John Charles Julian Lennon

John - named after John Lennon

Charles - named after Charles Powell

Julian - named after Julia Stanley Lennon

At the time of 1963, I suppose it was difficult to determine the gender of the baby. There were no ultrasounds then until the late 1970s. So, it makes perfect sense to have names for both boy and girl to be prepared for anything. I don't know when John and Cynthia talked about and settled on the names- probably whenever John was home or maybe even their conversations over the phone; it's like any couple expecting a baby to discuss names. It seemed straight off the bat that both wanted family names for their baby. Both Charles and Julia were quickly on the table after their deceased parent. Actually, Julia was going to be named for either girl or boy, no matter what; the name Julian for a boy was the closest they could come to. I am very sure that it was John who wanted his child named after his mother and it was Cynthia who came up with Julian for a boy option. There was a moment worry for John when someone (who? I wonder! This part of the conversation must have been over the phone and it could be either Paul or George who knew for sure that Cynthia was pregnant; Ringo is iffy) thought the name Julian sounded poofy, sissy sounding but John and Cynthia laughed it off. Naming their child after a loved one was more important!

Then there's Charles. Definitely on the table for a boy, but for a girl? I am guessing that the girl would be Julia Lennon, but would she have a middle name? Cynthia didn't have a middle name (I know about this Lillian middle name business and I will rant about that make-believe middle name in another post!) but her mother Lillian Anne did. John's mother Julia and his Aunt Harrie didn't have middle names and yet their older sisters, Mimi, Mater, and Nanny, did. So, let's give the girl middle name a benefit of the doubt… I Googled female names for Charles and here's what popped up: Charlotte, Caroline, Charlie (or Charley), Cara, Charlesa, Charleigh, Charlene, Charlize, Carlotta… you get the idea. I especially like Charlotte and Caroline but who knew how Cynthia and John felt about those options? Julia Charlotte? Julia Caroline? Julia Charlene? Honestly, all those could work with Julia! Or just plain Julia Lennon and save Charles for a second child option (another separate post plan!).

Finally, John. After the sperm-man. The father. John Winston Lennon. My betting money will go on Cynthia for thinking up with that one for her baby. Although I don't think John wanted his son to be a Junior, as he hated his middle name Winston (after England's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill) and went as far to try to change it in 1969 to Ono but due to unique circumstances in England, John couldn't omit Winston and had to settle as John Winston Ono Lennon instead.

Interestingly enough, in 1975, John had another son with Yoko Ono and they named him Sean Taro Ono Lennon. Why is that interesting? Well… Sean is the Irish version of John; Taro is a Japanese version of John (and Ono is after, you guess it, Yoko!). So, technically speaking, Sean’s name is actually John John Ono Lennon! But since Julian already had a claim of John and there was a baby that Yoko miscarried in 1968 named John Ono Lennon II (Seriously?) John and Yoko settled on Sean Taro. So, John has both (well, three, if you count the deceased baby) of his boys named after him.

Julian and Cynthia in Liverpool, Autumn of 1963

Photographed by David Birch

Now, I don't know when Cynthia decided to nickname her son Julian. It sounded like it happened right away but from what Julian said of the name confusion it may have taken a while. I think it is definitely clear that Julian was Julian by 1964.

“We’d already decided that if the baby was a girl she would be called Julia after John’s late mother. A boy was to be John Charles Julian. In the end, two Johns proved confusing, my eldest brother was already Charles, so the baby became Julian.”

Cynthia, 1994

"When I was a baby and my parents were still together, I was called 'John' and there was always confusion. My mum would say, 'John, come here,' and we wouldn't know which one. So they started calling me Julian to clear up that problem. The name fits me"
Julian, 1985

“I didn't decide. What really happened was Mum shouting, you know, 'John! Come in here, your dinner’s ready!’ We both come running in, so Mum started calling me Julian.”

