John Lennon is a musician.
John Winston Ono Lennon , ( born John Winston Lennon ; 9 October 19408 December 1980 ) was an English guitarist , singer , and songwriter who co-founded the Beatles , the most commercially successful and musically influential band in the history of popular music . After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969 , he added `` Ono '' as one of his middle names . Lennon -- McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon ( 9 October 19408 December 1980 ) and Paul McCartney ( born 18 June 1942 ) of the Beatles . Yoko Ono . She is the second wife and widow of singer-songwriter John Lennon of the Beatles .