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Cynthia Lennon, Late Beatle's First Wife, Dies at 75


Cynthia Lennon and her son, Julian, appear at the unveiling of a European peace monument dedicated to the memory her former husband and his father, John Lennon, in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, England, Oct. 9, 2010.
Cynthia Lennon and her son, Julian, appear at the unveiling of a European peace monument dedicated to the memory her former husband and his father, John Lennon, in Chavasse Park, Liverpool, England, Oct. 9, 2010.

Cynthia Lennon, first wife of late Beatle John Lennon, has died, her family said Wednesday. She was 75.

"Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain, following a short but brave battle with cancer,'' according to a statement on her son Julian's website.

"Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers,'' it added.

Cynthia Powell and John Lennon were married in 1962. They divorced in 1968, when he left her for Japanese artist Yoko Ono. Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980 at age 40.

Ono said in a statement Wednesday that she was "very saddened'' by the news. "[Cynthia] was a great person and a wonderful mother to Julian. She had such a strong zest for life and I felt proud how we two women stood firm in the Beatles family.''

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr added their condolences.

"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, but I will always have great memories of our times together,'' McCartney, 72, said on his website.

Starr, 74, tweeted: "Peace and love to Julian Lennon God bless Cynthia love Ringo and Barbara xx.''

The fourth Beatle, George Harrison, died in 2001.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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