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John Winston Lennon was born in Liverpool in October 1940. The middle name was given to him because of the english Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
His mother Julia was married to a british seaman named Alfred Lennon in this time. They were hardly together in the three years of their marriage because he went to India and America a lot. Julia didn't like her life as a housewife so she had an affair during one of her husbands travels to Africa. She became pregnant again. She got a little girl who she released for adoption one month after birth. She didn't pay much attenention to her son John. Later, Julia met her second husband and had two girls. John, her first-born child felt exluded from the rest of the family. Consequently, John grew up with his aunt Mimi, who was a very distant and reserved woman. She did not encourage Johns talents when he was young. She wanted him to become something better. Mimi thought her nephew was too good for this profane world. She did not realize that John was very emotional, creative and not conventional. Feelings where almost always forbidden and he really never became her son. Mimi was not amused when she saw John playing in the streets with ordinary working-class children. She and John where middleclass and this social system was quite important in the 50's. In the end, Mimis endeavours were not rewarded. John was a very patient and orderly child when he was at home, but in school, he was the worst of all the pupils. Not only did he begin prawles and talked back at the teachers without shame, his grades were also low. This bad behaviour depended partly on his eyesight. John was very shortsighted and refused to wear any form of glasses in his growing years.
When he went to Querry Bank High School, he was impressed by Rock'nRoll.
Particularly the songs from Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley. He formed "The Querrymen", a Skiffle-band. Skiffle is a very popular combination of Blues, Jazz and american Folk. The songs are very easy to play because the instruments are hand-made tools like wooden harmonicas. In the late 50's, more than 5000 Skiffle-Bands where known in England. Skiffle was the precursor of the Beat which combined the happy energy of the Skiffle with the floating power of Rock'n Roll. The members of the band often changed because John was too fanatic. In the end, he was never satisfied with the result of the songs. The Querrymen played gigs at marriages, birthdays, church-festivals and school-happenings. One day, John Lennen got to know Paul McCartney who was two years younger. First, John didn't accept him because of their disparity in age but John was impessed by Paul who was an obsessive musician; Paul had already written songs. John who had obviously been the boss of the band before now had a competitor and rival who was, in regard to music, much better than he was.
This was the beginning of their famous friend- and working-relationship. One of their first songs, "Lennon/McCartney" wrote together was the hit "Love Me Do". George Harrison who was even younger than Paul, played the guitar. Compared to the self-confident Paul, George was quite naïve and childish.
"The Querrymen" became "Johnny and the Moondogs".
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