Photo: Corbis

1984: Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon
Retreat to Cold Spring Harbor

The murder of former Beatle John Lennon on December 8, 1980, shocked the entire world. The event also devastated his family. In the summer of 1984, Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and the couple’s nine-year-old son, Sean, retreated to a large house they owned in Cold Spring Harbor, overlooking the water. Ono later commented that immediately after Lennon’s death, she had avoided going back. But by 1984, Cold Spring Harbor was a welcome refuge for her and Sean. Ono eventually sold the property. Ono’s recent projects include releasing a remix of her 1985 song “Hell in Paradise” and lecturing and performing at Tate Britain in London. Sean Lennon released his first solo album, “Into the Sun,” in 1998 and is currently working on his second, which is expected to be released in 2004. Ono and Sean Lennon are shown here in a 1986 photo.

–Cynthia Blair