He sure seemed to have alot of anger in him for someone who preached about peace. I guess even the most extreme liberals think that violence does accomplish something. Hmmm. Imagine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


First Wife Says Lennon Once Hit Her


Sep 11, 10:05 PM (ET)


(AP) John Lennon arrives at The Hit Factory, a recording studio in New York City in this Aug. 22, 1980...
Full Image


LONDON (AP) - John Lennon's first wife says the late Beatle had a violent temper and once hit her in a fit of jealousy, according to excerpts from a new book published in a newspaper Sunday.

Cynthia Lennon met John in the late 1950s in Liverpool, where they were both art students. They married in 1962 and had a son, Julian, before divorcing in 1968.

Cynthia Lennon writes in "John," that he was prone to violent tantrums, according to an excerpt published in The Sunday Times, which is serializing the book. "I could put up with his outbursts, the jealousy and possessiveness but not the violence," she writes.

In the excerpt published Sunday, Cynthia describes the only occasion when John struck her. She wrote that while they were at art college, John had become jealous after seeing her dance with his close friend Stuart Sutcliffe, one of the Beatles' early members.

"The next day at college he followed me to the girls' loos (toilets) in the basement. When I came out he was waiting with a dark look on his face. Before I could speak he raised his arm and hit me across the face, knocking my head into the pipes that ran down the wall behind me," Cynthia wrote.

She said he took three months to apologize for hitting her and ask her to go out with him again. "Although he was still verbally cutting and unkind, he was never again physically violent to me."

The book, published by The Crown Publishing Group, goes on sale in Britain on Sept. 27.

Yeah, John Lennon was an extremely complex person-- he had no qualms about cheating on his wives or hitting them, yet he couldn't bear the thought of them leaving him, etc.

How is this news? John Lennon admitted he beat his first wife (and the man has been dead for 25 years), and expressed regret for it. In fact, one of his few submissions to the mostly McCartney-penned "Getting Better" is:

I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
Man, I was mean but I'm changing my scene
And I'm doing the best that I can

Yeah, this is hardly news. I mean jeez, Lennon admitted as much in interviews in the '70s.

Lennon was a tortured soul, which I think is one reason why he lobbied so hard for peace later on in his life. He didn't have much peace in his personal life so he was always searching for it. It makes sense.

I think we'd be surprised at how many famous people have committed youthful indiscretions such as this. At least he grew and moved on.

LOL.

She wrote that while they were at art college, John had become jealous after seeing her dance with his close friend Stuart Sutcliffe, one of the Beatles' early members.


So I guess that's why Stu's tenure with the fab four was short lived?

So I guess that's why Stu's tenure with the fab four was short lived?
He died too :(

I'm not surprised at that. I've heard the song "Getting Better", too. I guess Lennon had a dark side to him that he didn't like to show to the public eye too much. Anyway, who cares? John passed on almost 25 years ago. We should give it a rest. The guy probably is going through instant karma right now in his present life, anyway for any bad past deeds and besides, who cares now?

So I guess that's why Stu's tenure with the fab four was short lived?

No, it was really because he was an awful bass player.

Its the guys who we think are so wonderful that you gotta watch out for...

How is this news?

It's news to me.

How is this news? John Lennon admitted he beat his first wife (and the man has been dead for 25 years), and expressed regret for it. In fact, one of his few submissions to the mostly McCartney-penned "Getting Better" is:

I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
Man, I was mean but I'm changing my scene
And I'm doing the best that I can
Man, this is SO OLD THIS NEWS. Come on. John admitted this a very long time ago. My God. I had an ex-husband who was violent. People can change their ways. I am proud of my ex for doing that. He can live a very PEACEFUL life and I feel proud that whomever he may be with doesn't have to go thru what I once went thru.
This is one of the reasons why I love John Lennon so much. Aside from the fact he WAS one hell of a writer and musician. He also fessed up to his wrongdoings. He owes no one an apology but his first wife. If he did, even if it was three years later, then better for him and her. The last thing a battered wife needs is a man to say they are sorry and NOT mean it. Sorry only means something if there is genuine sorrow and that person has intentions of never doing that (whatever they did) again. JOHN LENNON. May you rest in peace.

