I remember vividly where I was when Lennon was shot dead. I believe Howard Cosell was the first to broadcast the sad news, on a Monday Night Football game. I had the pleasure of seeing the “Fab Four” twice live ‘over ‘ome around 1962, 63 at a smallish venue in Nelson, Lancashire. The bands musical skills at that time were somewhat limited, but who cared, you couldn’t hear them anyway, all the chicks were screaming so loud!!! I was a HUGE Lennon fan, and my favourite Lennon song is “A Working Class Hero”, from his first solo album.
As a previous poster noted, The Beatles, Stones, Who, Elton John, Clapton, etc were heavily influenced by blues artists such as John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, etc. Many of whom I also had the pleasure of seeing live in small Blues Clubs in England. One reason many of the blues greats came to England to play was they couldn’t get work in the States, due to the colour barrier. Kinda sad isn’t it?