John Lennon Imagined: Cultural History of a Rock Star

by Janne Mäkelä, Joli Jensen (Editor), Steve Jones (Editor), Anahid Kassabian (Editor), Will Straw (Editor)

Overview

Considered one of the most innovative artists in the history of popular music, John Lennon is also a fascinating example of the relationship between rock music and celebrity. Through investigation of the cultural and historical background of his stardom in England and the United States, this book explores why John Lennon became a much-debated celebrity and why he remains so. Lennon’s career from the 1960s until his tragic death in 1980, and even beyond, demonstrates how different expectations articulated by the star, the music industry, the media, and the fans form relations which change in terms of time and place. Using a multidisciplinary approach and intriguing case studies, this book also examines cultural identity, authenticity, and gender in popular music stardom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780820467887
Publisher:	Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
Publication date:	04/27/2004
Series:	Music/Meanings , #4
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.06(h) x (d)

About the Author

The Author: Janne Mäkelä is Research Fellow at the Department of Cultural History, University of Turku, Finland. He has published numerous articles on popular music and culture in professional journals.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vii
1.	Introduction	1
	A Short Diversion on the Origins of Study	1
	The Greatest Story of Popular Music?: Challenges of Writing the History	5
	Star History, Star Theories and Popular Music	15
2.	The Genesis of the Beatles' Breakthrough	26
	British Pop Music Stardom before the Beatles	26
	Northern Stars: From Local Heroes to National Obsession	36
3.	To Be a Beatle: John Lennon as a Star during Beatlemania, 1963-1966	50
	"Great New Comedy Team": Humor and Popular Music	50
	One of the Boys: Pop Stardom and Masculinity	63
	"From You to Us": The Dialogue between Fans and Stars	77
4.	Changing Popular Music Stardom of the 1960s	88
	From Art School Experience to Swinging London	88
	Authenticity, Folk Ideology and Cultural Interaction	95
5.	Signs of John Lennon's Rock Stardom	108
	The Case of the Granny Glasses	108
	Psychedelic Rolls-Royce	120
	The Spirit of Sgt. Pepper	129
6.	John Lennon, Rock Culture and the Imperative of Activism in the Late 1960s	142
	Unfinished Participation: Avant-garde and Rock Music	142
	Conflicting Expectations: Forms of Messianic Intensities	151
	Fool of the Year 1969	165
7.	Relocating a Star Identity in the 1970s	173
	Street Politics: Lennon, New York and Radicalism	173
	"You Don't Get Me Twice": The Ethos of Survival	184
	Present Father, Absent Star	196
8.	Stardom and Death	207
	Death of a Hero	207
	The Posthumous Debate on John Lennon	218
9.	Conclusion: Imagine a Rock Star	236
	Notes	245
	References	263
	Index	287