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Essay / John Lennon: The Beatles and Beyond
David K. Wright's book, John Lennon: The Beatles and Beyond, is about the famous musician John Lennon. He recounts his days growing up and how he founded the British band. It goes into detail about how Lennon spent the rest of his days and how he made bad choices in his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The author uses several sources to gather information about Lennon's personal life. Wright used biographies and interviews as sources, as well as legends from that era. This gives the reader a basic idea of who Lennon was and what he accomplished during his years of fame and music. The story begins with a chapter explaining what the Beatles were. He talks about the variety of television shows they were featured in and the multiple items sold based on the Beatles. This now reveals the foundations of the band, including the fact that many people considered Lennon mysterious. "McCartney...was cute, Starr was funny and Harrison seemed quiet...Lennon remained a mystery." He talks about the TV shows they've been on, the products sold, and all the fangirls they've acquired. It also states that Lennon was the only one married at that time. “John Lennon was the only married Beatle at the time, so his thoughts might have drifted to his wife, Cynthia, and one-year-old son, Julian.” The story then continues during his school years, 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 employee and rarely received letters from her husband when war broke out. Then came a time when Julia had an unhappy affair, causing her to become pregnant with a daughter, Victoria Elizabeth. After Victoria was put up for adoption and taken in by a couple, Julia went to live with a hotel waiter. Julia's sister Mimi confronted Julia and persuaded her to give John to Mimi, as they were childless and she thought it would be better for John. After a while, Alfred returned home and took John to spend several days. When they were found, John had to make a choice between his mother or father and stayed with his father, only to later feel guilty and quickly chose his mother. Soon John was enrolled at Dovedale Road Primary School before his fifth birthday. He already knew how to read and express himself. Although he was "as sharp as a needle," he nevertheless got into trouble with teachers and led a "pack of unruly boys who could always be traced by following their crude, loud laughter." When John wasn't causing trouble, he was getting involved in some schoolwork. He “read almost everything and spent a lot of time on his art class drawings.” John passed the national test and was able to continue his education beyond primary school. At the age of fourteen, John returned from a holiday in Scotland to receive news of the death of his Uncle George. John, in his grief, decided to move closer to his mother, her two daughters and her husband Dykins. In 1957, Lennon was originally part of a group called the Black Jacks. Their first “gig” took place in the back of a truck at a block party. His band received several job offers since John enjoyed the reward of performing when other musical groups wanted money. Then, on July 6, 1957, a young musician named Paul McCartney became interested in Lennon's band.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 doing anything and "picked up a number of James Dean cues...". John had often forgotten some of his studies while trying to learn more about music, which disappointed Aunt Mimi when he failed a national exam that could have sent him to a major university. After John finished high school, he decided to collect his works and use them as an example for admission to Liverpool College of Art. George Harrison, McCartney's classmate, also became famous. Harrison was the third youngest Beatle and "already loved guitar music and Teddy Boy outfits when John moved from high school...to art school...". John had become much closer to his mother during this time and would sometimes move in with 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 comfort him. throughout her art classes. Soon, Sutcliffe was recruited into the group with little or no knowledge of music. John preferred the lunch period because the trio often played in front of audiences. Lennon even had feelings for a girl named Cynthia Powell. Powell was a year older than Lennon and was a quiet girl from a small town around Liverpool. Even though he was attracted to her, he still hung out with several other girls as he tried to learn more about Cynthia. John often sang Buddy Holly songs to her, and soon the two became inseparable. The band “played dark basement clubs with names like Casbah and Jacaranda.” They earned less than $10 per performance, but were steered toward "stardom" by Alan Williams, the owner of Jacaranda. “He mentioned that a London promoter would be holding auditions in Liverpool soon and that the band might want to perform.” Williams and Lennon argued over the band's name and settled on the Silver Beetles. Although the group constantly practiced for auditions, their attire was different from every other group. They wore turtlenecks, tight jeans and tennis shoes while other groups wore suits. The Silver Beetles became the backup band for a singer named Johnny Gentle for two weeks in Scotland, earning more than $50 a week. After that, John decided to leave his university and focus on music. Tommy Moore, the drummer, leaves the group and Alan Williams is there again to help the Silver Beetles. Williams signed them up with a club in Hamburg, Germany, and acquired Peter Best as a new drummer along the way. The Silver Beetles renamed themselves Beatles and the city of Hamburg made them tougher. The group was able to practice the same songs for hours alongside other groups. The Beatles soon traded to a bigger club, the Kaiserkeller. There they met another group named Rory and the Hurricanes. “The two groups were hanging out 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 their second drummer, while Sutcliffe fell in love with a German woman and left the group. Brian Epstein, the 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.