Cynthia Lennon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cynthia Lennon
|
|
|---|---|
Cynthia Lennon in October 2010
|
|
| Born |
Cynthia Powell
10 September 1939 Blackpool, England
|
| Died | 1 April 2015 (aged 75) |
| Spouse(s) |
Roberto Bassanini
(m. 1970; div. 1976)John Twist
(m. 1978; div. 1982)Noel Charles
(m. 2002; died 2013) |
| Children | Julian Lennon |
Cynthia Lennon (born Powell; 10 September 1939 – 1 April 2015) was an English artist and writer. She was best known as the first wife of John Lennon, a member of the Beatles. She was also the mother of their son, Julian Lennon.
Cynthia was born in Blackpool, England, and grew up in Hoylake. She studied at the Liverpool College of Art. There, she met John Lennon in a calligraphy class. Their friendship grew into a relationship. While Lennon was performing in Hamburg with the Beatles, Cynthia stayed in his room at his aunt's house in Liverpool. She became pregnant, and she and John married in August 1962.
The couple lived in Weybridge from 1964 to 1968. Cynthia managed their home and took part in London's social scene. In 1968, John Lennon began a relationship with Japanese artist Yoko Ono. Cynthia and John divorced in November 1968. Cynthia married three more times after her divorce from John. She wrote two books about her life, A Twist of Lennon (1978) and John (2005). She also sold items from her time with John Lennon. Cynthia lived in Calvià, Mallorca, in her later years. She passed away there in 2015.
Contents
Cynthia's Early Life
Cynthia Powell was born in Blackpool on 10 September 1939. She was the youngest of three children. Her parents, Charles and Lillian Powell, were from Liverpool. During World War II, her mother moved to Blackpool for safety. After Cynthia was born, her family moved to Hoylake. This was a middle-class area near Liverpool.
When she was 11, Cynthia won an art prize from the Liverpool Echo newspaper. A year later, she joined Liverpool's Junior Art School. Bill Harry, who later edited the Mersey Beat newspaper, also attended this school.
Art College Days
Cynthia's father passed away when she was 16. He had been ill with lung cancer. Before he died, he told her she would need to work to support her mother. However, her mother wanted her to get an education. So, they rented out a room to help pay for it.
In September 1957, Cynthia started at the Liverpool College of Art. She studied graphics but also took lettering classes. John Lennon was in these classes too. He often borrowed pens and pencils from Cynthia. She learned that other teachers had found him difficult. Cynthia was seen as respectable and had different friends than John. John and a friend often joked when she entered the room.
One day, Cynthia heard John compliment a blonde girl who looked like actress Brigitte Bardot. The next Saturday, Cynthia arrived with her hair much blonder. John noticed right away. He called her "Miss Hoylake" or "Miss Prim." John, dressed like a Teddy Boy, sometimes brought his guitar to class. He once sang "Ain't She Sweet" directly to Cynthia.
Meeting John Lennon
After a college party, John asked Cynthia to "go out" with him. She said she was engaged, but he replied, "I didn't ask you to marry me, did I?" Later, he invited her to the Ye Cracke pub. She was confused when he ignored her at first. But he eventually included her with a joke.
They started dating. John began calling her "Cyn." In late 1958, she ended her engagement to be with him. John also ended his relationship with another art student. Their relationship had its challenges. Cynthia's art school work began to suffer. Teachers told her that her relationship with John was not helping her studies.
The Beatles first performed in Hamburg in 1960. John wrote many letters to Cynthia from there. When he returned, his aunt, Mimi Smith, was upset about money he spent on a coat for Cynthia. Mimi often treated Cynthia unkindly. In 1961, The Beatles went to Hamburg again. Cynthia and Paul McCartney's girlfriend, Dot Rhone, visited them. They stayed with Stuart Sutcliffe's girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr.
After the Hamburg trip, Cynthia's mother moved to Canada. Cynthia asked Mimi Smith if she could rent a room at 251 Menlove Avenue. Mimi agreed but expected Cynthia to help with chores. Cynthia took a job at Woolworths to pay rent. In 1962, John received £100 from his aunt. He went to Paris with McCartney. Cynthia could not go because she was studying for her final exams.
In April 1962, Cynthia moved to a flat in Liverpool. Soon after failing her art teacher's exam, she found out she was pregnant. When she told John, he said, "There's only one thing for it Cyn, we'll have to get married."
Marriage and Julian's Birth
Cynthia and John married on 23 August 1962. The wedding took place at the Mount Pleasant register office in Liverpool. Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and their manager Brian Epstein were there. No parents attended. The ceremony was noisy because of a nearby construction drill. When the registrar asked for the groom, Harrison stepped forward as a joke.
