''Dr. Winston O'Boogie-woogie, Mel Torment (the play in singer Mel Tormé), and A Reverend Fred Gherkin.

The biographic Broadway musical theater coroneted Lennon'' was mounted at Future York City’s Broadhurst Theater. Written & directed by Don Scardino from either Lennon's have words within interviews & songs, Lennon featured nine diverse actors & actresses portraying a singer-songwriter at various stages inside his life backed by an onstage 10-piece band. A play was produced using a endorsement of Yoko Ono, world health organization gave permission for the production to utilize ii unpublished Lennon songs, India, India & ''I personally Don't Obviously Lose Busy people'', & world health organization attended preview performances of the indicate at New York City's Broadhurst Theater on August Five & 6, 2005. the Musical comedy experienced been premiered inside San Francisco to unfortunate reviews & after reworked, to a tremendously better reception. When 42 preview performances, Lennon opened in Broadway in August 14, 2005, & closed in September Two dozen, 2005 fallowing 49 performances.

Discography

For the elaborated discography, watch: John Lennon discography

Biographies and books
Many life history of John Lennon have been published. Guiding light among which are actually The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman (which many assume to become further fiction than fact) & Lennon: A Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman.

John Lennon wrote three books himself: John Lennon: Around His Have Write, The Spaniard in the Works, & Skywriting by Word of Mouth (a previous published posthumously). The personalized sketch pad by having Lennon's familiar cartoons illustrating definitions of Japanese words, ''Ai: Japan Through John Lennon's Eyes, was promulgated posthumously.

Jack Jones, Let Us Choose We Down: Within a mind of Mark David Chapman'', 1992, Virgin , ISBN 0863696899

Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane - (2005, Running Click, ISBN: 0762423641)

Trivia
Occasionally humans guess the conspiracy theory that describes Lennon's murder as a political assassination: [http://www.john-lennon.net Who Authorized The Assassination Of John Lennon by Mark R. Elsis] [http://www.john-lennon.com/theassassinationofjl.htm The Assassination of John Lennon] [http://www.mackwhite.com/lennon.html Dead Silence in the Brain] [http://www.jfkmontreal.com/john_lennon/lennon_report.htm Rethinking John Lennon's Assassination] -- The recently book by Salvador Astucithe that looks at a different angle of the execution. Heavy metal musician Dimebag Darrell was murdered in 2004 on the anniversary of Lennon's dying within an unrelated shooting fling. Though Lennon is widely remembered as a vocal nominee for peace, around 2000 a late rock star was accused of secretly funding a IRA during the Seventies. The previous MI5 agent, David Shayler (exiled in France fallowing breaking a British Official Secrets Act), went public with a accusation, on to MI5 documents he got seen piece inside service. These alleged MI5 documents were according to trading tools from either a FBI, and in which Shayler claimed to keep around learned of the £175,000 donation to the IRA. Lennon is known to st& identified using and spoken in favor the Irish civil rights movement, especially during his A bit of Instance Within Just released York City-era fling sustaining radical-militant politics. However two Lennon's widow woman Yoko Ono & biographer Jon Wiener keep close at hand disputed Shayler's charges. Wiener, the history prof, experienced antecedently filed for Lennon's FBI records under a Freedom of Information Act. Numerous of the documents that develop been freed come available at Wiener's [http://www.lennonfbifiles.com website], & there are no proof has however surfaced to trend lines Shayler's accusation. Ten web sites remain unreleased per FBI, by using reports indicating that a British government will use at times asked a America to keep Lennon's file secret. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/650975.stm BBC News article from 2000, detailing Shayler's claim] [http://www.commondreams.org/views/022500-102.htm Jon Wiener's article debating Shayler's claim] [http://www.lennonfbifiles.com/last10pages.html 2004 Associated Press article, announcing judgment against FBI, ordered to release last pages of Lennon's file.] [http://www.instantkarma.com/iknews_030200_ira.html Cached news article, Irish Republican claims he and Lennon discussed the "Troubles" in early 1970s] Lennon's friend, musician Klaus Voorman, did the art for The Beatles Revolver album cover. Additionally to swimming bass guitar with Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, Voorman also performed using George Harrison and Manfred Mann. He experienced an flat at a Dakota placed aside for his collection of fur coats. An additional was wont to store his & Yoko's videotape collection. In Lennon's posthumous compilation album Acoustic, a demonstration recording of the song "God" contains a lines "I just believe in me/And that's reality". This lyric was changed to "I just believe in me/Yoko and me/And that's reality" whilst a song was involved on the Plastic Ono Band album. It has been suggested that a vary of the song's lyrics was due to Ono's persuasion of Lennon. One of his nearest friends was actor Peter Boyle (Everybody Loves Raymond). In July 28, 2005 Lennon's handwritten lyrics sheet for the classic "All You Need is Love" sold for £600,000 at an auction within London. It was rumoured that John Lennon experienced either anorexia or even eccentric feeding habits, which explains his drastic weight loss & skeletal appearance from either a late 1960s until his demise. A bit of sources, like Lennon In America: 1971-1980 claim that, during this period of time, he experienced the system weight of at least 13Pentad lbs, which is alarmingly thinly for his 5'Xi'' height.