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THE BEATLES' former songwriter John Lennon wrote himself some incredible hits throughout the years after his split from the band - but his Christmas anthem could not have been written without some help from his previous hit, Imagine.

Former member of The Beatles John Lennon worked on a lot of music with his wife, Yoko Ono, following the Fab Four’s break up. Collectively known as John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band, Lennon worked hard in creating his own vibe during releases of his solo music. Perhaps his first and biggest hit was the 1971 anthem Imagine, which has since been named one of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

While Imagine was a certified banger, it did include a political message of Lennon’s making.

Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk

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John Lennon, who rose to unimaginable fame first as one of the Beatles, then as a solo songwriter and activist, was shot and killed outside of his home in New York City 40 years ago Tuesday.

His murderer, Mark David Chapman, who was described at the time as a “local screwball,” waited outside of Lennon’s home for the star to return from a recording studio session then shot him five times as his wife, Yoko Ono, looked on.

Earlier in the day, at that very spot, Lennon had autographed an album cover for Chapman.

Lennon was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, really having no chance to survive such devastating injuries.

Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life for Lennon’s murder. At a parole hearing several years ago, he apologized for the killing saying, “I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory.” Chapman remains in prison.

Source: Debbie Lord/kiro7.com

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of John Lennon , who was just 40 years old when he was murdered by a deranged fan outside of his New York City apartment building.

In commemoration of the tragedy, ABC Audio has chatted with a variety of music stars who shared their reflections on Lennon's loss and what he and his music meant to them.

Joe Walsh , whose brother-in-law is Lennon's ex-Beatle band mate Ringo Starr , says, "I'm so happy to have had [Lennon] in my life as a role model. He showed me how to be cool. He showed me how to write music...When he died, I felt like part of me died, and there's a hole there inside me where John was. And he had a profound effect on me as a musician and as a person. And I miss him, and I get sad when I talk about it."

Graham Nash , whose early band The Hollies were part of the British Invasion that The Beatles launched, notes, "The one thing that I am left with after...commiserating about what happened 40 years ago to John Lennon...What songs were in his head that weren't recorded yet? What songs that could possibly change the world once more were in his head when he was killed?...That's part of the tragedy for me."

Source: kelofm.com

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Sir Paul McCartney thinks The Beatles all had mental health problems.

The 78-year-old singer admitted he and his bandmates – Sir Ringo Starr and the late John Lennon and George Harrison – were more likely to mock their issues than have a discussion, but he thinks they came out of their global fame and its associated problems “reasonably well adjusted”.

Asked if he thinks, with hindsight, the ‘Come Together’ group had mental health issues, he said: “Yes, I think so. But you talked about it through your songs.

“You know, John would. ‘Help! I need somebody,’ he wrote. And I thought, ‘Well, it’s just a song,’ but it turned out to be a cry for help.

“Same kind of thing happened with me, mainly after the break-up of the band. All of us went through periods when we weren’t as happy as we ought to be.

Source: tulsaworld.com

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In the 1960s and the early 1970s, John Lennon was a global icon, known across continents for his literate lyrics, slashing wit, rakish charm and signature teashade sunglasses. He was at once a puckish prankster and a chin-stroking philosopher — the world famous "thinking man's Beatle."

But in the last five years of his life, Lennon went into hibernation. He retreated into a domestic idyll inside the famed Dakota apartment building in New York City, devoting himself to raising his young son, Sean, and nurturing his strained marriage with his wife, Yoko Ono.

In recognition of the 40th anniversary of Lennon's assassination on Tuesday, admirers around the world are likely to revisit his Beatles heyday and his legacy as an anti-war activist. But amid those tributes, biographers and journalists say, Lennon's quiet final chapter deserves more attention.

Source: Daniel Arkin/nbcnews.com

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Paul McCartney has opened up about the making of his new solo album during lockdown.

Dubbing the period spent at home recording “rockdown” in a new interview with The Sunday Times, the former Beatle star said he tried to remain optimistic writing the album, which is set for release on December 18.

“Well, I am an optimist,” McCartney said. “Generally speaking I do believe things are good, and we screw them up. In fact, a lot of people during lockdown would say, ‘Oh God!’ And I’d say, ‘Yes, but there’s a silver lining.’ It was a phrase I used a lot. I was loath to say it because a lot of people had it bad, but suddenly we saw more of the family than ever, and I was able to do recordings. That was my silver lining.”

Source: Elizabeth Aubrey/nme.com

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Older generations would always recall where they were when they learned the news of Dec. 7, 1941, the day Japanese aircraft struck Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II was certain. More recently, the same memories attach to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

And for many of us, there is John Lennon, who was murdered the night of Dec. 8, 1980, 40 years ago Tuesday.

I was a young reporter at the Cape Cod Times and was driving to work early the next morning, listening to radio news, as was my custom, when I heard.

Disbelief was my first reaction. But the station was trustworthy, so I knew the report was no hoax.

I pulled into a parking lot on Center Street, a few hundred feet from the Times’ main office in Hyannis, and began crying, experiencing the same pain millions of others felt for the ex-Beatle whose music and social-justice activism were without compare.

Lennon, 40 years old, gone.

Source: providencejournal.com

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Paul McCartney expressed doubt that the Beatles would ever have reunited, had it been possible following their 1970 split.

He reflected that all four members made a “conscious decision” to move away from their past, although he admitted that he wasn’t certain about his position.

