Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon's first wife and mother to their son Julian, has succumbed to cancer at the age of 75.

News of Lennon's death comes courtesy of a short press release that reads, "Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain, following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time."

As of this writing, the front page of Julian's website has been updated in her honor, featuring a photo of Lennon inscribed "In Loving Memory" and appended by a musical video tribute with the same title, which you can watch above.

Cynthia Powell met John Lennon in 1957 at the Liverpool College of Art, which she attended after graduating from the city's Junior Art School. Married in August 1962, the couple kept a low profile due to Lennon's increasingly successful career as a member of the Beatles, and an effort to avoid alienating the group's female fan base; even after Julian's birth in April 1963, their marriage was kept a closely guarded secret.

The Lennons' union eventually became common knowledge, but the strain of John's career — and his overall mercurial nature — continued to wear on their marriage, which ended in 1968. Cynthia remarried after the divorce, but her relationship with John remained a topic of interest that occasionally paid the bills; she published her first memoir, A Twist of Lennon, in 1978, with another volume, simply titled John, in 2005.

"I've had the most amazing life, a wonderful life," Cynthia reflected during an interview with Classic Bands. "I've got the best son anyone could possibly wish for in the world and a marriage to a wonderful man also. Sounds very gushing, but I'm really happy. And all the experience has not spoiled anything for me, I promise you. I still open my eyes in the morning and feel a beautiful, sunny day in Spain and think how lucky I am."

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