Dream is to become an artist
Cynthia Lennon was born in 1939 in the north-west of England in the family of Charles Powell. My father worked for GEC. And his daughter was the last child in the family. She had two older brothers.
When Cynthia was very young, the whole family moved to Hoylake.
As a twelve-year-old teenager, she began studying at the Primary School of the Arts. However, the girl had long dreamed of becoming an artist, so within the walls of this educational institution her dreams began to come true.
Personal life of John Lennon
Shortly before his mother's death, in 1957, John met Cynthia Powell, who was studying at the Liverpool College of Art. According to Cynthia's recollections, at first she did not like John, he was arrogant, sharp-tongued and could easily offend someone with his jokes.
John Lennon and Cynthia Powell in their youth
Having learned about Julia's death, Cynthia felt sorry for John and looked at him with different eyes, because she herself had recently lost her father, to whom she was attached. In the rebel and hooligan who opposed himself to the whole world, she saw a vulnerable poet and was one of the few who believed in his genius and future success.
As Cynthia says, John had just created The Quarrymen and showed her the first compositions. A few months after they met, she realized that she had fallen in love; John's hot temper scared her a little, but she couldn't help herself.
John Lennon with his first wife and son
Hearing from Cynthia that she was expecting a child, John proposed getting married because, as he said, they had no other choice, and in the summer of 1962 their wedding took place. The musician's first-born Julian was born in April 1963, and Brian Epstein became his godfather.
John Lennon and his son Julian
Some researchers of John's work believe that he was inspired to write the legendary "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the drawings of little Julian, who depicted in watercolor his friend from kindergarten named Lucy O'Donnell (others are inclined that the song is about drugs, and specifically about lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, which is encrypted in the name). Another song that the world owes to Julian is “Good Night,” a lullaby.
In 2011, Julian gave an interview in which he admitted that as a child he suffered from lack of attention from his father. His birth coincided with the onset of Beatlemania, so his father spent most of his time on tour. “He was young and didn’t know why he needed all this. That's why I still don't have children. I'm not ready for fatherhood. First I want to understand who I am,” Julian said.
Julian Lennon and his mother Cynthia now
When the fame of The Beatles captured Britain, Cynthia, according to her, could not learn to lead a bohemian lifestyle: during the day she sat with Julian, and in the evening she reluctantly agreed to go with John to another party with celebrities. One day, John showed her a small article in the newspaper that talked about a Japanese artist who had made a film that consisted of close-ups of her buttocks. In his characteristic caustic manner, John commented on the post, saying, “That Japanese girl must have gone crazy.” Then, Cynthia recalls, she burst out laughing and soon forgot about the crazy artist who had caused their divorce.
Fateful meeting with John Lennon
In college, Cynthia focused on graphics. At the same time, she began taking calligraphy lessons. It was here that the girl met student John Lennon. The future Beatle never had painting tools with him, so he began to borrow them from Cynthia.
John had an unenviable reputation. He was a real bully and was a terrible student. His main priority was music. Sometimes the young man took his guitar with him to lessons. Once he sang a song for Cynthia. Despite this, the girl did not like him very much. She said he smacked of rebellion and danger. However, over time, it was these qualities that attracted her most. In a word, Cynthia fell under the spell of the future musician.
Last years of activity. Murder
Activity in his musical career appeared only in 1980 with the release of “Double Fantasy”. Lennon and his wife created this album together, and many of the songs on this album became part of the couple's love story. Three weeks after the album's release, John Lennon went to the recording studio to record new compositions that were to be included in future albums. On his way to the studio, he was met by fan David Chapman, who asked for an autograph. A few hours later, the man killed Lennon in front of several reporters and John's wife. Four shots in the back led to instant loss of consciousness; an hour after this event, the singer died from blood loss. Lennon was cremated; the musician’s ashes are with his wife. After his death, Yoko released her last album, “Milk and Honey,” which put an end to the career and life of John Lennon.
Beloved Xing
Cynthia Lennon was quite an attractive girl in her youth. She constantly wanted to attract the attention of her beloved classmate. So, having learned that Lennon preferred blondes, the girl bleached her hair without hesitation. By the way, until her last days she remained true to her then image. Well, then John was greatly amazed by her unexpected transformation.
They began a love affair. Her lover called her “Miss Powell” or “Miss Howlake.” And over time - just Sin.
According to Cynthia, their early relationships almost always consisted of sexual pleasures. True, Lennon later said that his wife interested him primarily as a representative of the fairer sex, and not at all as a person.
