The Beatles are widely accepted to have been one of the most successful and influential bands of all time. To this day, they remain the best selling music act flogging approximately 600 million records worldwide. They are believed to have crafted more than 130 songs during their short decade together, before Paul McCartney filed to dissolve the band in 1970. Ten years later, the world mourned after John Lennon was assassinated by Mark Chapman outside his home in Manhattan, New York. Following the tragic death, a number of accounts emerged about the deceased Beatles’ star, including tales from his ex-wife Cynthia Lennon. She revealed how the youngsters fell in love, while studying at Liverpool College of Art, and the brutal line he used to win her heart.
The revelations were revealed in Richard Denton’s 2000 documentary ‘The Real John Lennon’, which gave insight into the musician’s life from some of the people that were closest to him.
Cynthia Powell, who married the Beatle in 1962, admitted she knew the budding star was “always danger” and “always trouble” from the moment they met.
They first spoke during a calligraphy class and soon after she explained how her “life changed” and dreams of becoming a teacher dissipated after she fell for John.
Classmate Phyllis Fearon said: “She was smitten. He wasn’t her type at all, and she had a nice boyfriend over the water, who she was engaged to.”
She recalled the day the pair first hooked-up, despite Cynthia denying she was attracted to him and having suppressed her feelings.
Cynthia initially thought John was too arrogant for her and dismissed him, but she soon realised they had a few things in common.
As they sat next to each other in the sloping classroom stalls both squinting at the chalkboard, they recognised they were “as blind as bats” and both refused to wear glasses due to being “too vain”.
Ms Fearon divulged more about the fateful day that Cynthia and John’s relationship transformed from passing acquaintances into rampant lovers.
She said: “I think the next time something happened was when we had a party in one of the rooms and people were dancing.
“I think John asked Cynthia to dance and she said ‘I’m engaged’.”
The couple were married for six years until their relationship ended in 1968, when John started dating artist Yoko Ono.
Despite the bitter end of their relationship, during which they had son Julian Lennon, Cynthia maintained she held no ill-feeling towards her ex-husband.
She said: “It was my fate to meet a man who has become a legend and to have his son.
“Of course I love him. I love John as I loved him, you don’t change love. There’s not reason on earth why I should hate him and it’s sad.”