John Lennon's Real Name: John Winston Lennon

Quick answer: John Lennon was born John Winston Lennon on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England. In April 1969, after marrying Yoko Ono, he changed his name by deed poll to John Winston Ono Lennon. He was murdered in New York City on December 8, 1980 (Britannica).

The name

His middle name, Winston, honored Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Lennon was born during World War II. At a ceremony on the roof of the Apple Corps building in London on April 22, 1969, he formally added "Ono" to his name. His legal name became John Winston Ono Lennon.

Liverpool beginnings

Lennon's father, Alfred, a merchant seaman, was largely absent, and he was raised mainly by his aunt Mimi Smith. His mother, Julia, was killed by a car in 1958. In 1957 he formed the skiffle group The Quarrymen, and that July he met Paul McCartney. George Harrison joined later, and the group evolved into the Beatles, with Ringo Starr joining in 1962.

The Beatles

Lennon and McCartney formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in history. After "Love Me Do" (1962), Beatlemania swept the UK and, in 1964, the U.S. Lennon-led songs include "Help!," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "A Day in the Life," "Come Together" and "Across the Universe." The Beatles stopped touring in 1966 and broke up in 1970 (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame).

Solo career and activism

With Yoko Ono, Lennon staged the 1969 "Bed-Ins for Peace" and recorded "Give Peace a Chance." His solo albums include John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970), Imagine (1971) and Double Fantasy (1980), which won the Grammy for Album of the Year. After a long fight, he received U.S. permanent residency in 1976. He stepped back from music in 1975 to raise his son Sean. His elder son, Julian, was from his first marriage, to Cynthia Powell.

Death

On December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot outside the Dakota apartment building in Manhattan and died shortly afterward. He was 40. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1994, and with the Beatles in 1988.