Photos of John Lennon on the Anniversary of His Death

Backstage with the Beatles

The Beatles — Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr (not pictured) — backstage before a show at the height of the “Beatlemania” craze. The cultural phenomenon was coined in the early 1960s when the fan frenzy surrounding the quartet spread around the globe. It was also during this time that the Beatles first touched down in the United States in February 1964.

The Iconic Ed Sullivan Show Gig

The Beatles made their historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance on Feb. 9, 1964. Seventy-three million viewers tuned in to catch their set, which saw the band perform “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

Meeting Muhammad Ali

The Beatles exerted a never-before-seen grip on popular culture, mingling with figures from virtually every other walk of life — they’re pictured above with Muhammad Ali at his training camp in Miami Beach.

The Fab Four

Lennon (bottom right) with the rest of the Beatles in 1965.

At this time, the band released their Grammy-nominated fifth album, Help!, featuring fan-favorite songs like “Ticket to Ride” and “Yesterday.” Lennon would also publish his second book, A Spaniard in the Works — a collection of eccentric stories, poems and drawings.

Stylish Specs

Many of Lennon’s personal affectations became popular crazes, from his so-called “granny glasses” to the sideburns he favored later in the Beatles’ career.

The “Imagine” songwriter’s rare spectacles sold for $56,800 at Sotheby’s auction house in London in 2020.

A Rad Quartet

The Beatles in a rare outtake from the Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band‘s album cover shoot, considered one of the watershed moments in “psychedelic” style and fashion.

Crossing Into History

It’s rare for lightning to strike twice, but the Beatles managed to have a hard time not making icons of themselves, as in the widely imitated cover of Abbey Road. Believe it or not, it only took around 10 minutes to capture the now-famous moment, which was photographed by Iain Macmillan, per the BBC.

Going Solo

Lennon left the Beatles in 1970.

A year after his departure, he penned a rather scathing letter to ex-bandmate McCartney.

Grammys Glam

Lennon and Ono in N.Y.C. in 1975, ahead of that year’s Grammy Awards.

At the official 17th annual ceremony that March, the singer-songwriter and Paul Simon did the honors of presenting record of the year, which went to John Farrar and Olivia Newton-John for “I Honestly Love You.”

An Iconic Trio

Ono and Lennon are pictured here with a young David Bowie at the 17th annual Grammys in 1975. It was the same year Lennon co-wrote “Fame” with Bowie and Carlos Alomar, which became Bowie’s first No. 1 single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Reminiscing about recording with Lennon, Bowie told MTV in 1995, per American Songwriter: “He would take the most odd idea and make it work for the masses. And I thought that was just so admirable. … There was just so much about him I admired.”

At the Inaugural Ball

Lennon and his wife, Oko, arrived to then-President Jimmy Carter’s inaugural ball in 1977 in fashionable style. As the pair became increasingly politically active, they expanded their circle beyond music and art.

Bermuda Getaway

Lennon pictured in June 1980 during a vacation he took to Bermuda.

Father-and-Son Time

Lennon and his youngest son, Sean Lennon, on their Bermuda vacation in June 1980. He also had son Julian Lennon with ex Cynthia Lennon.

Gone Too Soon

One of the last photos of Lennon ever, taken on Dec. 6, 1980 — just two days before his death. The image was shot inside The Hit Factory in N.Y.C., where Lennon and Ono were working on her single, “Walking on Thin Ice,” which was released in January 1981.