Yoko Ono and Sir Paul McCartney have paid tribute to John Lennon on what would have been the late music icon's 81st birthday.

John Lennon and Yoko

John Lennon and Yoko

The Beatles legend's widow and former bandmate both took to social media on Saturday (09.10.21) to remember the 'Woman' hitmaker.

Alongside a throwback picture of Lennon and his and Yoko's son Sean blowing out the candles of a birthday cake, as it's also his 46th birthday today, Yoko, 88, wrote on Instagram: "Happy Birthday John! Happy Birthday Sean!

"​I love you! ​yoko (sic)."

Macca, 79, also shared an old black-and-white photograph of the pair mucking about with instruments.

He wrote: "Happy Birthday thoughts for John - Paul."

The official Instagram for Lennon also posted a picture of him in bed with his wife and son as a baby surrounded by newspapers.

The caption simply read: "#HappyBirthdayJohnLennon.

"#HappyBirthdaySeanLennon."

The 'Penny Lane' hitmaker was fatally shot, aged 40, outside his New York City apartment in the famous Dakota building by Mark David Chapman in December 1980.

​McCartney previously revealed that he still finds it "difficult" to talk about Lennon's death and doubts he will ever get over his friend being the victim of such a "senseless" act.

He said: "It’s difficult for me to think about. I rerun the scenario in my head. Very emotional. So much so that I can’t really think about it. It kind of implodes. What can you think about that besides anger, sorrow?

"Like any bereavement, the only way out is to remember how good it was with John. Because I can’t get over the senseless act. I can’t think about it. I’m sure it’s some form of denial. But denial is the only way that I can deal with it. Having said that, of course I do think about it, and it’s horrible."