Julian, 2013

Billy J. Kramer

To mark his son’s birth in a silent clever way, John suggested to Brian Epstein to add a J to another of his client's Billy Kramer and the Dakotas. John thought Billy J. Kramer had a better flow. Brian agreed and I guess Billy was up for it but wasn't too keen on what it really stood for…

“He actually put the J in my name. I went into Brian’s office, and he said, ‘John’s got a suggestion. How about Billy ‘J’ Kramer. It’s American sounding, it’s catchy. It flows.’ And I said, ‘What do I say if someone asks what it stands for?’ And he said, ‘Julian’. Now, I didn’t even know John was married, let alone had a son called Julian, so I said, ‘I don’t like that name, that’s a real poofter’s name!’”

Billy J. Kramer, 1985

“At the time I said, ‘What if anybody asks me what does it stand for,’ and John said, ‘Julian.' I said, ‘I don't really like that name.’ I didn't know that John was married at the time with a son. But that's what I said.”

Billy J. Kramer

“Shortly afterwards I was called into a meeting with Brian at his office and John Lennon was there. Brian said to me: ‘John's come up with an idea. He thinks your name would sound much better if we added the initial 'J' to it. How does Billy J. Kramer sound?’ I said: 'That's okay by me, but what do I say to the press if they ask me what the 'J' stands for?’ John said 'You can tell them it stands for Julian.' To tell you the truth, I thought Julian sounded like a puff's name and I refused to use it. I didn't know at the time that John had a son and had named him Julian in memory of his mother."

Billy J. Kramer

As of 2008 when I met Billy at Beatles Fest in Las Vegas, he had never met Julian. Billy has met Cynthia a few times which will come up as the blog continues on…

For John's part, he did call Julian 'Julian’ so he was all for the nickname. He also never forgot Julian's two names, John and Charles. I have heard from time to time that John called Julian 'J. C. J.’, he even addressed Julian on a postcard as 'J. C. Julian’ as shown on the second postcard below in 1979.

John's postcard to his Aunt Mater and cousin Stan mentioning 'John Charles Julian', May of 1963

John's postcard to 'J. C. Julian' in Ruthin, Wales from New York City, April of 1979

Welcome to the World

Cynthia and Julian in Liverpool

Photographed by David Birch

Near the end of Cynthia's pregnancy, John was hardly home. He was on tour and his next break was for a few weeks at the end of April. John was calling home more frequent- maybe receiving more money now that The Beatles’ debut album Please Please Me was released and earning money from touring. Cynthia wasn't too sure on her due date; today we have more high technology than it was like in 1963. She was originally due in March but no baby despite having a few false labor. On April 6th, Cynthia went out shopping with Phyllis Mackenzie on Penny Lane. John was in Buxton, near Sheffield, about an hour and a half away from Liverpool- probably the closest he was to Cynthia during Julian's birth and was due to travel deep down south of England to Portsmouth the following day (the 7th). Now, remember, this was in 1963. The public did not know John was married, much less had a baby on the way. Everything was tip-top strict tight on exact schedule and John couldn't just say, “Bye! Off to be there for my wife!” plus not with Brian Epstein there tapping his watch and ordering the boys to go on stage for show time. There were also no cell phones, and even for a simple phone call, it was not cheap. I think things got somewhat looser in the 1970s or so where the father can be there for the birth of his child when rearranging schedule. But in showbusiness, the show must go on. In 1963, John certainly did not have that power nor did he had a say-so as he did in 1975.