Julian Lennon now
Since 2020, Julian Lennon has been publishing multimedia books for children under the general title Touch the Earth. Young readers become passengers in an imaginary plane, which turns into a submarine if necessary, travel around the planet and learn to take care of it. Proceeds from Lennon's books, as well as his documentaries, music and photographs, go to the White Feather Foundation, a non-profit environmental and humanitarian organization created by the musician in 2007.
In 2020, Julian attended a performance by the All-Starr Band, which currently stars Ringo Starr. After the concert, the former drummer of The Beatles and Lennon's son hugged like relatives.
Paul McCartney & Julian Lennon Radio Angelica en Tunein: https://tunein.com/radio/Radio-Angelica-s239125/
Published by Radio Angelica Sunday, September 11, 2020
Julian Lennon and Paul McCartney
In January 2020, Julian announced that he was going to add a new album to his discography. The singer has not yet disclosed the name of the collection.
On April 8, 2020, the guitarist was congratulated by residents of different parts of the Earth. Many wishes included words of gratitude for Julian’s work as a photographer and for charity.
3 days before his 57th birthday, the musician gave an interview to The Guardian newspaper, in which he shared his memories of his father. The publication was accompanied by a joint photo of John and little Julian near the psychedelic Rolls-Royce Phantom V.
On April 22, 2020, Lennon's eldest son published a message in connection with 50th Earth Day.
“When I see the beauty of nature, I cease to be a celebrity, find myself in childhood and again become the boy Julian wandering through the English countryside,” the musician wrote.
The Beatles era
In the late 50s, John met Paul McCartney. Both musicians began to fruitfully collaborate and write songs. They started performing in small towns and often used . During this time, John tried to forget about the existence of his beloved girl, who at that time was faithfully waiting for her lover at home. In truth, John, despite his sexual adventures, demanded fidelity from her and wrote her hundreds of letters declaring his love.
Meanwhile, Cynthia continued to study, and John's musical group was already playing much better. The guys dreamed of recording and wanted to put their material on vinyl. After some time, these goals were realized, as they met the great Brian Epstein and George Martin. Soon the musicians became The Beatles, a legendary group that won recognition throughout the planet.
John Lennon is an English musician, poet, composer, artist, one of the founders of the legendary British quartet The Beatles.
John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool (Great Britain), since childhood he suffered from congenital myopia (and wore glasses), as well as dyslexia - a disease that manifests itself, for example, in the fact that a person confuses the letters in words. Perhaps both defects had a strong influence on the peculiarities of John Lennon’s perception of the world, on his artistic thinking and poetic talent. It could also have been influenced by the fact that John’s mother and father constantly quarreled with each other in front of his eyes, and he was especially impressed by the episode when he saw his father fighting with his mother’s lover. His mother, Julia, was generally a reckless and reckless woman, however, despite this, John loved her very much and suffered greatly when she died under the wheels of a police car (John Lennon was then 18 years old). Later, John Lennon dedicated several of his songs to her. When John Lennon was five years old, his parents gave him a choice - who he wanted to live with, his father or his mother. John chose his father, but stayed with his mother, his mother took him to Aunt Mimi and left him with her. She was a totalitarian woman and greatly oppressed everyone around her (including John Lennon).
In 1956, John Lennon
Founded the Quarrymen team with school friends, in which John Lennon began playing guitar. On July 6, 1957, John Lennon met Paul McCartney, who soon joined The Quarrymen. John Lennon entered the Liverpool College of Art, where he met his future first wife, Cynthia Powell.
In 1959, The Quarrymen mutated into the Silver Beetles, and a little later into simply The Beatles. The further history of this group is known and deserves a separate article. It is important for us now to point out the next big milestone in the life of John Lennon. Namely: on March 14, 1969, John Lennon married Yoko Ono. The point of view that it was this Japanese avant-garde artist who became the decisive person in the formation and development of that John Lennon is consistently carried out in the article by Gleb Davydov, “John Lennon. Created by a Japanese woman." This text also denies the view of Yoko Ono as the person who ruined The Beatles. In fact, the group broke up due to the grueling lifestyle that its members, including John Lennon, led. By that time, John Lennon was using all kinds of drugs (especially a lot of LSD) and was a complete paranoid and drug addict. It was Yoko Ono who helped him come to his senses again and, in particular, through social campaigns such as Bed-in. Immediately after the wedding, John Lennon and Yoko Ono arrived in Amsterdam and announced a “bed interview” there. Journalists, expecting that John Lennon and Yoko Ono would publicly copulate, flocked to the hotel, but there it turned out that John Lennon and Yoko were just sitting in bed and shouting peaceful slogans. White pajamas, flowers everywhere and the doors of their room were wide open all day long... Anyone could come in and talk to them. Cameras, photographers, newspaper journalists and more. The protest later moved to Montreal (where John Lennon publicly recorded the anthemic song Give Peace a Chance). It was a media sensation, and thanks to it, the media was full of proposals to end the war in Vietnam. On December 15, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko held an anti-war concert, “The War Will End If You Want It.” On December 30 of the same year, British TV showed a program about John Lennon, where he was named one of the three political figures of the decade (the other two were John Kennedy and Mao Zedong).
