Most famed as one of the members of the Beatles as well as the co-composer of the Beatles song catalogue which includes many of the most popular rock songs ever written, John Lennon is also notable for his solo career, his enduring status as a celebrity victimized by one of his own fans, shot dead outside his New York home, and as a celebrity who used his fame to draw attention to various causes.

Born in Liverpool, raised in a middle-class home that lacked a father and frequently a mother as well (she died in a car accident), Lennon was largely raised by his aunt Mimi, who warned him that while playing the guitar was fine, it was unlikely to earn him a living. Lennon attended art school where he formed a skiffle group, the Quarrymen, which would later form the basis for the...