“It was a bright Saturday early in April 1963 and Phyl wanted to go shopping. I was feeling a little strange as if something might happen, but the doctor had told me I probably had another 2 weeks to go so I thought it would be all right. Anyway, we took the bus to Penny Lane- which was a suburban center lined with small shops and the odd boutique as we called them then. We mooched about looking at baby clothes and giggling over the fashion garments that were impossibly small for me in my pregnant state. Phyl was just trying on a pair of shoes when I started getting these terrible stomach pains. They went off quite quickly but a few minutes later, there they were again. 'Phyl, I think we’d better get back to Mimi's,’ I said when I could catch my breath. 'I think something might be happening.’ Back in my room, we didn't know what to do for the best. The pains would go off for a while and then when I least expected it they’d come back. 'I think I’d better stay the night,’ Phyl said kindly. 'Just in case.’ The evening passed and we went to bed but by 2 in the morning the pains were back with vengeance. By now it was unbearable. 'You’ll have to phone an ambulance, Phyl,’ I gasped. Phyl began to panic. She was running around in her nightie, hair full of rollers, looking for the phone. 'What’s the number? What’s the number?” she called, fingers scrabbling with the dial. 'Oh, yes, 999.’ I heard her spelling out Mimi's address and soon afterwards the ambulance arrived. I picked up my pre-packed bag, Phyl dragged on her dressing gown and off we went in the ambulance without a glimpse of Mimi the whole time. She didn't emerge from upstairs. Perhaps she slept through the whole thing. At the hospital I was put in a wheelchair and whisked off to the maternity ward but Phyl was stopped at the door.”

Cynthia, 1994

Phyllis couldn't get back to Mimi's from the ambulance so she walked, trying to hitch a ride from a taxi. One stopped and allowed her to owe him fare to take her to Mimi's and went to bed until she heard Mimi vacuuming outside the door- a thing she would do to Cynthia to wake up, even on weekends, at 7 AM. Phyllis gathered her belongings and went back home, maybe filled Mimi in on what happened and where Cynthia was.

Cynthia in labor at Sefton General Hospital surrounded by patients and visitors in Liverpool

Artwork by Cynthia

“Up in the ward I’d embarked on a long, long labor. I was put next to another girl who was also having a difficult time. We were both given gas and air which made me groggy but caused her to flip completely. Suddenly, I heard her say, 'I’m going home to Mother.’ There was a rustling from her bed. 'I can't stand it,’ she added, 'I’m going…’ and then this bulky thing in a white nightie rushed past me and disappeared down the ward. I think they had quite a job getting her back.”

Cynthia, 1994

Before the mysterious girl left, she was unmarried while Cynthia was married but had to pretend to everyone that she wasn't. They both were getting dirty looks from other married patients and staff of nurses and doctors, maybe the janitor too. In time speaking, Cynthia was in regular intense labor pains from April 7th at 2 AM until she gave birth by 6 AM on April 8th, so in total around 28 hours of labor. It may have felt forever, I bet! As for the girl, a part of me wonders what happened to her? Where did she end up having her baby? Was it a boy or a girl? I guess we will never know!

“Julian was finally born at 6 AM on Monday, April 8. It was a harsh experience. By then I was so exhausted. I didn't think I could go on. 'If you don't push harder, your baby will die,’ they told me brutally. I did the best I could but Julian finally came into the world with the aid of forceps. When Julian finally arrived I was besotted. John was on tour but managed a fleeting visit on the third day. He was 6 lbs 8 oz and absolutely gorgeous. I was completely besotted. I couldn't get over the size of his little hands. Such miniature perfection was breathtaking. The only minor blemish was a mole on his head with hair growing out of it. Being a typical first time mum, I was embarrassed by this. I kept him in bonnets for a long time until his hair grew and covered it completely.”

Cynthia, 1994

This was the only time Cynthia mentioned that forceps were used in her HELLO! magazine special but nothing in her two books or any interviews or book participation.

“After 3 days on gas and air I was in a terrible state. I remember a nurse saying with a great Scouse urgency at the very end: 'If you don't push now, girl, he’s going to be dead.’ Not very nice, but it worked! It all seems such a lifetime away now, but it was worth every ache, groan, and anguish.”