How is this news? John Lennon admitted he beat his first wife (and the man has been dead for 25 years), and expressed regret for it. In fact, one of his few submissions to the mostly McCartney-penned "Getting Better" is:

I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
Man, I was mean but I'm changing my scene
And I'm doing the best that I can
:thanks: :clap

He sure seemed to have alot of anger in him for someone who preached about peace. I guess even the most extreme liberals think that violence does accomplish something. Hmmm. Imagine.

Yep, politics had to creep into it somewhere. :rolleyes:

No, John Lennon was not a perfect person. He knew that, and he probably wasn't so tickled that he was idolized as such. But how does that keep him from being appreciated as a great artist?? Must every musician be evaluated
by their ideological stance in order to appreciated? Are "liberals" in capable of singing about truth in their songs?

Yep, politics had to creep into it somewhere.




You make me laugh Captain...WITH THE TRUTH!!!! Right on!!!!

Yep, politics had to creep into it somewhere.




You make me laugh Captain...WITH THE TRUTH!!!! Right on!!!!Yep, maybe LIBERALISM made Lennon hit Cynthia!

See, music is a UNIVERSAL language, it is even more universal that the hate-filled screeds of conservative schlock-jocks. Centuries after we are gone, future generations will look at the music of John Lennon, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan and find something beautiful and worthwhile about them in spite of their shortcomings as persons. That's the great thing about art, it creates an ideal from "non-spectacular" persons.

Yep, maybe LIBERALISM made Lennon hit Cynthia!

See, music is a UNIVERSAL language, it is even more universal that the hate-filled screeds of conservative schlock-jocks. Centuries after we are gone, future generations will look at the music of John Lennon, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan and find something beautiful and worthwhile about them in spite of their shortcomings as persons. That's the great thing about art, it creates an ideal from "non-spectacular" persons.
Maybe Cynthia wasn't into politics like John. He had to just hit her to get her to see his point, even if his point was, POINTLESS, STUPID AND IDIOTIC.

Maybe Cynthia wasn't into politics like John. He had to just hit her to get her to see his point, even if his point was, POINTLESS, STUPID AND IDIOTIC.John Lennon had a lot of problems as a young man, the only thing that attracted Cynthia to him was that he had a gift for music, he seemed to be a sensitive person underneath the beatnik veneer.

Of course I'm joking about politics causing him to hit her.

Lennon was a young man who found success at an early age, he did not have a stable family life at home, his Aunt Mimi raised him since his father was out of the picture and his mother was killed by a drunken cop. This can really wreak havoc on a young man's mind--and he was not especially equipped to handle the sudden stardom at his age. To become the biggest band on the planet is a tremendous burden.

Or do people think he should be brutally honest and say, "I beat the crap out of my wife and I'm a total hypocrite when I plea for peace"?? :rolleyes: The power of art is to articulate hopes and dreams beyond our mundane circumstances.

John Lennon had a lot of problems as a young man, the only thing that attracted Cynthia to him was that he had a gift for music, he seemed to be a sensitive person underneath the beatnik veneer.

Of course I'm joking about politics causing him to hit her.

Lennon was a young man who found success at an early age, he did not have a stable family life at home, his Aunt Mimi raised him since his father was out of the picture and his mother was killed by a drunken cop. This can really wreak havoc on a young man's mind--and he was not especially equipped to handle the sudden stardom at his age. To become the biggest band on the planet is a tremendous burden.

Or do people think he should be brutally honest and say, "I beat the crap out of my wife and I'm a total hypocrite when I plea for peace"?? :rolleyes: The power of art is to articulate hopes and dreams beyond our mundane circumstances.

:yourock: :clap :thanks: props:

I was being sarcastic with my last post; I hated the fact (which you also mentioned) that politics was brought into this thread. Naturally one mentions a man once hitting his wife and then somehow politics gets thrown in there.
What the hell does that have to do with hitting your spouse. Yeah, I remember my ex spewing liberalist views when he was beating me. :rolleyes:

I think John Lennon, like all of us, was far from perfect. He wasn't a very good husband to his first wife, leaving her for Yoko. He admitted he was a poor father to Julian, although he was trying to make amends toward the end of his life.

Still, I never liked how John didn't take care of Julian in death. Julian was on Howard Stern, and told how he had to beg Yoko for anything after John's death. I think John should have structured his will so Julian got his fair share, without having to deal with Yoko. That's done through trusts.

