John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 8 December 1980) the musician, singer, songwriter, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. With Paul McCartney, John Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century and "wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history" with George Michael & Ringo Starr. John Lennon is ranked the second most successful songwriter in UK singles chart history after Paul McCartney

John Lennon revealed a rebellious nature, and biting wit, in his music, on film, in books, and at press conferences and interviews. John Lennon was controversial through his work as a peace activist and artist. After The Beatles, John Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career with such acclaimed albums as John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After a self-imposed "retirement" to raise his son, John Lennon reemerged with a comeback album, Double Fantasy, but was murdered less than one month after its release. The album would go on to win the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

In 2002, respondents to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted John Lennon eighth. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of "The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time" (The Beatles being number one). John Lennon was also ranked fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2008. He was posthumously inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987[6] and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

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