Cynthia, 1999

“I was something like 3 days in hospital before Julian arrived and then he had jaundice, the umbilical cord was around his neck, and he had a very large mole on his head. He had to be left alone for 24 hours; I couldn't touch him. I was petrified about all these things. But I was scared more than anything about the birthmark, the mole. Knowing John's horror of deformities, I was absolutely panic-stricken about what John's reaction would be. When John came in, I decided not to hide it. I said: 'Oh he’s beautiful, wonderful, John, but he has this birthmark on his head.’ John replied, 'Oh it doesn't matter. His hair will grow over that.’ I was still bothered because I wanted the perfect child for John, but he couldn't have cared less. He was just thrilled, the typical father.”

Cynthia, 1985

The Beatles around the time John's first born son Julian was born

Three days? Many sources say that Cynthia went into the hospital by April 6th, which would make 2 days. Math time: Julian was born April 8… 8 - 3 = 5. So, technically speaking, Cynthia went shopping on April 4th, went into the hospital in the early morning hours on April 5th, spent the remaining 5th, then 6th and 7th in labor, in and out of consciousness due to receiving gas and air before giving birth in the morning of the 8th. Does that sound right to you? Or, to give the sources of April 6th a benefit of the doubt, Cynthia was groggy due to the gas and I am positive that being in labor before giving birth felt like eternity so it may have affected her mind. Of course, Cynthia must have documents of her hospital bill the provides the date she was admitted so, of course, she would know better than the sources. Mimi called Sefton General Hospital to check on Cynthia and the baby's arrival and visited once. John was still calling Mimi for updates and maybe called the hospital himself. But Mimi was the one who told John that his son was born; he was very happy but he couldn't come home right away. On April 8th, John was in Leyton with the Beatles and on the 9th, he was in London for a concert, and doing TV and radio appearances. It wasn't until the 12th that John was in Liverpool (or very late on the 11th after being in Middletown, which is close to Liverpool) due to appear at the Cavern. That morning, on the 12th, John dressed in a disguise and went to the hospital to see his son for the very first time. Before John's arrival, Cynthia was moved to a private room (thanks to Brian) but it had a window to see through. Some did recognize John in his disguise.

“A few did recognize me. 'There’s one of them,’ I heard someone shout, and I had to run for it.”

John, 1968

“John and Cynthia had stayed at Mendips throughout the winter and spring in their newly created ground floor flat. Julian was born 8 April 1963 in Sefton General Hospital where Jackie and I were both born. The birth was extremely arduous and Cynthia was exhausted. Some of the fans have heard about the baby, so she had to be moved to a private ward. Brian wanted the birth, like the wedding, to be a low-key affair. John couldn't come for a few days, as he was touring in the south of England, but when he did he was thrilled with John Charles Julian, to be known as Julian, for our mother. He picked him up, saying, 'Who’s going to be a famous little rocker like his Dad?’ and, 'He’s bloody marvelous, Cynthia!’ We all went round to Mendips to see the new arrival, the day that Cynthia arrived back from the hospital. None of us children had been to the hospital to see the latest member of the family. Mimi went, but no one else. So this was the first time that Jackie and I had seen our nephew.”

Julia Baird

Let's hold off on Cynthia and Julian’s homecoming for the moment. My mind is still in the hospital part.

Julian and John in the backyard of Mendips, Liverpool around Autumn of 1963 

“It was 3 days before John was able to visit his son. He’d been phoning Mimi’s every night to see how I was and she’d given him the good news. Flowers arrived but for 3 days I had to sit there on my own watching the other dad's coming in, until the Beatles’ tour come close enough to allow John a fleeting trip to Liverpool. I understood, of course, but at times I couldn't help feeling a pang. But on the 3rd day, it was all forgotten when the ward doors burst open and in swept John, black peaked cap pulled down over one eye, leather coat flying. Everyone stared and John stared back. 'You’re going to have a private room,’ he said, giving me a hug. Then he looked at the baby and he was over the moon. He couldn't get over the fact that this tiny little creature was his son. He picked him up in awkward hands and stared down into the impassive little face. It was a miracle...Brian presented us with the most beautiful Silver Cross pram- a real classy affair in pale grey- the sort you saw nannies pushing around Hyde Park. I’d bought a carry cot and a crib, Mum had knotted endless woolies, and Mimi had contributed the non-woolen outfits. So, despite his unplanned start, Julian arrived well provided for. A week after his birth, I took him home to learn how to be a mother and John went on holiday to Spain.”

