- “You know, flattery is a real thing of impersonation. Or the other way round. I forget who it was who said that...”
- ―Ron Nasty on John Lennon
John Lennon (also known as The Absolute Maman; 9 December 1944 – 8 December 1980) was an English writer, comedian and musician who was friends with several of The Rutles. He was married to the Japanese recording artist Yoko Ono.
Early life[]
John Lennon was born in Danbury in Essex. His Scottish father was a warrant officer in the British Army, and Lennon spent his childhood in West Germany where his father was deployed with the British Army of the Rhine. He took piano lessons from age 7 to 14 and taught himself to play guitar. His parents were supportive of their children's artistic leanings, and his father also drew and painted. After returning to the United Kingdom, Lennon received his formal education at Thorpe Grammar School, the Norwich School of Art and Goldsmiths College, London, where he studied fine art. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Goldsmiths in 1966.
Career[]
The Dirty Mac Band[]
In the mid-1960s, Lennon joined The Dirty Mac Band, creating numerous well-known songs of the decade. One single by the band was secretly produced by Dirk McQuickly, and the band appeared in The Tragical History Tour for a scene singing his original song "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" which was secretly produced by Dirk McQuickly. Another well-known The Dirty Mac Band song was "Madman", which inspired Lennon's nickname "The Absolute Madman". The Dirty Mac Band broke up in early 1970, but Lennon continued to find solo success.
The Beatles[]
The 1970s proved to be a highly prolific decade for Lennon as a solo artist, band member and live stage and television performer. In 1977, he starred in his stage show John Lennon is the Absolute Madman.
He was close friends with several of The Rutles, most notably with Stig O'Hara, and in 1978 the two worked with fellow comedian William Campbell, journalist and musician Jimmy Climmer and drummer Richard Starkey to create The Beatles: All You Need Is Love (a parody of the award-winning documentary The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash). Lennon played a parody of Ron Nasty and wrote several Rutle-esque tunes for the soundtrack. In 1996, vocals and guitar he recorded before his death in 1980 were used for the tracks of The Beatles Anthology (a parody of the Archaeology).
Personal life[]
Lennon was married to the Japanese recording artist Yoko Ono. They married in 1969. He died in 1980.
