John Lennon once said that “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus. “ 1970 saw the band that had emerged from the London scene and exploded into America riddled with strife. Some would say that it may have been creative differences, or that perhaps John meeting his future wife Yoko Ono was to blame. Whatever the reason, John Lennon was released from the Beatles, now a famous musician, but also a controversial one who became not only artist but activist. He would have another son. Take a 5 year hiatus from working. He would reside in New York City. He would put out some of the best music of his career.
John Lennon loved New York and New York loved John. John and Yoko settled into a luxury 9 bedroom apartment at the prestigious Dakota building across the street from Central Park. The apartment number would be 72. John had a thing with the number 9. He would often times walk the street along with Yoko and sign autographs for fans willingly. Their favorite café down the street they would catch a meal or a cup of coffee always at the same table.
Shortly after he moved to New York in 1971 John recorded two albums Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. Both can be considered to have solidified his solo career. Imagine would be an album long synonymous with John and considered to be some of his most brilliant. In addition to the acclaimed title track it also features songs like How Do you sleep, which some say is a slide towards Paul McCartney. Plastic Ono band was a group of artists at the time which not only included John and Yoko but other such notables as Eric Clapton. A lot of Beatles fans at the time didn’t get it. They would continue to record after the Beatles broke up and much of their early music would be centered on anti-war protest. During this period in John’s life he became almost a voice for the anti-war movement which largely influences his songwriting. He sought to educate the people about world peace, something that he believed so strongly in, through his music. Recordings such as Instant Karma, Imagine, Give Peace a Chance and the great Ballad of John and Yoko reflect this. That Christmas they release the single Happy Christmas-War is over. They take out an add on a huge billboard in Times Square which reads a lyric from the song “War is over if you want it.” In 1974 John releases Mind Games which is also largely influenced by his life at the time; the songs reflect problems he and Yoko were having and their temporary split, which would find John in Los Angeles on a drug and alcohol binge. He appears in his first ever solo concert that November with Elton John in Madison Square Garden and subsequently their romance is rekindled and they continue on in their life together. He releases the album Rock and Roll shortly thereafter in celebration of some of his most loved songs such as Stand by Me and Peggy Sue.
When John and Yoko reunited they had their son Sean and took a 5 year hiatus from recording. John had such a love for Sean and immersed himself into family life and raising his son. During this period he also focused more so on his artwork, primarily drawings and paintings. He missed a large part of his older son Julian’s upbringing, due in large part to the popularity of the Beatles and the demands of being a member of a group that saw such huge success. He relishes in his role as a stay at home dad and his days are filled with loving and caring for his son. They spend a lot of time at their farm in Upstate New York during this period.
In 1980 John and Yoko recorded the album Double Fantasy. Some may say the album has an almost Disco feel to some of the songs influenced by the avant garde Ono. At the core of the album which brings us up to speed and gives us a glimpse into his life in solitude are the moving and emotional Beautiful Boy and the heartfelt and realistic watching the Wheels. Days after its release Lennon would be shot dead outside The Dakota by a childlike man who calmly would wait for the police to arrive while reading Catcher in The Rye. For a lot of people, it felt as if they had lost their Jesus when he died. He is immortalized through The Strawberry Fields, a part of Central Park dedicated in his memory with 50 plus nations donating to its creation, with Italy donating a huge mosaic which reads the words Imagine. He is as much loved to this day 30 years after his death by his fans and his music is timeless and brilliant. Sean Lennon would give life to the Plastic Ono Band in 2009 and Yoko still burns a candle in memory of John on the anniversary of his death in the window of their apartment in The Dakota to this day.
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