Cynthia, 1994

John was home from the 12th (when he first saw Julian) until the 15th when the tour resumed and ended on the 27th when John went to Spain with Brian. According to Julia, John was home in Mendips when Cynthia and Julian arrived home by taxi. I guess it didn't occur to anybody for John to take them home, or maybe it did? John was already recognized at the hospital while visiting, so taking them home would have been much more suspicious. Also, John couldn't drive. If John saw Julian the 12th, then Cynthia may have been released by the 13th or maybe even the 14th. I recall her saying she was there for about a week.

“John was there, holding Julian, and so was Nanny. It was a welcome the baby gathering. When we arrived, they were all standing in a group by the morning room window, peering at him from this angle and that side. They said they could see John and Cyn in this sleeping bundle. He was the next new thing!”

Julia Baird

“I remember Cynthia coming home from the hospital and going into Mimi's morning room. Mater and Stan were there. We were all gawking at this baby. He was called John Charles Julian Lennon and he had a birthmark on his head. Of course it's covered by hair now, so perhaps I shouldn't say. When a child is born you can see a parent in them and to me he looked very like Cynthia.”

Julia Baird, 1986

“He was brought home immediately to Mendips, where we all gathered. My teenage recollection is that he squawked and never stopped crying, but he was the baby who brought all the family together.”

Julia Baird, 1998

Relaxing For the Moment

Volume 2: Life with Mimi

Cynthia and John with Mimi's cat Suki in Mendips after they got married and moved back in with Mimi.

One morning in Falkner Street, Cynthia woke up to discover blood. With her brother Tony's help, she immediately went to the Doctor's who told her to stay in bed for three days to avoid a miscarriage. A scared Cynthia did as she was told but didn't tell John until he got home and she was feeling better by then. Dot had moved in to help take care of her (why didn't Cynthia ever mentioned that?) until John and Cynthia moved back to Mendips with Aunt Mimi. I don't think John and Cynthia were thrilled as was Mimi but what other option was there? I do believe Mimi was trying to help, but at the same time she would have to give up half of her house and move upstairs while John and Cynthia took over the downstairs. John had to tour and was spending a lot of time in London where all the action was taken place and Cynthia was having a difficult first few months of pregnancy while being a secretive wife. Not an easy situation at all…

