December 8 of this year was the 35th anniversary of iconic musician and co-founder of The Beatles John Lennon‘s assassination and death. To commemorate him, here we present 15 things you probably didn’t know about John Lennon. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Was a Goody Two-Shoes Growing Up. Lennon belonged to both the choir and the Boy Scouts as he was growing up. His singing career launched when he was part of the boy’s choir at St. Peter’s Church in Liverpool. He was a member of the third Allerton Boy Scout troop.
Number Fourteen: He Didn’t Like the Sound of His Own Voice. Apparently, Lennon was never happy with the way his voice sounded, and this is why he liked to double-track his records. He is reported as once having asked producer George Martin, “Can’t you smother [my voice] with tomato ketchup or something?”
Number Thirteen: He Was Never Properly Satisfied With a Single Record. Another tidbit discovered while he was out with producer George Martin, Lennon revealed to Martin that he would like to re-record every single song The Beatles ever recorded. When Martin asked him if “Strawberry Fields” was included in this list, Lennon replied, “Especially ‘Strawberry Fields’.”
Number Twelve: He Was the Only Non-Vegetarian Beatle. George Harrison was the first Beatle to become a full-blown vegetarian, and Paul McCartney joined him a few years later. While Ringo eventually became a vegetarian for health reasons (rather than ethical reasons), Lennon could never fully commit to stopping eating meat.
Number Eleven: He Was a Devout Fan of Monopoly. Lennon loved to pass the time by playing Monopoly. He had his very own Monopoly set, and he would play in both hotel rooms and planes. He loved the properties of Boardwalk and Park Place so much he didn’t mind sacrificing the entire game to get them.
Number Ten: He Used to Sleep in a Coffin. Ex-Beatles manager Allan Williams has reported that Lennon enjoyed sleeping in an old coffin Williams had in his coffee bar. Lennon could take very restful naps there.
Number Nine: His Last Run-In With Paul McCartney Was in April of 1976. The last time Lennon hung out with Paul McCartney was on April 24, 1976. They watched Saturday Night Live together in Lennon’s New York apartment.