John Lennon also advocated for giving Indians civil rights, for easing the conditions of prisoners in prisons, for the release of John Sinclair, one of the leaders of American youth, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of marijuana (thanks to the action of John Lennon, Sinclair was released).
In 1971, John Lennon's cult disc Imagine appeared. Since September 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began to live in the USA. Since then, John Lennon has never returned to his homeland, Great Britain. More information about the life of John Lennon and Yoko Ono there in the USA is stated in the article by Gleb Davydov “John Lennon. Created by a Japanese woman."
On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was killed by a crazy maniac, a reader of Salinger's book The Catcher in the Rye. In 2002, the BBC conducted a poll to determine the hundred greatest Britons of all time. John Lennon took eighth place according to the voting results.
Long-awaited wedding
In 1962, Cynthia admitted to John that she was expecting a child. At the same time, she told him that she was able to raise her first child on her own, alone. John categorically rejected this possibility immediately. He believed that the only acceptable way out of this delicate situation was a wedding.
As a result, the couple got married in August of the same year in Liverpool. George Harrison and Paul McCartney were at the ceremony. And Epstein was the best man. By the way, they celebrated their wedding in the same restaurant where John Lennon’s parents celebrated their wedding 24 years earlier.
After the wedding, the newlyweds began living in Epstein's apartment.
Hamburg
In 1960, the Beatles were very lucky: Alan Williams invited them to go to Hamburg. At that time, he had already put Liverpool groups on tour there, and the guys were not the first. The place where they played was on Hamburg's red light district, and the Beatles performed all night for 6-8 hours straight, and slept in the cinema.
The Hamburg audience initially reacted lukewarmly to the guys standing on stage like idols; their manager, Koschmeider, yelled at them, “Mack show,” a twisted version of “do a show.” And the Beatles began to “put on a show.” They kicked their feet loudly, jumped around the stage, rolled in the dust - in a word, they went crazy. Three-minute compositions were stretched over a third of an hour. The audience rejoiced.
It all ended very unexpectedly - George Harrison, a minor, was deported from the country. Following him, the rest of the group had to leave Germany. The first trip to Hamburg ended unsuccessfully, but it was here that the Beatles grew significantly in their skills and acquired many skills that would be useful to them later.
In the bosom of the family
After some time, Lennon bought a large house where famous performers Cliff Richards and Tom Jones previously lived. They already had not only servants, but also drivers.
And when John Lennon’s wife was able to get her license, her husband immediately presented her with a Mini, and then a Porsche.
In a word, the newlyweds were more than secure financially, since the Beatles were on the crest of success.
In 1963, Cynthia Lennon learned the joy of motherhood. Children are what makes a family stronger. The couple had a son. They named him Julian. By the way, John was at his performance when the heir was born.
The son was baptized in one of the churches in Hoylake, and Epstein became the godfather.
Art College
Having successfully failed all the exams at school, John, under the patronage of Principal Podgeboy (who sincerely tried to establish contact with the unruly student), somehow entered art college. There, too, he practically did not study, he constantly staged various pranks and sometimes disrupted classes. He still didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he had already firmly understood that he hated any routine - be it work, study or something else that required work and diligence.
At that period of his life, he experiences a severe shock - the death of his mother, Julia. In the short period of time that they were friends, John became very attached to her. Julia was one of the few who truly understood him. After the death of his mother, John seemed to have broken free: he became embittered, his antics became even angrier, his jokes even more sarcastic.
At the same time, John met Cynthia Powell. Perhaps he needed her: John was trying to fill the void left by his mother's death. In fact, he simply took out all his anger on the girl. John also met Stuart Sutcliffe at the institute: a budding artist, Stu became interested in John's band and took the place of the bassist, although he could not play. He was much more intelligent and intelligent than everyone else in the group, and John admired Stu; many elements of the Beatles' style were invented by him.
The group slowly, but slowly, developed: they played in youth clubs, at parties, and once managed to go on a tour of Scotland. All this time they did not have a specific name - the Quarrymen were long forgotten, the rest changed, and only after a while The Silver Beatles appeared, composed by John in the manner of Buddy Holly's "The Crickets".
