30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About John Lennon

By | January 9, 2017

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Left: John Lennon in Beverly Hills in 1979. Right: Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford in a publicity photo for 'Monday Night Football.' Sources: Photo by Michael Brennan/Getty Images; IMDB

The Beatles -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison -- are among the most influential and successful rock bands of all time. Of the four, John Lennon had the most turbulent and ultimately tragic story. It was John who had a secret wife and child; he had the artist-girlfriend (Yoko Ono) who "broke up" the band; he was viewed as a messianic figure for his peace advocacy; he was always getting naked; he was publicly bitter and privately violent; and in 1980, John Lennon was murdered on the street outside his apartment building in New York City.

Lennon's music is still being sold and played today, and he will forever remain in our hearts. Here are 30 things you may not have known about John Winston Ono Lennon. 

Aunt Mimi Thought Music Was A Dead End

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John grew up in Liverpool under the legal guardianship of Mimi Smith, his maternal aunt, who was famously dismissive of his interest in music. "The guitar's all right John, but you'll never make a living out of it," she told him, on numerous occasions. John and his aunt had a good, loving relationship -- she was just certain that music was a dead end. Later, after he'd become one of the greatest musicians of his day, he had a silver plaque engraved with her disparaging quote.