Original: John Winston Ono Lennon , MBE ( 9 October 1940 -- 8 December 1980 ) was an English rock musician , singer , songwriter , author , and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles .
Simplified: John Winston Ono Lennon ( October 9 , 1940 -- December 8 , 1980 ) was a member of the rock band The Beatles .