Heirs to the Lennon Empire
Unfortunately, after the birth of the child, the family did not become stronger. The young dad had very little contact with his son. According to recollections, if John was free from concerts, he first of all scolded the boy and lectured him. Actually, all this, sooner or later, affected Julian’s character.
A few years later, when the family broke up and John had a new family, he gave his fatherly attention to his second son from Yoko Ono, Sean. It was as if he wanted to erase not only Cynthia from his life, but also Julian.
The fortune of the great Beatle was about 250 million pounds. He initially allocated 400 pounds a month for the maintenance of his first son. True, at the very end of the 70s, John unexpectedly decided to restore relations with Julian. But already in 1980 Lennon was shot dead. In memory of him, Sin gave her son four portraits of her ex-husband, which she painted herself.
Julian Lennon followed in his father's footsteps and also became a musician and singer.
Dramatic changes in all aspects of life
In 1968, Lennon created the famous compositions “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “All You Need is Love”. At the same time, the hippie movement began to surge in popularity. This cultural event was reflected in the appearance of all band members and in their songs. More philosophical and peaceful compositions, long hair and loose clothing became a new attribute in creativity. It was at this point in his life that Lennon began wearing his signature round glasses. That same year, John’s wife learned that Lennon had been cheating on her with artist Yoko Ono for more than a year. At the beginning of 1969, the couple divorced, and Lennon formalized his marriage to Yoko. During their honeymoon, Lennon recorded "The Ballad of John and Yoko" in honor of their new relationship. Disagreements within the group increasingly heated the situation, which led to the fact that in 1970, after the release of “Let It Be,” the group broke up.
The beginning of the end of a relationship
Meanwhile, in the first half of the 60s, real “Beatlemania” began. The band's management insisted that the musicians always talk about their loneliness for the media. Apparently, this could attract more young fans. Sin had to play by these rules. For this reason, the marriage and birth of a son were not advertised at all. John Lennon's wife rarely went on tour with her husband.
As a result, John changed internally. He became cruel and sullen. And his marriage with the once beloved woman turned into an unbearable burden. Repeatedly, the husband deliberately insulted his wife and brought her to tears. But nevertheless, Sin endured the bullying and forgave everything to her husband. She really loved him very much and tried to change him for the better. The girl devoted her life to her family, abandoning her talents and ceasing to develop as an artist.
When the next tour ended, studio life began. John plunged headlong into the world of rock and roll, psychedelia and drugs. There was no place in this world for either a son or a wife. She finally realized this when the musicians were about to leave for India...
The Quarrymen
And at that time it was the 50s: Bill Haley’s song “Rock around the clock” was released, in 1956 Elvis Presley appeared on the stage, and the wave of rock and roll swept over Britain. However, here it resulted in a slightly different form: skiffle appeared - this style had little resemblance to rock and roll, but it did not require either complex instruments or the ability to play well, and therefore became extremely popular among young people.
John did not stand aside either: he and his friends from school pranks created their own skiffle group. His instrument was the guitar, although he did not know how to play. The only thing was that John's mother showed him a couple of chords on the banjo (the first song he learned was That'll Be The Day by Buddy Holly).
The guys played from time to time just for fun and did not consider it something serious. People in the group were constantly changing, someone came and left, new faces constantly flashed by. And on July 6, 1957, Paul McCartney appeared. After some time he brought George Harrison. George's mother, unlike Mimi, supported the children in their passion for music: the company always found a warm welcome in the Harrisons' house.
Homewrecker Yoko
On the eve of her visit to the country, Sin found her husband’s personal correspondence with Yoko Ono. John strongly denied any connection with this woman and claimed that she was just a crazy artist. He said that she was just looking for a sponsor. That is probably why she visited Kenwood several times and called there constantly. Yoko Ono herself in those days worked hard and was very fruitful in her business. She met John in 1966. Perhaps Lennon was more interested in living with this woman. She apparently understood him and, in fact, was ready to share not only their common life, but also her passion for art.
Be that as it may, the Beatles went on a planned trip to India. When he returned under the influence of drugs and alcohol, he told his wife about his relationship with a colossal number of women around the planet. Then he sent Sin to Greece on vacation. But she returned earlier than planned and saw her husband and his mistress in the most unsightly form. Unable to bear it, Cynthia Lennon, whose biography was very difficult, went straight to her friends.
A few days later, John seemed completely normal when Sin finally came home. The husband tried to prove his sincere warm feelings for his wife and son. But still, they never spoke normally again. And the husband himself went to the residence of Ringo Starr.