I've also read in interviews with Cynthia that John wasn't generous with her after their divorce. John had two sons, but he seemed to favor his son with Yoko more.

I think John Lennon, like all of us, was far from perfect. He wasn't a very good husband to his first wife, leaving her for Yoko. He admitted he was a poor father to Julian, although he was trying to make amends toward the end of his life.

Still, I never liked how John didn't take care of Julian in death. Julian was on Howard Stern, and told how he had to beg Yoko for anything after John's death. I think John should have structured his will so Julian got his fair share, without having to deal with Yoko. That's done through trusts.

I've also read in interviews with Cynthia that John wasn't generous with her after their divorce. John had two sons, but he seemed to favor his son with Yoko more.
You know Janice, this last post of yours made me think of what my sister and I are going thru right now. My sister is the trustee of my dad's estate and a trust fund which he established for the benefit of his wife and his son. My dad's wife is spreading vicious lies abt how my sister won't give her $$$$, doesn't pay the bills on time, she says she has to beg for $$$, she even hired an attorney to "get what's hers". It goes on and on and sounds exactly like what Cynthia states abt John.
Far from it, my sister is only doing what my father instructed her to do verbally and what he left in writing. If my sister doesn't give her $$$$, it's because she wants to spend it frivolously. My sister wants to make sure that the amt of $$$$ in that trust will last til our half-brother reaches old age. If my sister doled out $$$$ everytime "the wife asked for it" that $$$ would be long gone by now. BTW, my dad died last year. But, the way my sister is doling it out, that $$$ will be around for her when she gets old and dies, and there will still be $$$$ for our half-brother. So, sometimes there's more than what is being told. Cynthia may feel she is being cheated, but John may have told Yoko not only in writing, but he may have also told her verbally (when he was alive of course) what to do and what not to do with the $$$. My father specifically told my sister and me NOT to let his wife "needle us" for $$$. "Don't let her have $$$ for lame reasons." He put in writing the $$$ is solely for monthly household utility bills, prop. taxes and house repairs BUT NOT for changes to the house solely for cosmetic reasons. He said if his wife wants new carpet, she can pay for it herself.
JMO on how John may have set things up for the money he left behind.

JOHN LENNON LIVES. RIP John.

You know Janice, this last post of yours made me think of what my sister and I are going thru right now. My sister is the trustee of my dad's estate and a trust fund which he established for the benefit of his wife and his son. My dad's wife is spreading vicious lies abt how my sister won't give her $$$$, doesn't pay the bills on time, she says she has to beg for $$$, she even hired an attorney to "get what's hers". It goes on and on and sounds exactly like what Cynthia states abt John.
Far from it, my sister is only doing what my father instructed her to do verbally and what he left in writing. If my sister doesn't give her $$$$, it's because she wants to spend it frivolously. My sister wants to make sure that the amt of $$$$ in that trust will last til our half-brother reaches old age. If my sister doled out $$$$ everytime "the wife asked for it" that $$$ would be long gone by now. BTW, my dad died last year. But, the way my sister is doling it out, that $$$ will be around for her when she gets old and dies, and there will still be $$$$ for our half-brother. So, sometimes there's more than what is being told. Cynthia may feel she is being cheated, but John may have told Yoko not only in writing, but he may have also told her verbally (when he was alive of course) what to do and what not to do with the $$$. My father specifically told my sister and me NOT to let his wife "needle us" for $$$. "Don't let her have $$$ for lame reasons." He put in writing the $$$ is solely for monthly household utility bills, prop. taxes and house repairs BUT NOT for changes to the house solely for cosmetic reasons. He said if his wife wants new carpet, she can pay for it herself.
JMO on how John may have set things up for the money he left behind.


That wouldn't surprise me, Yoko is known to be a very shady person. She likes to be in control. Just ask the surviving Beatle members.

No one knows but those involved. Cynthia saying anything now or before is bad. When a parent bad mouths another parent, all they are doing are hurting their child, for their child is part of that parent. If I tell my kids their dad is lazy and stupid, then I am also telling them they are lazy and stupid. They are a part of him. Whatever a man/woman does or did in their relationship/marriage is no one else's business especially if there are children involved.
We weren't there and we aren't there now, we can safely say that saying anything "negative" abt a person who is not alive is not the thing to do. It can be speculated, but as you can read from my previous posts, people will lie, manipulate, their behavior may seem like they are behaving this way when in reality it may be the opposite. If John left what he left to whomever he wanted, that's his business. Sounds like my half-brother who was very upset at the lawyers' office when he was told what my sister and I would get from our father and what he got. He was saying it wasn't fair, it shouldn't be that way, etc. My father had his reasons, very good ones too. No one knows what goes on BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!! no one.

