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John Lennon likely never would have chosen to perform a Beatles song<\/a> years after the band’s breakup without the encouragement of one British musician.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Fab Four parted ways in 1970 due to a series of creative differences, four years after Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr had already pressed pause on their touring career.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lennon, in particular, experienced burnout from life on the road and became anxious about taking the stage. According to Far Out Magazine<\/a>, the touring landscape for artists in the ’60s and \u201870s was vastly different than it is today. Record sales were so high that the “Imagine” icon didn’t need to prioritize ticket sales, and, frankly, had no desire to.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yet, despite all of this, Lennon performed a Beatles track, his last, at Madison Square Garden in 1974. But why, exactly, did the star decide to end his live hiatus, and who convinced him to sing a beloved Beatles tune years after the Fab Four\u2019s farewell?\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lennon did not sing a Beatles song during his final live performance. Fans practically begged him to play a Fab Four track amid his three-song set at \u201cA Salute to Sir Lew – The Master Showman,\u201d a\u00a01975 TV special honoring producer Sir Lew Grade<\/a>, but he refused. In fact, the former Beatle was only present as a requirement of a legal settlement<\/a> involving the ownership of the group\u2019s catalog.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A year prior, Lennon had asked fellow British musician Elton John<\/a> for help with a track called “Whatever Gets You Through the Night.” The Rocket Man graciously stepped in, and their collaboration transformed into a friendship that would play a major role in Lennon’s last live performance of a Beatles song.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nTHE ICON WHO MADE IT HAPPEN<\/h2>\n