After some time, John sent a guide who informed Sin that her husband intended to get a divorce. They say that he tried to accuse his wife of treason. He also wanted Julian to live with him. This idea turned out to be unrealized.
In November 1968, John and Cynthia Lennon officially stopped being husband and wife.
An unplanned son and a son from the woman he loves
John once spoke about the differences between Julian and Cynthia and his second family with Yoko and their young son Sean Lennon.
He said that Julian's birth was accidental, although he admits that this is his son, he cannot bring himself to love him as much as Sean, who appeared in joy and love, and his father and mother dreamed of his birth.
However, it is difficult to explain to any child that he was born “not by order.” He has a father from whom he expects attention and care. Julian spoke of the pain he felt at being left out of his father's will while his half-brother Sean became the primary heir to the $800 million estate.
Life after divorce
Lennon only paid 100 thousand pounds to Cynthia. She did not demand more, since she still loved him.
And the homewrecker Yoko always tried to prevent possible meetings between the ex-spouses. That is why Sin practically did not see John.
Their last meeting took place in 1973, and seven years later Lennon was killed. After some time, Cynthia tried to take some of John's personal belongings from Ono in order to give them to Julian in memory of his father. But she responded with a categorical refusal. As a result, the son bought them at auction.
Yoko Ono meets her daughter
Yoko Ono with children Kyoko and Sean
Then Yoko published a letter to Kyoko in the press:
Dear Kyoko, In all these years there has not been a single day that I have not missed you. You are always in my heart. However, I will not try to find you now, as I respect your choice. I wish you all the best in the world. If you ever want to contact me, know that I love you very much and would be very happy to hear from you. But you shouldn't feel guilty if you decide not to. Remember, you always have my respect, love and support.
However, they met much later - in 1994, after 23 years of separation. Tony said that now his daughter is an adult and will decide for herself whether to communicate with her mother or not. At the same time, he forbade her to do this, saying that he would stop seeing her himself. And Kyoko loved her father very much, he was the only person who took care of her all these years. In addition, she was afraid of Yoko's publicity.
Yoko Ono with her daughter and granddaughter
One smart person helped mother and daughter meet - Kyoko’s husband. Then she was already 31 years old and was expecting her first child. He said that she should see her mother before she gives birth. It’s not good if the granddaughter then asks where her grandmother is. Since then, in one way or another, Yoko has been present in the life of her daughter and grandchildren.
"My husband John"
In 1970, Sin married again. Her chosen one was the Italian Roberto Bassanini. He owned a fashionable hotel. Unfortunately, this marriage lasted only three years.
A few years later, Cynthia once again walked down the aisle. Her union with Lancashire engineer John Twist lasted seven years. After the divorce proceedings, Sin decided to reclaim her surname Lennon.
For sixteen years, Cynthia Lennon, whose personal life could not improve, was the wife of a certain Jim Crist. Well, her last husband was the owner of one of the nightclubs, Charles Noel. Their relationship was formalized in 2002.
Xing managed to publish two books. Both works were written by Cynthia Lennon about John Lennon. In 1978, she published a work called “Lennon’s Twist,” and twenty-eight years later, “My Husband John.”
Sin passed away in April 2020. She died suddenly in her mansion in Mallorca, Spain. The woman was sick with cancer. This fight against cancer was very short-lived. Julian was always at his mother's bedside.
How did the celebrity die?
At the end of the 80s, Lennon released another album, which became his last. So on December 8 of the same year he gave an interview for a magazine in New York. Afterward, Lennon generously signed autographs for fans on the street. Among the crowd was his killer, Mark Chapman. The young guy also asked the singer for an autograph. Mark then quietly followed Lennon and Yoko to their home.
When the Lennon couple had already entered the arch in front of their own entrance, Chapman shot the singer in the back several times. Yoko managed to call an ambulance, but the doctors were unable to help Lennon because the singer had lost a lot of blood. On this day, John Lennon was killed by a fanatic who indicated the reason for his action only during the investigation. Chapman said he dreamed of becoming as popular as Lennon.
The killer of the Beatles founder received a life sentence. The idol was cremated. His wife scattered the singer's ashes in New York's Central Park. Thus the era of the Beatles finally ended.
Afterwards, other members of the group tried to perform together, but they did not gain their former popularity. Lennon will forever remain in the memory of fans as the spiritual leader of the Beatles. His human phenomenon still raises many questions today.
In 2002, Liverpool authorities renamed the main airport in honor of the singer.
After Lennon's death, monuments, busts and walls of memory bearing his name were erected around the world.