“At the time that the group went to London to make the record, John hadn't seen any of the family, including Mimi, since the wedding. He found it hard to forgive Mimi's refusal to be there on his special day and kept away from Mendips. It was Cynthia who finally persuaded him that he had suffered enough losses in his life and that this was the time to forgive his family, Mimi in particular. At Cyn’s insistence, they went to see Mimi one afternoon, unannounced, about 3 months later and were surprised by the warm welcome they received. Not long before, Cyn nearly had a miscarriage while John was away, which frightened them both. Luckily her brother had been able to come round, but she was spending a lot of time alone and John was worried. When Mimi heard about the threatening miscarriage, she immediately offered them the downstairs part of Mendips. She would move upstairs. It wasn't right for Cynthia to be on her own so much. We only knew about all this when Mimi came round and told Harrie. Cyn was rhesus negative and we heard lots of dangers of that if the baby was rhesus positive and that it wasn't good for her to be on her own, with her mother being in Canada. We didn't know anything about the near miscarriage, only that Cyn wasn't very well and that John was away a lot, busy being a Beatle. I was sent to Mimi's on an errand shortly after her offer to John and Cyn. She was often frosty with me, sending me promptly on my way, but at other times she was kinder, giving me a drink and asking about school. On this occasion, she told me John and Cyn were moving in and she said she was going to the flat that day to see them to discuss arrangements. She invited me upstairs and said that she had been thinking of how to split the house. John’s small front bedroom was going to be her kitchen, and the large front bedroom into her sitting room. She would carry on sleeping in the back bedroom. They would share the upstairs bathroom and the gardens. She bought a Baby Belly cooker and put it where John's bed had been, facing the wall. She would do her washing up in the bowl with hot water from the bathroom. Mimi always had shared Mendips with the students but we all knew how much against the marriage she had been, and now of course she was offering to move out of her own kitchen and morning room, which can't have been easy. This was a major turnout and I could only think that Mimi was genuinely concerned and meant to be kind. Downstairs, John and Cyn were to have the students’ sitting room/study as their bedroom. We had rarely been allowed into that room, next to the morning room at the back of the house. I remember going round the back of the garden and seeing them lying in bed there, late in the morning, with the French windows wide open to the garden, still asleep. I brought them tea and toast in bed. It was never plain sailing, however, and it wasn't long before Mimi was criticizing Cynthia. It seemed that everything she did and said was wrong. She took them in because she loved John and wanted to help, but she soon appeared to resent it and made their lives miserable. It was just like what we experienced round the corner in The Cottage with Harrie.”

Julia Baird

“By the end of the afternoon, the decision was made and shortly afterwards my belongings were on the move again to Mimi's house. As I’d guessed, it wasn't easy. It was months before Mimi finally got round to creating her upstairs flat and, in the meantime, we got under each other's feet. When John was there Mimi was fine but when he was away she could be moody and sharp-tongued and in my over-sensitive pregnant state, I frequently retired hurt. Admittedly on good days, she helped me with my cooking and taught me to make apple pie but, on balance, it wasn't a happy arrangement.”

Cynthia, 1994

According to Cynthia's second book, John, Mimi would vacuumed at 7 AM every morning to wake Cynthia up- even on weekends! When Mimi was in a rarely good mood, Cynthia would actually note it in her diary. Whenever John would call in, Mimi would chat with him long enough until time was almost up when Mimi would finally hand over the phone for John and Cynthia could only say hi and bye… however I do know it didn't happen all the single time and Cynthia got her longer conversations on the phone. It wasn't like the communication today compared to 1962, 1963. There were no cell phones, emails. Instead there were letters (snail mail) and calls you put in the operator on the landline phone with a cord. Plus, it cost a lot for long distance during that time.

When John was home and doing some songwriting with his guitar, Mimi's rule still applied: he had to play on the porch, not indoors. John would call Cynthia to come out to listen to a potential lyric and music of a song. Since Cynthia had the proper kitchen, she had to feed the cats. Shredding away fresh fish would stink up the kitchen and make Cynthia gag… just thinking about it makes me gag! Whenever John was away, I’m certain he expected a call on whether Mimi or Cynthia killed one another.

“During my pregnancy, The Beatles were rising stars. I was watching them on television becoming famous, while I was pregnant. You know this from all the book that I was not supposed to be known or heard about. In the wisdom, or lack of wisdom, anything to do with somebody becoming famous- male- was not supposed to be married or have a girlfriend. So, I spent most of my pregnancy disguising it.”

Cynthia

As mentioned before, while dating, John would giddy up whenever Cynthia would arrive at Mendips and pretend to be all cool and suave. Now, it was Cynthia waiting for John at Mendips all giddy until he entered to be all cool and suave. Julia witnessed both times.

