Many famous artist’s offspring don’t want to live in their parents’ legacy and choose for a more independent existence. Julian Lennon, the oldest child of former Beatles member John Lennon, is one of them. Although Julian had vowed never to even consider recording “Imagine,” one of his father’s most well-known songs, there was a compelling enough cause for him to break his promise in 2022.
Cynthia Lennon, John’s first wife, gave birth to Julian on April 8, 1963. In his 50s, Julian is a talented pianist who resembles his renowned father in every way. In spite of their undeniable similarities, their relationship was anything but happy.
On the outside, the family might have looked great, but within, things were far more rocky. Julian claimed in an interview with The Telegraph that although his father John preached love throughout the world, he rarely demonstrated it to his own family.
“Dad lacked integrity. He could preach love and peace to the world, but he could never demonstrate it to his son and wife “In the 1980s, Julian made this known in a particularly scathing interview.
John wasn’t even present for his delivery; instead, the Beatle traveled to the other side of the continent, leaving Cynthia to go through labor alone. According to some experts, this was the norm in the early 1960s; dads were seldom ever anticipated to be there. However, in John’s case, the absence appeared to be more of a pattern than a custom.
Despite these difficulties, Julian has learned to forgive his father and accept his family’s past. In 2022, Julian made the decision to use his celebrity to further a good cause.
A Stand Up For Ukraine event was started in April 2022 to generate money for those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. Julian opted to break his promise to never perform “Imagine” because he felt the need to participate right now. He uploaded a video of his stripped-down performance of the well-known song to YouTube, and it has now received over 2.9 million views. “The War on Ukraine is a catastrophe beyond comprehension… I felt driven to respond in the most significant way I could as a person and as an artist, he said in the video’s description.
He also gave a justification for breaking his word.
“After all these years, why now? I had always maintained that the only scenario in which I might consider singing “IMAGINE” is if the world were to end. Additionally, his lyrics capture our shared desire for world peace. Because of this song, we are taken to a place where love and unity, if only for a brief period of time, become our reality. The song reflects the hope we all have for the light at the end of the tunnel. Julian composed.
While performing the song, Julian admitted to Consequence that he was “fearful,” he was also “overwhelmed at the response.” The only thing I can say about it, he said, is that it was both the easiest and the hardest thing to accomplish. Will he therefore ever repeat it? “I’ve received a few offers to perform it live, but I refuse because I’ve already done my part. I’m done now. I will now move forward with my life and work. “I want to move on with my own life and my own work,” the speaker said.
Watch the beautiful performance below: