Lucy Vodden of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ Fame Dead at 46

Lucy Vodden, who inspired Beatles’ hit song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” passed away after a long battle with lupus.
Lucy Vodden of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ Fame Dead at 46
9/28/2009
Updated:
9/28/2009
NEW YORK—After a long battle with lupus, Lucy Vodden, who inspired The Beatles’ 1967 hit song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” died at 46 on September 28. St. Thomas’ Lupus Trust charity, a division of St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, announced her death.

Lucy Vodden was a childhood classmate of Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s son. One day, young Julian brought home his drawing of Lucy Vodden which he called “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Inspired by his son’s work, Lennon began to co-write and compose the single with fellow Beatles member, Paul McCartney.

Yet as soon as the song was released in Beatles’ 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”, rumors spread. Beatles’ fans and others believed that it was somewhat referring to the psychedelic drug LSD due to their identical acronym. Lennon, the rest of the Beatles, and later Vodden herself, refuted this insinuation a number of times.

Julian Lennon, after learning about his childhood friend’s battle with lupus, reached out to Lucy Vodden a few years before her eventual death.
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