The Hidden Singer of the Lennons

"John, does your wife ever plan to join the show business fold?"
"No, not at all, no. Why should she?" John

I don't suppose many people would know this, however, Cynthia could actually sing. Not only Yoko. To be honest, a larger number percentage find Yoko's singing unbearable. Now, why John never ever thought of having Cynthia as his singing collaborator like he did Yoko, I will never know. Perhaps it was because he felt that he was the breadwinner and she was the housewife? I know he certainly indeed thought that. When Ray Coleman [journalist and author of a great Lennon biography] one time asked John to interview Cynthia to get a different profile of him, John told him no: he was the bloody star. When Robert Whitaker [photographer] thought of gardening tools as props with the Lennon family, John grabbed the hoe and proudly proclaim he was the breadwinner. I don't think John ever looked at Cynthia as a superstar; no fame or glory, attention and glamour. Honestly and fairly, I also don't think Cynthia ever saw herself as a superstar celebrity. She was more than happy to shop at a local thrift store and groceries, maybe sell Avon and Tupperware. If Cynthia wanted to be known professionally, it would be an artist. Not a singer. She did use her vocal musical cords though.

At aged 12, Cynthia sang in her Hoylake Parish Church choir, including a solo.

As for Beatles records, overall you will find books on recording sessions without Cynthia's name in them. I only know of one song that Cynthia did sang backup on: Yellow Submarine, on the Revolver album in 1966.

Sometime in 1995, Cynthia did an interview while promoting her single, Those Were the Days/Walking in the Rain. She talked in passing her musical history of singing in her church and Yellow Submarine. Unfortunately, I am currently unable to find the exact quote (and article); I've been searching for a number of recent years but someone took it down. I swore I print it out but it got thrown away among the useless articles I felt at the time. Obviously the idea of doing a blog on John and Cynthia didn't exist in my mind then. If you remember the article and saved it, or at least know what I am referring to, please be free to comment! Thankfully, I still have proof that Cynthia sang backup on Yellow Submarine: Pattie Boyd!

Pattie sang backup on a few The Beatles tracks, like Birthday, All You Need is Love, and Yellow Submarine and is written in recording session books as a backup singer. At the 2008 Beatlefest in Las Vegas, I was in the audience (and writing notes) for Pattie's Q&A when she mentioned Cynthia's part on Yellow Submarine. I remembered the missing article at that moment and was happy for another confirmation; that was when I started the search but, 10 years later at this writing, it has failed. Pattie's Q&A at the 2008 Beatlefest in Las Vegas is available on YouTube if you would like to check it out yourselves.

Aside from that, Cynthia and John did their singing collaboration at home. I wonder if it was recorded? Their favorite was Blue Moon and John would tease her on singing too stiff. It was more of on having a good time than ambitious.

After her debut single release in 1995, Cynthia’s singing career went nowhere as the single failed to chart. She released one more song in 2011 covering The Beatles’ song In My Life released on her birthday.

"The last time I sang in front of an audience was when I was in Hoylake parish girls choir. My mum and dad and brothers were all smiling encouragingly at me. I haven't had the occasion to sing from that day to this, but even though my closest friends sniffed a bit when I told them I was making a record, they ate their words when they heard it."

Cynthia, 1995

“Julian is hard to please, son or not, and I was a little on edge about what his verdict would be, but apart from saying, 'well, I'd have put guitars in here and keyboards in there’, he thinks it's great and he’s thrilled. I’ve no idea what John would have thought because the situation would never arisen if we'd stayed together. Even though we were at Liverpool Art College together he was not supportive of my painting.”

Cynthia, 1995

Does she likes the notoriety of being your wife? (Interview, 1964)

“She prefers to just stay in the background as long as the people know that I'm married. She just wants to be a normal housewife as much as she can be, married to a Beatle, mind you.” John

A lot of the girls seem to feel that you prefer the celebrity-type woman better than the average girl. (Interview, 1964)
"That's the first time we've heard it. I mean, are you making that up, or does somebody say that?" John
No, I've heard it before.
"Well, John's married to a non-celebrity, so there you go" Paul McCartney

Backing Vocals

Yellow Submarine … The Beatles, 1966

Lead Vocal Songs

Those Were the Days … 1995

Walking in the Rain … 1995

In My Life … 2011