John Lennon's ex-wife, Cynthia Lennon, dies

Maria Puente | USA TODAY

Cynthia Lennon, the late John Lennon's first wife, whose existence was once largely hidden from early Beatles fans, has died. She was 75 and suffered from cancer.

Julian Lennon, her musician son with John Lennon, announced the news on Twitter and a memorial webpage.

His message said she died at her home in Mallorca, Spain, following a short battle with cancer. Julian, 51, was with her at her bedside at the time.

"The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time," the message on the website read.

Julian also posted a musical tribute to his mother, who was married to John Lennon from 1962 to 1968.

The lyrics on the memorial webpage begin, "You gave your life for me, you gave your life for love."

Yoko Ono, Lennon's second wife, posted a tweet that let to her website with a tribute under a picture with Cynthia and their two sons in happier days.

"I'm very saddened by Cynthia's death," Ono said in her message. "She 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. Please join me in sending love and support to Julian at this very sad time."

Paul McCartney released a statement on his website, calling Cynthia "a lovely lady."

"The news of Cynthia's passing is very sad," he wrote. "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."

Ringo Starr and his wife tweeted "peace and love."

Cynthia Powell, born in 1939, met John Lennon in the 1950s when both attended the Liverpool College of Art. She was prim and proper, he was angry and occasionally violent. They had lots of unprotected sex, and she became pregnant.

They wed in 1962 in Liverpool, where Julian was born in 1963.

Although then unknown outside Liverpool, the Beatles had a fanatical following in their home town and their manager Brian Epstein wanted the marriage and baby kept secret.

It didn't last. Soon after, full-on Beatlemania swept the UK and Europe and the secret came out.

Cynthia did not have an easy time being a first Beatle wife: Both she and his biographers have described him as controlling and short-tempered. Five years later, Lennon left her for Yoko Ono, after she discovered them together in her own home. Cynthia and John divorced in 1968.

Cynthia went on to marry and divorce or partner with four other men. She published her memoirs, A Twist of Lennon, in 1978, which told the story of their marriage, and a Lennon biography, John, in 2005, which detailed John's relationship with Julian after the divorce and Julian's story after John was assassinated on Dec. 8, 1980, in New York.

She and her son, who has said he felt abandoned by his father when he was young, remained close. In 2006, Cynthia and Julian attended the Las Vegas premiere of a Cirque du Soleil production of Love, her first public appearance with Ono.

She was less well known in the USA compared to the U.K., where obituaries began landing online within minutes of the news. The Telegraph's obit described her as John's "first real love," who was with him for half his half his adult life, as Julian regularly pointed out.

"He resented pop historians relegating his mother to 'a puff of smoke in Dad's life,' " The Telegraph wrote.