“When Cynthia moved into Mendips 3 years later, while they were waiting for Julian's arrival, a similar thing happened, only it was John on the bus and Cynthia in Mendips. This time, I was 15. I was chatting to Cyn in the morning room as she was putting on her lipstick, and she was making all those faces you make when trying to have luscious lips. I was staring so intently that she gave me the lipstick as a present, although it was a new one. My first lipstick! Then she brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulders, moving it this way and that. She was waiting for John. We heard the wooden gate latch click open and shut. Suddenly, Cyn, after peeping through the window to check, sat down in the armchair and leaned back, spreading her hair over her shoulders, and closed her eyes. I watched her closely, then switched my gaze to John as he walked in from the kitchen. He was mesmerized! He grunted at me and made straight for the model posing in the chair. A bizarre moment of reversal.”

Julia Baird

“I said to these students, and people nearby, that I was John's girlfriend, but I was also a student and that's the reason I gave them for wearing smocks. 'I’m an artist and I do some work here at home,’ I’d say. What they didn't realize, I hope, was that the smocks were getting bigger and bigger to hide the baby.”

Cynthia, 1985

“Rumors started to go around that John had a wife hidden away up in Liverpool. But when I asked him if it was true, he always denied it. And on tours and when the Beatles were down in London, he always acted like a totally free agent.”

Maureen O'Grady, Journalist

We will get to John's cheating while a married man later in another post.

Some time after moving in with Mimi and Julia’s witness of Cynthia welcoming John home, during one of his frequent arrival homes that were becoming more further apart, Cynthia decided to doll herself up pretty. A hairdresser convinced Cynthia to cut her long hair short… I don't know how short but enough for Cynthia to freak out. The only thing that could prolong Cynthia's excuse of what happened to her hair was to put them in curls. John came home late while she was 'asleep’. Betcha she faked it so she wouldn't show her guilty face. But the following morning, she just couldn't hide it. Sure enough, John didn't take her hair-do change too lightly. John was livid! John gave Cynthia the silent treatment for three days, wouldn't even look at her. Cynthia preferred to be yelled at than silence. After the 3rd day, John thawed. Maybe he realized that fighting over hair was ridiculously silly. Years later, Cynthia realized that for John at that stage everything was changing around him; he expected Cynthia to look the same and when he saw a change, John blew up. His music was playing on the radio, he was appearing on television, getting recognized, performing more and everywhere. Cynthia was his rock: stable, supportive, and comfort.

On January 2, 1963, John flew home from a tour in Scotland to surprise Cynthia. He had less than 24 hours of having a break. John used that free time window to be with his pregnant wife from 7:00 PM until 5:00 AM to fly back. John did that again a year later in 1964. This time, Cynthia and 9-month old Julian were living in London (no Mimi around) and John came from Paris around the time the Beatles’ song I Want to Hold Your Hand went to number 1 on the United States Billboard charts.

“I got pregnant, we got married, the Beatles began- and we were all plunged into the whirlwind.”

Cynthia, 1981

Since I am not a doctor or had motherhood experience, you can read more about the rhesus on the American Pregnancy website

Additional Quotes: Dating to Marriage

“My impression when I first met John- he was outrageous. At art school, his work was innovative- totally different from everybody's else's. I was an art student who followed the rules, but John wanted to break all the rules, and that's what made him such an individual and such a terror. With John, there was an element of fear. He really quite frightened people, including me in the beginning, because of his attitude. He was rough-ready, and not my type at all, to start with. But this enigmatic character you couldn't resist. He walked around without his glasses, because you know there were lots of rough characters in Liverpool, and wearing glasses he would be picked on. And because he couldn't see, he felt that he was being attacked, so he was always on the run. Even though he’d come from the middle-class, his dress was very Teddy Boy, his hair slicked back with grease, no glasses, a guitar slung over his shoulder, and a look that said 'kill’... I think after losing his mum- which had only just been a year before I met him- his whole world had collapsed and this was his battle. He was a mixture of war and peace. There was a lot of battling, and the peace eventually came out.”

