John Lennon

British musician and peace activist, an icon in popular culture, who became a megastar in the internationally renowned rock 'n roll group, the Beatles, 1960-1970, followed by a solo career that reflected the angst of the times. He was founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles, and his songwriting partnership with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, the multimedia artist Yoko Ono. Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, several more films, his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and the international top-10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine" and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". After dropping out of the music scene in 1975, Lennon re-emerged in 1980 with his critically acclaimed Double Fantasy album, released the same year he was murdered. This best-selling album, won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.