David K. Wright's book, John Lennon: The Beatles and Beyond, is about the famous musician John Lennon. He talks about his younger days and how he founded the British band. It goes into detail about how Lennon spent the rest of his days and how he made poor choices in his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The author uses multiple sources to gather information about Lennon's personal life. Wright used biographies and interviews as his sources, as well as legends from this period. This gives the reader a basic idea of who Lennon was and what he achieved during his years of fame and music. The story begins with a chapter that elaborates on what the Beatles were. Talk about the variety of TV shows they were featured in and the multiple items sold based on the Beatles. Now he reveals the basic background of the group, including the fact that many people saw Lennon as a mysterious character. “McCartney… was cute, Starr was funny and Harrison seemed to be chill… Lennon remained a mystery.” It talks about the TV shows they participated in, the merchandise that was sold and all the fans they acquired. It also provides information that Lennon was the only one married at the time. “John Lennon was the only married Beatle at the time, so his thoughts may have gone to his wife, Cynthia, and his one-year-old son, Julian.” The story then continues into his school days, talking about his father Alfred Lennon and his mother Julia Stanley. Alfred, or Alf, was involved in the war. He “sailed on ships carrying soldiers and supplies to or from Africa, Canada, and elsewhere.” His mother Julia worked as a theater assistant and rarely received letters from her husband when the war broke out. Then came the time when Julia had an unfortunate relationship, which caused her to become pregnant with a girl, Victoria Elizabeth. After Victoria was given up for adoption and taken in by a couple, Julia went to live with the hotel waiter. Julia's sister Mimi confronted Julia and convinced her to give John to Mimi, as they were childless and she thought it would be best for John. After a while, Alfred returned home and took John with him for several days. When they were found, John had to make a choice between his mother or his father and stayed with his father, only to feel guilty and quickly choose his mother. Soon, John was enrolled at Dovedale Road Primary School before his fifth birthday. He already knew how to read and how to express himself. Despite being “sharp as a needle,” he still got into trouble with teachers and led a “pack of undisciplined boys who could always be found following their rude and loud laughter.” When John wasn't causing trouble, he was involved in some schoolwork. “He read almost everything and spent a lot of time on drawings in his art lessons.” John passed the national test and was able to continue beyond primary school. When he was fourteen, John returned from a holiday in Scotland to receive the news of his uncle George's death. John, in his grief, decided to get closer to his mother, her two daughters and her husband Dykins. In 1957, Lennon was originally part of a band called the Black Jacks. Their first "gig" was on the back of a truck at a block party. His group was given several job offers as John enjoyed the reward of playing while other music groups wanted the money. Then, on July 6, 1957, a young musician named Paul McCartney became interested in Lennon's group. McCartney impressed them with his knowledge of music and even offered to teach chords they didn't know existed. John went to the movies when he wasn't feeling welldoing nothing and "picked up a number of cues from James Dean...". John had often forgotten some of his studies as he tried to learn more about music, which disappointed Aunt Mimi when he failed a national test that could have sent him to a postgraduate university. After finishing high school, John decided to collect his artwork and use it as an example to gain admission to the Liverpool College of Art. George Harrison, McCartney's classmate, also became famous. Harrison was the third youngest Beatle and "was already into guitar music and Teddy Boy clothes when John went from high school... to art college...". John had become much closer to his mother around this time and sometimes went to live with both her and Dykins. Then, on the night of July 15, 1958, Julia was hit by a car and died before reaching the hospital. John became troubled when his mother died, but a friend named Stuart Sutcliffe was able to provide him comfort. during his art lessons. Soon, Sutcliffe was recruited into the band with little to no knowledge of music. John preferred lunch time as the trio often played for audiences. Lennon even caught feelings for a girl named Cynthia Powell. Powell was a year older than Lennon and a quiet girl from a small town around Liverpool. Although he was attracted to her, he still dated several other girls while trying to learn more about Cynthia. John often sang Buddy Holly songs to her, and the two soon became inseparable. The band "played in dark basement clubs with names like Casbah and Jacaranda". They earned less than $10 per performance, but Alan Williams, the owner of Jacaranda, steered them toward "stardom." “He said that a London promoter would be holding auditions in Liverpool soon and that the group might want to perform.” Both Williams and Lennon argued over the band name and settled on the Silver Beetles. Although the band practiced non-stop for auditions, their attire was different from that of any other band. They wore turtlenecks, skinny jeans and tennis shoes while the other bands wore suits. The Silver Beetles became the backing band for a singer named Johnny Gentle for two weeks in Scotland, earning over $50 a week. Subsequently, John decided to leave college and focus on music. Tommy Moore, the drummer, left the band and Alan Williams was there again to help the Silver Beetles. Williams placed them in a club in Hamburg, Germany, and along the way acquired Peter Best as their new drummer. The Silver Beetles renamed themselves the Beatles and the city of Hamburg toughened them up. The band was able to repeat the same songs for hours together with other bands. The Beatles soon swapped with a larger club, the Kaiserkeller. There they met with another band called Rory and the Hurricanes. “The two bands were together, looking for places where they could eat fish and chips and other English food and talk about music.” Ringo Starr, the Hurricanes' drummer, soon joined the Beatles as second drummer, while Sutcliffe fell in love with a German girl and left the band. Brian Epstein, a man who opened two very successful record stores, had the courage to ask the Beatles if he could manage them. The Beatles agreed, and over the next few years, Epstein "worked hard to keep the band in their shows... and badgered them about the way they were dressed." Then, on April 10, 1962, John received the news that Sutcliffe had died. Lennon's reaction to Sutcliffe's death added to his "hard man" title. By 1962, the Beatles were close to success, having a breakthrough in 1963. Although the band suffered multiple setbacks, they continued to play with confidence. Their first single, "Love.
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