John Lennon’s son Julian finally broke his vow to never perform his dad’s solo hit “Imagine” for the Global Citizen’s Stand Up For Ukraine rally earlier this year. He performed alongside guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who tours with Rihanna’s band and plays for Extreme.
Lennon released “Imagine” in 1971, a year after the Beatles broke up, as a message to humanity to work towards a world free of unfairness. The hit has remained evergreen, resurfacing for campaigns, ceremonies, tributes, and calls for social change.
John Lennon’s son covers ‘Imagine’ for the first time
Some of the significant covers of “Imagine” include Queen’s performance at Wembley Arena in 1980 after Lennon was murdered by a deranged fan. Stevie Wonder also performed it to close the 1996 Olympics in honor of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing victims, followed by Neil Young at the 9/11 Tribute to the Heroes concert.
Julian carried the fort this year despite vowing never to cover the hit. He noted that he felt compelled to respond significantly to the chaos in Ukraine—even if it meant making a compromise. He recalled setting his condition to only perform the song if the world was ending; however, advocating for world peace was more important at the time.
Julian Lennon’s career
Julian made his album debut in 1984 with Valotte, which featured the hit song “Too Late for Goodbyes,” and has since produced five more, including his latest Jude. He has also produced multiple award-winning documentaries addressing humanitarian issues, written children’s books, and has held exhibitions for his fine-art photography.
The now-61-year-old was only 17 when his dad died, though already divorced from his mother Cynthia, and he expressed resentment at the news, noting that Lennon was not a good father to him for the most part until their reconciliation a few years before.