It's true that only those involved know what went on. This isn't third hand information. I happen to believe them. When Cynthia stated in interviews that John wasn't generous to her and Julian after their divorce, I believe her. I doubt she was tearing John apart to Julian. I've read it in interviews since John's death.

When Julian told Howard Stern that he wasn't taken care of properly in his father's will and had to beg Yoko for money, I believe him. There was no need of that. He could have structured his will so Yoko didn't have control over Julian's inheritance. The poor kid deserved better. All his life, he got nothing but crumbs from his father (in time and money), and got the same after he died.

Sure, it was John's business to do as he pleased, but since this is a message board where we can state our opinions, I'll state mine. I don't respect John Lennon for the way he treated Cynthia or Julian.

From John Lennon's famous 1980 Playboy interview:

"It is a diary form of writing. All that 'I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved' was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically... any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace. Everything's the opposite. But I sincerely believe in love and peace. I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence. I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster."--John Lennon

From John Lennon's famous 1980 Playboy interview:

"It is a diary form of writing. All that 'I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved' was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically... any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace. Everything's the opposite. But I sincerely believe in love and peace. I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence. I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster."--John Lennon
BRAVO BRAVO!!!!!! Thanx AKA. I recall that quote. I am glad you found it. That takes a man to be honest, brutally honest abt his past mistakes. The fact that he admitted to it and didn't make it seem less than it was.

BRAVO BRAVO!!!!!! Thanx AKA. I recall that quote. I am glad you found it. That takes a man to be honest, brutally honest abt his past mistakes. The fact that he admitted to it and didn't make it seem less than it was.Exactly. And he never hid the fact that he wasn't a good father to Julian. In fact, he said as much in the very same interview.

Nobody said John Lennon was a saint.

Exactly. And he never hid the fact that he wasn't a good father to Julian. In fact, he said as much in the very same interview.

Nobody said John Lennon was a saint.
Nope. no one did. Lennon didn't either. I do recall him being straight forward abt his life. Cynthia may have felt the need to say what she needed to say. I can see both sides of this coin. But why say things, especially on Howard Stern show (btw I do listen to him, I like the show) where the ugliness of family life should be left alone. Julian, Cynthia and John know the true facts. Cynthia could go around the world and tell a version of events. Alot of people lie. Why would John lie abt hitting her or any woman? He didn't. Is Cynthia lying abt how John wasn't a good father. I seem to recall John admitting to not being much of a father to Julian. He tried to make that up later I believe. He was a musician who needed alot of growing up still. Cynthia may have alot of hurt and vengeance, but I still hold my ground abt John. As for Julian, he will say what he has been told by HIS MOTHER. Same thing going on with my half-brother. He was saying things that his mother was saying. It wasn't until he came and sat down with me and my sister did he know the "real" truth abt things. He felt my father cheated him financially. He believed his mother when she told him our father loved us more than him. He believed his mother when she said me and my sister got the best out of our father's assets and estate. Mind you, this is a 32 year old man we are talking abt. If Julian was brought up by his mother, then who else is going to tell him things abt his father?

As for Julian, he will say what he has been told by HIS MOTHER.
No, Julian speaking to Stern about his difficulties getting his inheritence from Yoko had NOTHING to do with his mother. He was relaying his own experience in dealing with Yoko.

I know John was starting to make up for being an absentee father to Julian towards the end. Again, Julian was speaking from his own experience. His mother didn't have to tell him John was a lousy father. Julian knew that firsthand.

Nobody said Lennon was perfect, especially not John himself (listen to the album Walls And Bridges and you'll hear that message loud and clear). The way he treated Julian is inexcusable, as is the fact that he beat Cynthia (even if it was only once, as she claims) and got into fights in his younger days. It was awful that he just got up and left his wife and young son. Nobody denies that.

John Lennon was a flawed man who admitted his flaws. But he was one hell of a musician and humanitarian.

