John Lennon at 80 (if only)

October 09, 2020

To mark what would have been dear John Lennon's 80th birthday today, here are two of my original sketches of John, drawn 60 years apart. The first is my 1958 drawing of John Lennon, aged 17, during his Buddy Holly period. I drew him "from life", when we were students together and great friends at Liverpool College of Art. I still treasure our shared roots in the world's greatest city

The thick, black-rimmed spectacles worm by John became synonymous with cool and never lost their appeal for creatives but it was Buddy Holly who kicked off the trend, widely hailed as "rock’s first fashion statement”.

The second artwork is a more recent sketch of a more mature "Abbey Road John”. It features his iconic talisman pendant, first seen at the Sergeant Pepper launch party in 1968. John was a dreamer and a pacifist, ahead of his time. I am always moved by how his legions of new fans around the world continue to adopt and promote his message of peace and love. It’s over 40 years since I last spoke to John. But it still feels like Yesterday.