Music fans commemorate Wednesday John Lennon, the legendary Beatles frontman who was shot dead 30 years ago on that day.

Lennon was hit by four billets just as he was entering his luxury apartment building in Manhattan. The killer - Mark Chapman - has pleaded guilty and is currently serving a life sentence in Attica prison near New York.

Chapman told judges that he had heard "voices" in his head telling him to kill the legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist.

John Lennon (October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980) is best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist for The Beatles. He has heavily influenced the development of rock music, and was recognized as one of the music legends of the last century.

He was living with his parents in Liverpool until his father abandoned the family. John's mother Julia then gave him up to her sister Mimi.

Short after John turned 16, his mother was killed by a car driven by a drunken police officer, while John witnessed this event.

He was accepted to the Liverpool College of Art, when he became increasingly interested in rock music. In the 50s, he formed his own band called The Quarry Men, which was later renamed to The Silver Beatles. The name was shortened to The Beatles soon afterwards.

In 1962, Lennon married Cynthia Powell who was pregnant with his first son - Julian.

As a member of The Beatles, John teamed up with Paul McCartney to become the most influential songwriting duo of the 20th Century. Lennon was known to be the more lyrical one, balancing McCartney's upbeat outlook.

In 1966, John Lennon sparkled a religious scandal with a statement that said Christianity would "vanish."

"We're more popular than Jesus now," he stated.

After his words were reprinted in the US, The Beatles were banned from radio stations, and their recording were burned and destroyed by conservative religious groups.

Later that year, Lennon made an apology that was accepted by the Vatican.

He met Yoko Ono in London soon after. The two got involved in a love affair that became known to then Cynthia about two year later, in 1968. She filed for divorce later that year.

Lennon and Ono were inseparable during the recording of the last album by The Beatles, Abbey Road.

The beginning of the end for the group was marked by the death of their manager Brian Epstein in 1967. In May 1970, Paul McCartney announced he was quitting the band.

Lennon's first solo album of popular music was Live Peace In Toronto, recorded in 1969 at the Rock 'n' Roll Festival in Toronto with a Plastic Ono Band including Eric Clapton and Klaus Voormann.

Later he put out the Plastic Ono Band, followed by Imagine - his most successful solo project. The song that gave the album its name become the most memorable Lennon track and an anthem for world peace and harmony.

In 1975, he declared retirement to focus on family life. His time offstage lasted until 1980, when the family couple released together Double Fantasy.

Lennon also started working on Milk and Honey, which he left unfinished.

As the world marks 30 years since Lennon’s tragic death Bulgaria commemorates him with a special monument.

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