By the way, speaking of Walls And Bridges: the guest drummer on the final track, "Ya Ya," is none other than 11-year-old Julian Lennon!

Nobody said Lennon was perfect, especially not John himself (listen to the album Walls And Bridges and you'll hear that message loud and clear). The way he treated Julian is inexcusable, as is the fact that he beat Cynthia (even if it was only once, as she claims) and got into fights in his younger days. It was awful that he just got up and left his wife and young son. Nobody denies that.

John Lennon was a flawed man who admitted his flaws. But he was one hell of a musician and humanitarian.

By the way, speaking of Walls And Bridges: the guest drummer on the final track, "Ya Ya," is none other than 11-year-old Julian Lennon!
That's all. No one is perfect. But damn, John was and always will be one of the best in songwriting.

Oh No, Here Comes John Lennon's Ex

Friday, September 30, 2005
By Roger Friedman

Oh No, Here Comes John Lennon's Ex

For the first time in more than 30 years, Yoko Ono isn't going to be the only Mrs. John Lennon in New York City. On Monday, Cynthia Lennon, John's first wife and mother of his eldest son, Julian, arrives in the U.S. She's coming to promote her memoir, called simply, "John."

This should be interesting. In all these years, Cynthia has remained silent and in the background while Ono has had the international stage to herself. But Cynthia's arrival should cause a stir. For one thing, she's very friendly with May Pang, the woman Lennon lived with for 18 months during his marriage to Ono.

Pang just flew over to London to help Cynthia launch her book in Britain. No doubt Pang told her all about Ono's failed Broadway musical, "Lennon," which closed last week after losing all the money that had been invested in it. Cynthia also arrives in New York at a propitious moment. Next Saturday would have been Lennon's 65th birthday. And on Tuesday and Wednesday, Paul McCartney is playing Madison Square Garden.

"Lennon," which will be published here on Tuesday by Crown, is no kiss-and-tell. It's actually a very thoughtful memoir by a woman who spent a decade with the former Beatle. There have already been titillating excerpts in the British press, in which Cynthia says, among other things, that Lennon hit her once.

More interesting, though, is hearing from Cynthia for the first time about how she was pushed aside by Ono. In the book, Cynthia sets the scene: She returned home early one day to find John and Yoko in bathrobes, facing each other, sitting on the floor. When she ran upstairs to collect a few things quickly, Cynthia saw a pair of Japanese slippers neatly parked in front of the guest-room door.

Later, when she was negotiating the divorce settlement in 1968, Lennon — who had become wildly rich — encouraged her to take the 100,000 British pounds he offered. "That's all you're worth," he allegedly told her.
Within a few months, John and Yoko were married. Shortly thereafter, Lennon stopped seeing Julian, who was then about 5. He didn't see him again for three years.

Of course, that's the part of "John" that is the most interesting. As Cynthia points out, the rock star was then releasing "Imagine," a song that would become an international peace anthem, but had just cut off contact with his only child.

"There was no word from him between 1971 and 1974," Cynthia wrote.
Father and son were briefly reunited during Pang's time with Lennon, known as the "lost weekend."

But when Lennon returned to Ono in late 1974, Cynthia and Julian were once again cut out of the star's life. "Julian would call and Yoko or one of her people would say John was sleeping," Cynthia wrote.

After Lennon was murdered in 1980, it would take 16 years, Cynthia wrote, for Julian to get any money from his father's estate, thanks to Ono's lack of cooperation. By that time, Julian had had a couple of hit records of his own and had made his own money.

A couple of other tidbits from Cynthia's breezy, long overdue read: After Ringo Starr divorced his wife, Maureen, she had a brief affair with George Harrison.

Cynthia also completely refutes the long-held rumor that Lennon had a brief fling with the group's gay manager, Brian Epstein: "[Like] most lads at the time, [John] was horrified by the idea of homosexuality."

With "John," Steven Gaines' "All You Need Is Love," McCartney's bio written by Barry Miles, Hunter Davies' original Beatles book and the comprehensive studio notes by Mark Lewisohn, not to mention the Beatles own "Anthology" and producer George Martin's memoir, I would say that's the end for Beatles books — unless Ringo finally writes his own volume.

Geez. What a ****bag Lennon was as a father and husband.

After reading that about John I have no respect for him. That's mean about the part where Yoko said that John was sleeping when Julian called. Yoko doesn't seem like a very nice person.