John Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English rock musician who gained worldwide fame as one of the founders of The Beatles. In his solo career, Lennon wrote and recorded songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". Lennon revealed his rebellious nature and irreverent wit on television, in films such as A Hard Day's Night, in books such as In His Own Write, and in press conferences and interviews. He channelled his penchant for controversy into his work as a peace activist, artist, and author. Lennon had two sons: Julian, with his first wife Cynthia Lennon, and Sean, with his second wife, avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. During a separation from Ono, Lennon spent almost two years with May Pang in Los Angeles and New York from 1973 to 1975, before returning to Ono, even though Lennon called this period his "lost weekend". Lennon was murdered i