cut short
To stop before the end; abbreviate.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cut short

Came to a sudden and unexpected complete stop. This is the idea.

*Lennon came to a screeching halt of his carreer and presence in the media.*

*Lennon suddenly halted his carrer and his media presence completely.

'I'm retiring man': Justin Bieber announces that he's quitting his career as a singer during interview on national radio

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2525612/Justin-...
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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Note added at 15 mins (2014-02-08 22:40:15 GMT)
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Former Victoria’s Secret model once again explained recently in an interview why she suddenly quit her career and how her faith led her to walk away.

http://ipost.christianpost.com/news/former-victorias-secret-...

Even if you don't care for him, you have to admit that the band's treatment of him was a little perplexing, and it was not shocking when he suddenly quit after seven years with the band.

http://www.listology.com/jamool/story/genesis

Even though this idiom (quite informal, slang in fact) is applied in general to drug consumption, it can also be used to express a complete and abrupt withdrawal of any habitual activity (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cold turkey):

cold turkey
noun Informal.
1. abrupt and complete withdrawal from the use of an addictive substance, as a narcotic drug, alcohol, or tobacco.

Idioms
2. go cold turkey,
a. to stop using an addictive substance abruptly and completely.
b. to undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a habitual activity or behavior pattern.

Now, the funny part: what lead me to propose this expression was the fact that John Lennon has a song called precisely "Cold Turkey"!:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Turkey

So you could make a good pun out it, if you wish!


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Note added at 1 hr (2014-02-08 23:40:45 GMT)
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In fact, if you use this expression I think it'd imply that singing or his career was a bit like an addiction (I don't know you want to imply that or not...). On the other hand, I'm not a native speaker and this seems to be a tricky idiom, so better don't use it without native advice! :-)

Spanish term (edited): cortó en seco

Since he was never consumed by the “Beatle image”, Lennon broke away from the band and utilized his radical opinions along with the power and popularity of his musical history to create change.

https://w.taskstream.com/ts/muffoletto/AmericanPopularMusic....

When he broke away from the Beatles and started to chill with Yoko Ono, he certainly wasn’t on a path to being a legend.
http://leaderswest.com/2012/08/14/how-to-become-an-online-le...

Reference:
Unexpectedly, suddenly, abruptly..., all can fit in to reflect the situation.

another option

Lennon took a break to become a house husband and raise his son. He seemed to be a bit disillusioned as well and was battling Immigration to stay in New York...



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Note added at 11 hrs (2014-02-09 09:45:08 GMT)
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http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hiatus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_'n'_Roll_(John_L...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58hSFj_9Gfs

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Note added at 13 hrs (2014-02-09 12:13:21 GMT)
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that link again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon

I agree with Pablo's reading that this was a break and not a retirement, but think this reads more naturally...



Double Fantasy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Fantasy‎






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Double Fantasy is a 1980 album released by John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. ... his son Sean in 1975, Lennon had put his career on hold to help raise him.


Iconic musician, John Lennon, was shot dead outside his New York ...



www.sahistory.org.za › timelines › This day in History‎






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At approximately 11:00 PM, John Lennon was shot 4 times in the back as he ... With the birth of his son Sean in 1975, Lennon put his career on hold to raise the ...


Top 10 Reasons to Admire John Lennon - Listverse



listverse.com/.../top-10-reasons-to-admire-john-lenn...‎






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20/5/2012 - During his lifetime, John Lennon was the focus of a negative media .... of raising a boy, he put his musical career on hold and became a good ...


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Note added at 15 hrs (2014-02-09 14:22:26 GMT)
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"put his career and press appearances on hold" to include "presencia mediática".