After the wedding, they celebrated at Reece's restaurant. John was 21, and Cynthia was 22. They had no honeymoon right away. John had to perform that night. They later went to Paris for a belated honeymoon. Brian Epstein joined them, even though he was not invited.
During Cynthia's pregnancy, Epstein let them use his flat. He also paid for a private hospital room. The Beatles were becoming very popular in Liverpool. Epstein wanted to keep John's marriage and baby a secret. He thought it might upset the fans. When news of the wedding leaked, the group denied it.
Their son, Julian, was born on 8 April 1963. John was on tour and did not see Julian until three days later. When he arrived, he was excited. He then told Cynthia he was going on a four-day holiday with Epstein.
Life During Beatlemania
Around the time Julian was born, The Beatles became a huge pop sensation. This was called Beatlemania. Most people did not know that John Lennon was married and had a son. A 1963 article about The Beatles did not mention John's marriage.
By late 1963, the press heard rumors about John's family. Journalists went to Cynthia's mother's house in Hoylake. Friends and neighbors helped protect their privacy. In November, Cynthia had Julian christened at Hoylake Parish Church. She did not tell John because she feared media attention. John was upset when he found out. Soon after, newspapers reported on John's secret wife and son.
Brian Epstein told The Beatles to handle the situation well. Cynthia and John moved to a flat in London. It was on the top floor of a building with no lift. Cynthia had to carry Julian and shopping bags up many stairs. Beatles fans soon found their home. They would wait in the hallway, making it hard for Cynthia to leave or arrive.
Cynthia went with John on the first Beatles' tour to the United States. John allowed the press to photograph them together. This made Epstein angry, as he wanted to keep the marriage secret. In New York, Cynthia was left behind when John and the others quickly got into a car. In Miami, she needed fans' help to convince a security guard who she was. John told her, "Don't be so bloody slow next time." This was the only time Cynthia toured with them. At their London flat, fans put chewing gum in the lock. They would also pull at Cynthia's clothes. American girls wrote letters to Cynthia, saying they loved John. Even in 1967, female fans sometimes bothered the Beatles' wives. One fan kicked Cynthia's legs, telling her to "leave John alone!"
John was often touring or recording. Family holidays were rare. In 1966, they went skiing in St. Moritz with producer George Martin. They also stayed at a castle in Ireland with George Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd. Even these trips were not private. Cynthia and Pattie had to escape the Irish castle dressed as maids. After long recording sessions, John often slept for days. When John filmed How I Won the War in Almería, Spain, he promised Cynthia and Julian could join him. They stayed in a villa when Ringo Starr and his wife joined them.
Life at Kenwood
John Lennon bought a house called Kenwood in July 1964. It was a large house in Weybridge, on three acres of land. John spent a lot of money renovating Kenwood. He reduced its 22 rooms to 17. The new kitchen was very modern. Cynthia enjoyed hosting parties in the large rooms. John often spent time in a small sunroom overlooking the swimming pool. They had a cat named Mimi, after John's aunt.
Cynthia cared for Julian herself. She also did the cooking. They had a housekeeper, gardener, and chauffeur. When Cynthia passed her driving test, John bought her several cars. These included a white Mini and a red Ferrari. Cynthia enjoyed spending time with Pattie Boyd (George Harrison's wife) and Maureen Starkey (Ringo Starr's wife). They lived nearby and often went on holidays or shopping together. Cynthia was often photographed at Beatles' movie premieres. She was seen as a "Beatle wife" and a mother. The Lennons often went to nightclubs until early morning. Kenwood became a popular place for other Beatles, musicians, and even strangers John met.
In 1965, Cynthia opened the door to a man who looked like a "tramp" but had John's features. He was Alfred Lennon, John's father, whom John had not seen in years. John was annoyed when he came home. Three years later, Alfred Lennon visited Kenwood again with his partner, Pauline Jones. They asked if Pauline could work for the Lennons. She was hired to help with Julian and fan mail. John's father and his partner stayed in an attic bedroom for a few months.
Changes and Divorce
The Beatles planned to fly to India to study Transcendental Meditation. Before they left, Cynthia found letters from Yoko Ono to John. These letters showed they had been in contact. John denied he was involved with Ono. He said she was just an artist seeking sponsorship. However, Ono continued to call and visit Kenwood.
On 15 February 1968, the Lennons flew to India. The other Beatles and their partners followed. The men composed songs at night. The women gathered in their rooms, talking about life as a Beatle's partner. The Lennons shared a four-poster bed. John played guitar, and Cynthia drew and wrote poetry. After two weeks, John asked to sleep in a separate room. He said he could only meditate alone. John would walk to the post office every morning to see if Ono had sent a telegram. Cynthia found out about these trips later. She felt that their time in India, which she hoped would strengthen their marriage, instead marked its end.
