The Lennon Legacy

By Stephen M. Silverman

06/22/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

It was 20 years ago today (Friday) that Mark David Chapman's bullet ended the life of John Lennon. The assassin remains behind bars, serving 20 years to life in New York's Attica prison, and was denied parole this past Oct. 3. As for the children of Lennon, PEOPLE reports in its new issue, elder son Julian, 37, "has finally come into his own," his mother, Cynthia, tells the magazine. After drug problems and some forgettable albums, Julian (with girlfriend Lucy Bayliss, 24) now divides his time between homes in Italy and France, having received a reported $30 million inheritance from Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, in 1996 following a protracted legal battle. He also collects Beatle memorabilia and will release a new album next year. Son Sean, 25, whose mother is Ono, lives in New York City with his girlfriend, musician Yuka Honda, 40, and is recording the follow-up to his 1998 debut album, "Into the Sun."