With A Little Help From My Friends: John Lennon's Influences

I. John Lennon and his music have affected the world since the

formation of the Beatles. Who were the people that influenced

him outside of the Beatles? How did they contribute to his life

John Lennon, the lead singer of the Beatles, touched millions of lives with his music. Many people know stories about John, Paul, George, and Ringo, but how many know about the people that touched John’s life outside of the band? Few know anything about the musical influences his mother, aunt, and uncle had on him when he was younger. Nor do they understand the stress his manager, wife, and son put him through during the height of the Beatles popularity. Audiences know little about how Maharishi Mahesh Yogi opened new doors f

The thought of losing John stunned Julia, and she decided to become a better mother. However, her sister Mimi was sick of her neglect and demanded custody of John. Julia did not want to give him up, but the social workers Mimi consulted convinced her otherwise (Wright 12). According to Corbin, John was only five years old (10-11). John saw little of Julia the next ten years, even though she lived only 5 kilometers away. He became very attached to his Uncle George, Mimi’s husband, who spent a great deal of time with him. it was a big change from the neglect and abandonment he had felt all his life (Corbin 10-11). Ironically, it was George’s death that helped repair the relationship with his mother. Fights would erupt between John and his aunt and he would run to Julia’s house, just like he had run to Mimi’s when he was younger. He got to know Bobby Dykins, Julia and their two daughters better. According to Corbin, “...he was a rebel like his mother, Julia...” (13-14). They both hated authority and Julia encouraged John’s nonconformist behavior (Corbin 13-14). She taught john how to play the banjo, which she had learned from Alfred, and a few guitar chords. When John received his first guitar, he would spend many hours with Julia’s family; talking about popular music and playing their instruments (Wright 21). Julia was more of a friend to John that a mother. This allowed him to open up to her more, because she “understood him” (Corbin 19-20). Unfortunately, their relationship was cut off again on July 15, 1958. That night Julia was hit by a car and killed on her way home from Mimi’s (Corbin 19-20). According to Wright, it was a policeman who struck her, perhaps that added to John’s hatred of authority (24-25). “I lost her twice,” commented John in an interview. “Once as a five year old when I moved in with my auntie, once again when she died. It just absolutely made me very, very bitter” (Corbin 19-20). Years later, John wrote a song entitled “Julia” and it was put on The White Album. This ballad “sing[s] a song of love [to] Julia” (Alderidge 150-151). Curiously, some of the imagery John used included phrases like “ocean child” and “seashell eyes” (Alderidge 150-151). These might be references to Yoko Ono, John’s second wife, whom he met during the writing of this song (Alderidge 150-151). At any rate, Julia Lennon taught John to be himself and how to express yourself through music.

John resented McCartney for taking Epstein’s place (Wright 72). He vented his rage by involving himself in anti-Vietnam Nam events, an urge Epstein had begged him to resist (Wright 72). With Epstein gone, John felt no need to keep up appearances, or continue to be something he was not. Wright made it seem that John was only staying a part of the Beatles for Epstein. Despite all the arguing they did, John and Brian had really been best friends (44). John’s Aunt Mimi described Epstein as, “a restless soul just like John” (Wright 36). He may be the reason John stuck with the Beatles so long.

Although that made a nice story, John and Paul both admitted to using LSD in a Life Magazine article (Corbin 71-72).

According to Wright, between 1945 and 1946, Mary Elizabeth Smith, or Mimi as John called her, took custody of her nephew. She and her husband George believed their home was a more stable environment than Julia’s. They had no children, which meant they could spend more time with John; Mimi even quit her job as a nurse to stay home and care for him (12-13). Mimi was very strict with John, and although she seemed cool and detached at times, she loved John very much (Conord 27). They would listen to the radio together and rehearse comedy sketches they heard on The Goon Show (Wright 14-15). Conord said one of the most important contributions from Mimi was reading to John (27-29). Although she did not teach him to read personally, she read him stories a

Some topics in this essay:
John Lennon, Brian Epstein, Uncle George, Liverpool October, According Corbin, According Wright, Yoko Ono, Goon Wright, Mimi John, John Yoko, john’s life, john lennon, yoko ono, conord 54, john yoko, brian epstein, maharishi mahesh yogi, 54 john, maharishi mahesh, mark david, cynthia julian, mark david chapman, george harrison told, john paul george, john cynthia married,