Cynthia, 1988

“Well, for me, he wasn't because I was brought up very conservatively and John was the exact opposite. John was a Teddy Boy. He was a rebel. He was outrageous. That was something I hadn't experienced before the age that I was,which was about 16 or 17. I’d had quite a normal, straight-forward life. There was something about John that fascinated me. I just wanted to know him more. I didn't know about anything. I just instantly attracted to him.”

Cynthia

“When she took a shine to him, it did his confidence no end of good. And that calmed him down letting us live and learn in peace.”

Ann Mason

“John was absolutely the dominant figure in that relationship. He was like most Scouse men, who demanded a subservient mate. Cynthia was a doormat. But she was very influential in keeping him under control.”

Bill Harry

"The Beatles, by this time, were surrounded by girl's. Except for John, they dropped their steady girls and started dating their fans, although I must say it was kept reasonably discreet. There were many rumors about who was going with who."
Bernadette Farrell, Cavern Club regular and George Harrison's girlfriend, 1989

“I watched his face drain of all its color, and fear and panic creep into his eyes. He was speechless for what seemed like an age. 'There’s only one thing for it, Cyn, we’ll have to get married.’”

Cynthia

“John was a typical Northern male of the time. He didn't do much about the house but then being a typical Northern girl, I didn't expect him to. I was happy enough battling with the washing and ironing and teaching myself to cook. I’m afraid I wasn't much good in the kitchen but fortunately John was easy to please.”

Cynthia, 1994

Charity Event

Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Pattie Boyd Clapton, and Cynthia Lennon at a charity event in London, 1988.

Another Girl: Barbara Bach

Barbara Ann Goldbach was born on August 27, 1947 to Howard and Marjorie McKnight Goldbach in Long Island, New York. Barbara has one older brother, Matthew, and two younger siblings, Peter and Marjorie. Her father was a police officer before retiring to become a costume jewelry designer with wife Marjorie. Barbara attended a Catholic all girls’ school and in August of 1965, she chaperoned her sister to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium, Barbara wasn't a fan and was more into the Rolling Stones and Ray Charles. After graduating from high school and briefly attended college, Barbara quit to become a model and often traveled abroad. In 1966, while on the plane to Italy, she met Augusto Gregorini, a businessman who pursued her to move to Italy with him. They were married about three months later; Augusto and Barbara welcomed Francesca in 1968 and Gianni in 1972. Barbara continued to model and started an acting career, becoming very popular. By 1975, Augusto and Barbara separated and were divorced by 1980, sharing custody of the children and Barbara moved to Los Angeles, California. In 1977, her James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me was released.

In 1980, Barbara was cast in a movie called Caveman with Ringo Starr. By the end of filming, Ringo and Barbara were a couple in love. Ringo and Barbara were vacationing in the Bahamas when her daughter Francesca called with news of John's death. Ringo called Maureen to tell her and Cynthia, who was staying with Maureen in London. He and Barbara immediately flew to New York City to comfort Yoko and Sean; they left just before Julian's arrival. Ringo and Barbara got married in London on April 27, 1981. Barbara cut down on her acting and modeling commitments to be with Ringo and focused on charity. In 1988, after years of alcoholism, they went to rehab. I don't know when exactly Barbara met Cynthia (and Julian) but when they did get together, it was friendly. Ringo and Barbara last saw Cynthia at the Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil opening premiere in Las Vegas in 2006- unfortunately no photos published publicly available at this time of Cynthia and Barbara together. After news of Cynthia's death, Ringo tweeted a tribute for her and included Barbara's name.

Favorite Type of Girl

“We didn't keep it secret, it's just that when we first came on the scene, nobody really asked us. They weren't interested whether we were married or not. The question they used to ask was, 'What kind of girls do you like?’ And if you get our early news-sheets, it says 'Blondes’. I wasn't going to say, 'I’m married’, but I never said, 'I’m not’. I always disliked reading about people's families.”

John