May Pang (assistant and companion of John Lennon)

Early life and entry into the music business

Pang grew up in a Chinese-American family in New York City. As a young woman she entered the music business in an administrative role and took a position at ABKCO, the management and publishing firm associated with the era’s major rock acts. At ABKCO she worked among people involved in the careers of prominent British musicians, including figures associated with Allen Klein and clients from the Beatles circle such as George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Her administrative competence and discretion led to an assignment to assist Lennon and Ono when they required on-the-ground help.

Relationship with Lennon and the "Lost Weekend"

In the early 1970s Lennon and Ono’s marriage went through strains. Ono suggested Pang as a trusted helper, and events resulted in Pang accompanying Lennon on an extended stay in England and later the United States. During this period Pang had connections to the rock world through social and professional contacts, including friends like Peter Ham of the band Badfinger. Lennon and Pang lived and worked together for about eighteen months, a time of creative sessions, socializing and public scrutiny.

• Timeline note: Pang assisted Lennon with logistics during moves to the United States and projects dating from around 1971 onward.
• In 1973 many accounts mark a turning point when Lennon and Ono’s relationship became publicly strained; Pang’s companionship grew out of an arrangement intended to be temporary (1973).
• While in Los Angeles, Lennon worked with producers such as Phil Spector, and Pang was present for parts of those sessions.

Professional work and later career

Beyond her personal relationship with Lennon, Pang continued to work in music promotion and artist services. She was involved in aspects of marketing for records and projects that touched artists like Harry Nilsson. After the Lennon–Ono reconciliation and the birth of their son Sean Lennon, Pang faced difficulties finding employment because some firms feared jeopardizing relationships with Lennon. Eventually she found positions at companies including Island Records and later at RKO, continuing a behind-the-scenes career in the entertainment sector.

Personal life, writing and public profile

May Pang later married record producer Tony Visconti, who was previously married to singer Mary Hopkin. Following John Lennon’s death in 1980, Pang wrote a memoir recounting her life with Lennon and her experiences in the music business, published under the title Loving John. She has also spoken on numerous talk shows and in interviews reflecting on that period; her accounts provide one of several first‑person perspectives on Lennon’s mid‑1970s life and on the dynamics between Lennon, Ono and those in their circle.

May Pang’s story is often discussed in the context of celebrity culture, the Beatles’ extended orbit, and the complexities that attend close professional and personal relationships in the public eye. Her memoir and interviews remain sources for researchers and fans seeking to understand a contentious and creative chapter in John Lennon’s life.