Quote from JOHN by CYNTHIA LENNON

This excerpt is from the book about her famous Beatle husband, John Lennon, by ex-wife Cynthia...

Page 31 of "John" by Cynthia Lennon

"Music had been an important part of John's relationship with his mother and when she died he used it to blot out the pain and anger he felt. Julia had bought him his first guitar, and she loved music. She played the piano and banjo, and sat with him patiently for hours, showing him over and over again how to play the chords. She had also introduced John to rock and roll. She would play Elvis Presley records at top volume, grabbing job's hand to jive around the kitchen to them. She always encouraged John's musical dreams.

By the time John and I got together, he talked, ate and breathed music. When he wasn't playing the guitar, he was writing lyrics or talking about the latest Lonnie Donegan, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry record. Almost every lunchtime he met the two other Quarrymen to rehearse. They were both younger and went to the Liverpool Institute, next door to the art college, the best known of Liverpool's boy's grammar schools: distinguished judges and politicians had been educated there, its pupils were expected to do well. But John's friends, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, were more interested in playing music than passing exams."


Cynthia Lennon

(Christine Trzyna here. This quote was culled from a number of references to Beatle John Lennon's early musical influences. Cynthia Lennon was John Lennon's first wife, of ten years, and mother of his son Julian. The book is C 2005 by Cynthia Lennon and Crown is the publisher.)