Cynthia began her divorce proceedings against John on 22 August 1968. The financial agreement was difficult. John initially offered £75,000. He told her it was like winning the lottery and she was not worth more. The settlement was then raised to £100,000. She also received £2,400 annually and custody of Julian. Another £100,000 was put into a trust fund for Julian. He would inherit it at age 21. Cynthia would receive the interest payments until then. Their divorce was finalized on 8 November 1968. The trust fund had a condition: it would be shared with any future children John had. When Sean Lennon was born in 1975, Julian's inheritance was reduced to £50,000.
Life After John Lennon
On 31 July 1970, Cynthia married Roberto Bassanini. They divorced in 1973. She then opened a restaurant and bed-and-breakfast in Ruthin, Wales. She enrolled Julian in the Ruthin School. During John Lennon's separation from Yoko Ono in 1973–74, his partner May Pang encouraged him to spend more time with Julian. May Pang became friends with Cynthia. This was the last time Cynthia saw John.
On 1 May 1976, Cynthia married John Twist, a television engineer. During their marriage, she published her memoir, A Twist of Lennon, in 1978. The book shared her life before and with John Lennon. It included her own drawings and poems. John Lennon tried to stop the book's publication. After John's death, her book gained new interest. She and Twist separated in 1981 and divorced in 1982. She sold her restaurant and changed her name back to Lennon. She said it was necessary for her career.
In 1981, she began a relationship with Jim Christie, a chauffeur. He became her partner for 17 years and her business manager. They lived in Penrith, then on the Isle of Man, and later in Normandy. They separated in 1998.
Cynthia had kept many items from her time with John Lennon. After his death, she began to auction them. This included a Christmas card from John, which sold for £8,800 in 1981. To help with her finances, she auctioned more items in 1991. She said she had enjoyed them for 30 years and it was time for a change. Another auction in 1995 brought her over $60,000.
She tried some business ventures that did not succeed. In 1988, she launched a perfume called Woman. In 1989, she opened a restaurant called Lennon's in London. It had Beatles-themed menu items. However, it was very expensive and did not last long.
Cynthia's life with John Lennon was shown in several films. In the 1994 film Backbeat, Jennifer Ehle played Cynthia. The film showed their relationship as one that would end because they wanted different things. Cynthia felt the film made her seem "clingy." Wendy Morgan played her in the 1979 film Birth of the Beatles. Gillian Kearney played her in the 2000 TV film In His Life: The John Lennon Story. Her character also appeared in the 2005 musical Lennon. In the 2010 BBC Four film Lennon Naked, Claudie Blakley played Cynthia.
In 1995, Cynthia released a song called "Those Were the Days." It was produced by Paul McCartney but did not become a hit. In 1999, her drawings and paintings were shown at a gallery in London. She sometimes attended Beatles conventions. She often spoke about moving on from her past. However, she also accepted that people would always be interested in her life with John Lennon.
Later Years and Passing
In 2002, Cynthia married Noel Charles, a nightclub owner from Barbados. In September 2005, she published her second biography, John. This book looked at her life with Lennon and the years after his death. Her son, Julian, wrote in the foreword that his mother's side of the story was "long overdue." In 2006, Cynthia and Julian attended the Cirque du Soleil show Love in Las Vegas. This was a rare public appearance with Yoko Ono.
In 2009, Cynthia and Julian opened an exhibition of memorabilia at The Beatles Story in Liverpool. She and Pattie Boyd also appeared together at an art center opening in Yerevan, Armenia. On 30 September 2010, Julian opened his "Timeless" photo exhibition in New York. Cynthia, Julian, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, and May Pang were all there. It was the first time all five had been in the same room.
The John Lennon Peace Monument was unveiled by Cynthia and Julian in Liverpool on 9 October 2010. This was to celebrate John Lennon's 70th birthday. Cynthia lived with her husband, Noel, on the Spanish island of Mallorca until he passed away on 11 March 2013.
Cynthia Lennon passed away on 1 April 2015, at her home in Majorca. She was 75 years old and had been battling cancer. Her son Julian was by her side. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr shared their condolences. McCartney said, "She was a lovely lady who I've known since our early days together in Liverpool. She was a good mother to Julian and will be missed by us all." Starr said, "Peace and love to Julian Lennon God bless Cynthia." Yoko Ono also released a statement. She said, "Being a single parent of a strong and intelligent boy is never easy. Cynthia and I understood each other in that way, wishing well for our sons and their future."
Images for kids
-
Cynthia and Julian Lennon at the unveiling ceremony of the John Lennon Peace Monument in Liverpool, 9 October 2010, John Lennon's 70th birthday
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Cynthia Powell para niños
