Julian Lennon.Photo: Amy Sussman/WireImage
Julian Lennonis reversing his stance on not performing one of his late fatherJohn Lennon’ssongs — for a good cause.
On Friday, the legendary Beatles musician’s 59-year-old son sang a cover of his father’s signature hit, “Imagine,” duringGlobal Citizen’s televised Stand Up for Ukrainebenefit concert, which raised over $10 billion to help refugees.
Julian had formerly vowed never to perform his dad’s three-time platinum-certified 1971 hit, released shortly afterThe Beatlesofficially split, though he explained his changed stance in the performance’s YouTube description.
“The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy… As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could,” Julian wrote on April 8. “So today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, IMAGINE.”
“Why now, after all these years? — I had always said, that the only time I would ever consider singing ‘IMAGINE’ would be if it was the ‘End of the World’… But also because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide,” continued the musician. “Because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time…”
His statement concluded with a call to action for figures in power and listeners alike: “I’m calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of IMAGINE, to stand up for refugees everywhere! Please advocate and donate from the heart. #StandUpForUkraine.”
Born in 1963 to John and his first wife, Cynthia Powell, Julian’s connection to music goes back to his early childhood. PerRolling Stone, his father claimed Julian inspired the Beatles' classic 1967 hit “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” after drawing a picture of his nursery school classmate, Lucy O’Donnell, at 3 years old.
“Many of these songs have been in the works for several years, so it almost feels like a coming-of-age album,” said Julian in a statement, perAmerican Songwriter. “With great respect for the overwhelming significance of the song written for me, the title ‘JUDE’ conveys the very real journey of my life that these tracks represent.”
source: people.com
