John Lennon Research Paper

John Lennon was a prominent singer/songwriter that founded the Beatles and impacted music like no other band before. This impact on music roused society in many ways during the 1960s. After WWII, there was an inflation in consumerism as people began to settle economically in the 1960s. As a result, the need for entertainment increased since people were able to afford entertainment without rationing or supporting the war. Moreover, as a result of the 1950’s, a period of social conservatism and conformity, the “Baby Boom” (1945-1964) produced 76 million babies that John Lennon and the Beatles would impact and, therefore, move emotionally. Despite the widespread geographical changes during this period, the demographical changes of society distinguish the 1960s from any other decade. During this time, Lennon inspired generations to

“In a country in which popular culture is extremely important, there’s nobody more important than The Beatles.” Steven Stark, a friend of The Beatles once said. The Beatles are not only the biggest band of their time, they are one of the biggest bands of all times. The Beatles did not just sing to sing, they sang to give hope to a generation, they set some of the highest standards in popular culture, they changed music forever, and they still manage to affect our generation today.

The music of the 1960s and 1970s definitely had an impact on culture and society in the United States. Protest music, specifically, brought ideas, as well as problems, to the attention of many Americans. Radio stations across the nation were a big part of the spread of protest music. Radio experienced a boom after World War II. Stations started appearing all over, which meant more people could be reached. The messages written in popularized protest songs were heard over the radio by people who otherwise may not have gotten the chance to hear the artists.

“Once you replace your negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results” - said Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson has achieved a lot in life. Willie had 15 Grammy Awards because of the way he sang, and secured a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame, making Willie one of the greatest country singers of the 20th century.

The Beatles were considered political activists by using their music as a way to talk about issues happening in the real world at that time. The Beatles “were the first to really legitimize popular music as a form of political expression, and through this expression inspired political activity and participation amongst those who consumed their music; young people,”

Tupac Amaru shaker was born in New York 1971; known by his stage name 2pac was an American rapper. ‘’Shakur received an education in radical politics from his mother, but he also saw some of life's hardships through her struggles with substance abuse’ ‘Tupac was like an Elvis to hip hop in my eyes. Tupac was known for his rapping, his many talents like acting, Also his beef between the East coast and the West coast.

The band consisted of John Lennon (1940–1980), Paul McCartney (b. 1942), George Harrison (1943–2001), and Ringo Starr (b. 1940) (Source 2). However, John Lennon was the most rebellious and politically active out of all the members of the group and he used the influence of his fame and music to be incredibly involved in political activism. He and his wife Yoko Ono were in what seemed to be a constant state of protest to the war which was also highly influential on society as their protests were seen by all. John

Before The Beatles became a band they were individual musicians all with people they looked up to and all with musicians they wanted to take certain traits form. Having four members of the band created a wide variety of influences on the band as a whole by combining the individual members pervious musical repertoire. Starting with George Harrison, his guitar work was influenced by American rockabilly music by Eddie Cochran and Carl Perkins that influenced the band’s songs throughout the years. He also incorporated the melodic lines and slight fills that both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton created. John Lennon was a huge fan of Elvis, his opinion implied that the there was no true music before Elvis’s time. He also brought The Beatles into considering the psychedelia and folk side of music. Many of the first songs The Beatles created were directly influenced by Buddy Holly with slight influences from Roy Orbison. They wanted to create a similar sound to Holly with their own spin on the genre. Paul McCartney’s songwriting was created to emulate the technique of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.

According to some, John Lennon 's assassination was considered just as devastating as the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy (Feeney 1). John Lennon use to be a member of the very popular and impactful band, the Beatles. Most considered Lennon the intellectual and outspoken Beatle and this resulted in hate from some people (History.com 1). Days before the shooting, Chapman told his wife he had been obsessed with killing Lennon. He showed her the gun and bullets, but she did not tell the police what Chapman planned on doing. On the day of the shooting Chapman met Lennon outside of the hotel Lennon was staying at, he even shook hands with his son and got him to sign his copy of Catcher in the Rye. While meeting Lennon Chapman was too starstruck to pull the trigger and waited hours outside the hotel for Lennon to return that night. The assassination of John Lennon was unjust because he was an innocent musician who was killed by a mentally unstable man; however some believe that because of his outspoken personality he deserved the animosity he received (History.com 1).

