John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist, co-songwriter and rhythm guitarist of The Beatles as well as one of the founders of the group. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.
Starting with 1967's "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture.
In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, Yoko Ono. After the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon continued his career as a solo artist and as Ono's collaborator. He was shot and killed in the archway of his Manhattan apartment building by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman.
