As the Fab Four, John Lennon and his colleagues attained worldwide acclaim and renown. However, as the Beatles’ reputation grew, Lennon recognized that success had a price. Constant disruption from the media and public opinion forced the frontman to disconnect from reality and become unable to experience regular living. The extreme fan frenzy recognized by the media as ‘Beatlemania’, especially during the band’s peak, contributed to that sense of imprisonment. The Beatles chose to split up in 1969 for a variety of reasons, one of which being the Beatlemania craze. Following the dissolution of the band, Lennon pursued a solo career with his wife, Yoko Ono. Years later, in an interview in 1980, he reflected on his time with the band. When asked why he opted to be a ‘househusband,’ the frontman revealed: “There were numerous causes. I was under obligation or contract from the age of 22 until I was well into my 30s. It was all I knew after all those years. I wasn’t at liberty. I was hemmed in. My contract was the physical representation of my confinement.” Lennon’s fear of being imprisoned stemmed not only from external influences but also from his own yearning for self-expression: “It was more important to face myself and that reality than to continue a life of rock ‘n’ roll… and to ride the whims of your own performance or the public’s opinion of you.” Rock ‘n’ roll was no longer enjoyable.
In my profession, I elected not to follow the conventional wisdom of traveling to Vegas and singing your greatest songs if you’re lucky, or going to hell, like Elvis did.” The Beatles singer then suggested that there is a link between this sense of confinement and the artists who choose to commit suicide: “I had lost the artist’s initial freedom by becoming enslaved to the image of what the artist is supposed to do.” Many artists commit suicide as a result of it, whether through alcohol, as Dylan Thomas did, or through insanity, as Van Gogh did, or through V.D., as Gauguin did.” Lennon returned to music in October 1980, after declaring his absence to spend more time with his family in 1977. A month later, he and Ono released ‘Double Fantasy.’ Unfortunately, one of his ‘admirers’ shot and killed Lennon in December. Listen to John Lennon’s farewell single, ‘(Just Like) Starting Over,’ below.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7t4sHXOlK0
