John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940–8 December 1980) was an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, artist, an peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. As a member of the group, Lennon was one of the lead vocalists and co-wrote the majority of the band's songs with bassist Paul McCartney.