“We made a decision when the Beatles folded that we weren’t going to pick it up again," McCartney told the Sunday Times. "So we switched off from the Beatles. You talk about something coming full circle that is very satisfying; let’s not spoil it by doing something that might not be as good. It was a conscious decision to leave well enough alone, so I don’t really think we would have. But who knows? We could have.” He added of John Lennon: “We had certainly got our friendship back, which was a great blessing for me.”

Source: ultimateclassicrock.com

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NANCY Shevell is Sir Paul McCartney's third wife.

But what do we know about her? Here's the lowdown.

Who is Nancy Shevell?

Nancy Shevell is an American businesswoman.

She was a former member of the board in the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and worked as vice president of the New England Motor Freight - her family's business.

Nancy met singer-songwriter Paul McCartney in 2007, while he was still married to Heather Mills.

But he divorced Heather in 2008 and married Nancy in 2011.
How old is she and what is her net worth?

Nancy was born on 20 November 1959, making her 58 years old.

Her net worth is estimated to be around £152 million.

Source: Robyn Morris/thesun.co.uk

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In the summer of 1980, 24-year-old writer David Sheff is whisked off to New York City on the biggest assignment of his career so far — an interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono for Playboy Magazine.

This isn’t a quick sit-down interview, grabbing a few comments, shaking a few hands. The young writer spent three weeks with the couple and their 5-year-old son Sean.

He hung out in their Central Park West apartment, laughing in their kitchen, watching them record new music, going on walks and out for coffee at Lennon’s favorite spots.

Of course, this would be exciting for any 20-something writer; he was using expense accounts, staying in a posh hotel, spending his days following around the world’s most recognizable rock star, but Lennon’s music had spoken to Sheff from an early age.

Source: Breanna Mona /news-herald.com

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December 8 will mark forty years since John Lennon was murdered in New York City. Just days before his death, Lennon took part in an extensive interview that would become the last one he ever gave.

Lennon’s Last Weekend goes inside that fabled interview between John Lennon and BBC Radio’s Andy Peebles and explores the wide-range of topics Lennon opened up about in the hours leading up to his death. Unlike other documentaries about Lennon or The Beatles, this film offers a unique perspective on the icon that doesn’t place his music at the forefront.

“There’s a lot more to John than just his music,” Director Brian Grant told RADIO.COM in an interview. “He was an activist, an activist for peace, and a better world. I tried to balance the songwriter with that activist and the humanitarian, he was the ultimate humanitarian if you think about it. But, he was a flawed character as well.”

Source: Marty Rosenbaum /radio.com

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Sir Paul McCartney can find inspiration for music “anywhere”.

The 78-year-old rocker wrote his new album, ‘McCartney III’, whilst the world was in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, and has said that whilst many artists struggled to find the inspiration to write when they had no personal experiences to draw from, he had plenty going on in his “overactive brain”.

He said: “You know inspiration can come from anywhere. Not just interaction with others. Truth is the main stuff that comes from my overactive brain, which is always switched on, but my songs don’t have to be about current events.”

Paul has been writing in the same way for decades, as he used Beatles hit ‘Eleanor Rigby’ - which was released in 1966 - as an example of a song he’d written that isn’t inspired by himself.

Source: theeagle.com

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Paul McCartney has opened up about his friendship with John Lennon in a new interview.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, McCartney opened up about his friendship with Lennon in the period following The Beatles split.

On being asked if he thought the Beatles would have ever worked together again, McCartney said: “We made a decision when the Beatles folded that we weren’t going to pick it up again. So we switched off from the Beatles. You talk about something coming full circle that is very satisfying; let’s not spoil it by doing something that might not be as good. It was a conscious decision to leave well enough alone, so I don’t really think we would have. But who knows? We could have.”

Source: Elizabeth Aubrey/nme.com

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Forty years after John Lennon died at the hands of an evangelical Christian assassin, surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still making music, now on their own.

Sir Paul may be 78 years old but he is bringing out his 18th solo album “McCartney III” on Dec. 18.

It will be the third album McCartney has released on which he has not only written the songs but also played everything from piano to drums.

Fab Four drummer Ringo is 80 and does not enjoy the same level of global fame as Lennon and McCartney, or perhaps even the late George Harrison, but he too is still going strong.

‘Home studio pioneer’

“McCartney III” refers back to “McCartney,” released in 1970 — the first time he did everything himself — and “McCartney II” from 1980.

“McCartney is a pioneer of the ‘home studio’ where everything is done at home, because he knows how to play every instrument,” said Stan Cuesta, author of “The Beatles.”

Source: entertainment.inquirer.net

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Capitol/UMePaul McCartney has released the fourth installment of his series of six-track digital-only EPs featuring previously available songs that boast themes that tie in with the tunes on his new record.

The new EP is titled Love, and it features songs that span from McCartney and Wings' 1971 cover of the Mickey and Sylvia's 1956 hit "Love Is Strange" through 2010's "My Valentine." The EP kicks off with McCartney and Wings' 1976 chart-topper "Silly Love Songs" and also includes the 1980 gem "Waterfalls," the 1973 #1 Wings smash "My Love," and a 1979 live rendition of Sir Paul's classic ballad "Maybe I'm Amazed," which originally appeared on his 1970 debut album, McCartney.

Source: wxhc.com

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