On This Day: The Heartbreaking Tragedy That Changed John Lennon Forever

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On This Day: The Heartbreaking Tragedy That Changed John Lennon Forever originally appeared on Parade.
John Lennon was at the start of his music journey when a devastating tragedy struck, leaving a lasting impact on the young man he was and the music legend he would become. The future Beatles founder was profoundly shaped by one person whose influence and sudden loss would alter the course of his life and help define his path to global superstardom.
On this day, July 15, 1958, John's mother, JuliaLennon, was struck and killed by an off-duty police officer named Eric Clague. Lennon was just 17 at the time of the tragedy, and his mother was 44.
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John was born on Oct. 9, 1940, to Julia and Alfred Lennon. He was their only child together.
When he was four, the future musician was taken in by his aunt, Mimi Smith, and uncle, George Smith, to provide the young boy with a stable home life. John would live with the couple throughout his childhood and adolescence.
Although John resided with Mimi, he maintained a strong and affectionate bond with his mother, Julia. She nurtured his early love of music, buying him his first guitar and teaching him basic chords on the banjo and ukulele.
John's childhood friend Nigel Walley shared his memories of the tragedy per The Beatles Bible. He said, "I went to call for John that evening, but his Aunt Mimi told me he was out. Mimi was at the gate with John's mum, who was about to leave."
Walley continued, "We stood chatting and John's mum said 'Well, you have the privilege of escorting me to the bus stop!' I said 'That will do me fine. I'll be happy to do that.'"
"We walked down Menlove Avenue and I turned off to go up Vale Road, where I lived. I must have been about 15 yards up the road when I heard a car skidding. I turned round to see John's mum going through the air. I rushed over but she had been killed instantly."
Julia's death deeply traumatized John, who would later refer to her in the songs "Julia," "Mother," and "My Mummy's Dead." His first son, Julian, with wife Cynthia Lennon, was named for her.
"I lost her twice," John later told Playboy. "Once as a 5-year-old when I was moved in with my auntie. And once again when she actually physically died."
"That made me more bitter; the chip on my shoulder I had as a youth got really big then. I was just really re-establishing the relationship with her, and she was killed."
John Lennon would go on to achieve worldwide fame as a member of The Beatles, alongside Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In addition to his first son, Julian, he later became a father to Sean Ono Lennon, his only child with wife Yoko Ono.
On This Day: The Heartbreaking Tragedy That Changed John Lennon Forever first appeared on Parade on Jul 15, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.