John Lennon

Lennon formed the Quarrymen in Liverpool, invited Paul McCartney to join, and the two began the songwriting partnership behind the Beatles. The Songwriters Hall of Fame credits "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me" and "She Loves You" (1962-63) as early successes, calls the group "perhaps the single most influential new pop entity in a generation", and says "I Want to Hold Your Hand" became the biggest-selling British single in history.

In 1966 Lennon's songs pushed the Beatles' studio work in new directions. For 'Tomorrow Never Knows', recorded in April 1966 for Revolver, he asked for a voice like a chanting Dalai Lama; engineers ran his vocal through a rotating organ speaker, and a live mix of tape loops was added. For 'Strawberry Fields Forever' he asked George Martin and Geoff Emerick to join the start of one take to the end of a remake in a different key and tempo, which they did by varying tape speed.

After the Beatles, Lennon released John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in 1970, which he described as 'the best thing I've ever done' and as written in the first person; his second solo album, Imagine, followed in 1971, co-produced with Yoko Ono and Phil Spector, and carries the title song that is his best-known.

After three days of sessions in late November 1966 the Beatles had a take of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' they thought finished, but Lennon was not satisfied and the song was remade over four more sessions. He then told Martin and Emerick he liked the start of the first version and the end of the second, and asked them to join them. Martin objected that the takes were in different keys and tempos; Lennon replied that he was sure Martin could fix it. Emerick and Martin both recall the edit falling about a minute into the song, and that Lennon listened and could not hear it.

Sending a finished take back for a remake, and then asking for the best parts of both, is consistent with a high standard for the finished track; Douglas's 1980 account of him moving on quickly after a few takes shows the standard sat alongside impatience. Perfectionism

On 20 September 1969, just after the Beatles had signed a new EMI/Capitol contract at Apple's Savile Row office, Lennon told McCartney and Starr he was leaving the group, although manager Allen Klein had asked him to keep quiet. Lennon says the announcement came after he had answered McCartney's proposals with 'No, no, no'; McCartney recalls him saying 'I'm leaving the group!' and Starr that it was not sulky. The break was kept private for months.

Saying so directly, against the manager's advice and in front of McCartney, is consistent with decisiveness and a willingness to confront; McCartney's account shows it also hurt. Decisiveness

On 6 July 1957 Ivan Vaughan introduced the 15-year-old McCartney to Lennon, then 16, at the Woolton fete where the Quarry Men played. In the church hall McCartney retuned Lennon's guitar and played Eddie Cochran and Little Richard songs; Lennon later said he thought 'He's as good as me'. Lennon says he invited McCartney to join; Pete Shotton recalls a message passed on a week or so later.

Bringing in a younger player he judged as good as himself is consistent with building a group around the strongest available musician, in keeping with his leadership drive. Leadership Drive