Leaders pushed for peaceful opposition but rallies often escalated to violence as government officials were called in to break up protests, similar to the movements of Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi. Not only were these cases of police brutality, but they furthered the credibility of the cause by showing the unnecessarily violent nature of the government. With famous names such as John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan, world-wide attention was brought to the fight to end the war; the rock and roll youth culture birthed in the 50s proved a force to be reckoned with, creating anti-war music such as “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish in 1965. (Doc 2) Slogans such as “Make love not war” are still with us to this day, while others such as “LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” forced the issue into the attention of the presidential administration. While it is true many agreed with the president’s decision, they were less vocal compared to the counterculture and peace hippies of the anti-war movement. The loud majority versus a quiet minority created social tensions between the two groups which can be illustrated with campaign slogans from the 1964 presidential election, “In your guts you know he’s nuts,” but “In your heart, he might be

Soldiers were dying, and they continued to be sent over to fight. The war itself provided a major wave of anti-war rhetoric that is still prominent today. The anti-war rhetoric was pushed through politicians, celebrities, concerts, protests, average citizens of different economic classes, but most importantly through song. “In the 1960s, several now-influential artists appealed to the disaffected counterculture’s emphasis on peace and love, especially with the sliding approval rates of the Vietnam War. As public approval of the Vietnam War dwindled in the latter half of the 1960s, popular music artists began to record songs that reflected this disapproval and ultimately became a new method of protest (Hopkins).” Not to mention, “not only has music been a direct means of anti-war protest, but the culture of peace and love, seen especially in the Woodstock festival, has also pervaded the minds of the public” (Hopkins). The controversial Vietnam War affected many people in the United States, but the war caused a socio cultural revolution through the power of

George Harrison: The idealistic. He had faith in a perfect world that never materialized. Between every one of the individuals from the band, Harrison was the most masterfully subdued despite the fact that his optimism roused the majority of their music.

James Taylor is thought of as the original “singer/songwriter”. Many people believe that his style of music with his acoustic guitar and calm singing helped bring the nation out of the tumultuous 60s and into the 70s. Taylor had three brothers and a sister to Dr. Isaac and Gertrude Taylor. Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, where he attended a prep school until he dropped out at the age of 16 to form a band with his brother, Alex. When Taylor moved to New York to further his career as a musician, he began to suffer from depression and decided to check himself into McLean Psychiatric Hospital back in Massachusetts, where he also completed his high school work to obtain his diploma. This stay in the psychiatric hospital is what inspired some of his earlier songs (MTV).

Before when The Beatles where still fairly new in the United States the media portrayed them as clean cut British guys who made good music. The medias eye had always been specifically on Paul and John for being the front men of the band, and the media loved them. Towards the end of the 60 's the media started to develop a different view on Paul and John. When Paul was caught with half a pound of Marijuana and sent to jail the media took this event as an opportunity to diminished the image of Paul by basically depicting him of being just a drugged up musician. John on the other hand was being spied on by the FBI. The reason he was being spied on was because John Lennon apparently had contact with anti-war activist. President Nixon did not approve

John Lennon will be forever remembered as one of the most influential artists in the history of music. His distinguishable and awe-inspiring voice has transfixed millions of music lovers. He was passionate about composing and performing music. Many regarded his music as the most important thing in his life. One April 8, 1963, however, John’s wife Cynthia gave birth to their son Julian. It was apparent that becoming a father was undoubtedly John’s greatest achievement. Despite his pride in becoming a father, John was not the most compassionate, and spent most of his time and