John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed in Aalborg in Denmark over the new year and most of January 1970, to be with Ono’s daughter Kyoko. She was living there with Tony Cox, Ono’s second husband, and his new wife Melinde.
While staying in Denmark Lennon made the decision to have his hair cropped shorter than at any other time in his adult life. The precise reasons are unclear, although he and Ono were in the midst of a lengthy peace campaign and were keen to remain in the public eye.
Lennon and Ono both had their hair cut on this day. It was later described by the Daily Mirror as “the most sensational scalpings since the Red Indians went out of business”. The couple kept their shorn locks in a bag for future use.
On 4 February 1970 Lennon and Ono swapped the hair for a pair of Muhammad Ali’s bloodstained boxing shorts, which they said they intended to auction to raise money for peace.
? #OTD '71 in Denmark, John & Yoko cut their hair short for peace pic.twitter.com/4Svfjhcdgz
— John Lennon ???? (@johnlennon) January 20, 2016
Also on this day...
- 2014: UK release: The US Albums
- 2013: McCartney demo of A World Without Love is unveiled
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: Wembley Arena, London
- 1988: The Beatles are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame
- 1982: Paul McCartney appears on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs
- 1969: The Beatles meet at Apple’s basement studio
- 1967: Recording: A Day In The Life
- 1965: Ringo Starr proposes to Maureen Cox
- 1964: The Beatles live: Olympia Theatre, Paris
- 1964: US album release: Meet The Beatles!
- 1963: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Lathom Hall, Liverpool
- 1961: Stuart Sutcliffe leaves Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
re. his hair being shorter than any time in his career, there is a photo of him and Yoko in the audience of a political seminar (not sure what), around mid 1973, and his head is nearly shaved except his sideburns.
I believe that was at the Watergate hearings. Same haircut for the Mind Games album cover.
Only slightly related, but did Yoko wear a wig afterwards? I remember someone told me that and I don’t really recall pics of her growing it out after this.
In this quick interview he tells the reason why he cut it. To make him and yoko less recognizable and when the women who cut it told the papers about the haircut they made in support o Michael X antiracist group in England. John’s quite humorous about the fact that the chick that cut it just couldn’t keep her mouth shut, she kept the secret for 3 days ??
https://youtu.be/EtDu73_4QIc