humousMilk and Honey,Live in New York City(1986),
andMenlove Ave.(1986) sold well. Lennon influ-
enced many musicians popular in the 1980’s, includ-
ing Jello Biafra, Bono, Peter Gabriel, and Iggy Pop.
Lennon’s political activism also served as an inspi-
ration. Admirers viewed him as a martyr to the
causes of social and personal liberation. His face be-
came a revolutionary icon and his song “Imagine”
an anthem of planetary transformation.
Further Reading
Rosen, Robert.Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John
Lennon. New York: Soft Skull, 2000.
Seaman, Frederic.The Last Days of John Lennon: A Per-
sonal Memoir. New York: Birch Lane, 1991.
Lennon, John
See also Crime; Music; Pop music; Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame.
Leonard, Sugar Ray
Identification American professional boxer
Born May 17, 1956; Wilmington, North CarolinaLeonard was one of the top professional boxers of the
1980’s, winning titles in five different weight classes and
fighting many of the best boxers of the era.After winning a gold medal at the 1976 Summer
Olympics in Montreal, Sugar Ray Leonard began his
professional boxing career the following year under
the guidance of legendary trainer Angelo Dundee.
He won twenty-five consecutive bouts before defeat-
ing Wilfred Benitez for the World Boxing Council
(WBC) welterweight title in November of 1979. After
defending the title once, he lost it by decision to
Roberto Duran, the former world lightweight cham-
pion, in June of 1980, but regained it in a rematch theThe Eighties in America Leonard, Sugar Ray 583
Sugar Ray Leonard, right, faces Thomas Hearns in a battle for the world welterweight championship in September, 1981.(AP/Wide
World Photos)