Pop star, composer, songwriter, and recording artist, born in Liverpool, Merseyside, NW England, UK. He was the Beatles rhythm guitarist, keyboard player, and vocalist, and a partner in the Lennon--McCartney song-writing team. He married Japanese artist Yoko Ono (1933-- ) - his second marriage - in 1969. Together they invented a form of peace protest by staying in bed while being filmed and interviewed, and the single recorded under the name of The Plastic Ono Band, "Give Peace a Chance' (1969), became the "national anthem' for pacifists. He had five more chart singles between 1971--4, but only "Imagine' (1971) had any immediate impact. On the birth of his son, Sean (1975-- ), he retired from music to become a house-husband. Five years later he recorded "(Just Like) Starting Over', but he was shot and killed by a deranged fan just before its release. His death affected millions of people, record sales soared, and he continues to be admired by new generations of fans.