Julian Lennon

Julian Lennon

born on 8/4/1963 in Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom

Julian Lennon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Julian Lennon

John Charles Julian Lennon (born 8 April 1963) is a British musician. He is the only child of John Lennon and Cynthia Powell (his father's first wife). The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon.[1][2]

Lennon was the direct inspiration for three Beatles' songs: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Hey Jude" and "Good Night". He is devoted to philanthropic endeavors, most notably his own White Feather Foundation[3] and the Whaledreamers Organization,[4] both of which promote the co-existence of all species and the health and well-being of the Earth.

Early life

Julian Lennon was born in Liverpool. Initially, the fact that John Lennon was married and had a child was concealed from the public, in keeping with the conventional wisdom of the era that female teenage fans would not be as enamoured of married male pop stars. Lennon inspired one of his father's most famous songs, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", whose lyrics describe a picture the boy had drawn, a watercolour painting of his friend Lucy O'Donnell from nursery school[5] surrounded by stars. Another composition of his father inspired by him was the lullaby "Good Night", the closing song of the White Album. In 1967, he attended the set of the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour.

Following his father's infidelity with Yoko Ono, Lennon's parents divorced when he was five. Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" to console him over the divorce; originally called "Hey Jules", McCartney changed the name because he thought that "Jude" was an easier name to sing.[6] After his parents' divorce, Lennon had almost no contact with his father until the early 1970s when, at the instigation of his father's then girlfriend, May Pang, he began to visit his father regularly. John Lennon bought him a Gibson Les Paul guitar and a drum machine for Christmas 1973, and encouraged his interest in music by showing him some chords.[7][8]

Following his father's murder, Lennon voiced anger and resentment toward him, saying
I've never really wanted to know the truth about how dad was with me. There was some very negative stuff talked about me ... like when he said I'd come out of a whiskey bottle on a Saturday night. Stuff like that. You think, where's the love in that? Paul and I used to hang about quite a bit ... more than Dad and I did. We had a great friendship going and there seems to be far more pictures of me and Paul playing together at that age than there are pictures of me and my dad.[9]

He was also irked by hearing his father's peace-loving stance perpetually celebrated. He told the London Telegraph, "I have to say that, from my point of view, I felt he was a hypocrite," he said, "Dad could talk about peace and love out loud to the world but he could never show it to the people who supposedly meant the most to him: his wife and son. How can you talk about peace and love and have a family in bits and pieces--no communication, adultery, divorce? You can't do it, not if you're being true and honest with yourself."

Lennon was included in his father's will as the beneficiary of a trust that he was to share equally with his brother Sean, with Yoko Ono as the trustee.[10] Julian was annoyed that he had to buy mementos of his father at auctions. A settlement was eventually reached wherein Julian was given "a large but undisclosed sum".[11] By 2009 Lennon's feelings toward his father had mellowed. Recalling his renewed relationship with his father in the mid-1970s, he said,
Dad and I got on a great deal better then. We had a lot of fun, laughed a lot and had a great time in general when he was with May Pang. My memories of that time with Dad and May are very clear they were the happiest time I can remember with them.[12]

Career

Musical career

Lennon made his musical debut at age 11 on his father's album Walls and Bridges playing drums on "Ya-Ya", later saying, "Dad, had I known you were going to put it on the album, I would've played much better!"[13] He subsequently has had an inconsistent career as a musical artist.

He enjoyed immediate success with his debut 1984 album Valotte, produced by Phil Ramone, nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1985, spawning two top ten hits, the title track "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes". Lennon promoted the album with music videos for the two hits made by movie director Sam Peckinpah and producer Martin Lewis. The song "Valotte" has remained a staple on adult contemporary radio stations since its release.

After the release Paul McCartney sent him a telegram wishing him good luck. Later that year the two met backstage at the New York studios of the TV show Friday Night Videos.

His second album, 1986's The Secret Value of Daydreaming, was panned by critics, but reached number 32 on the Billboard magazine's album chart, and produced the single "Stick Around", which was his first #1 single on the U.S. Album Rock Tracks chart.

He recorded the song "Because", which was made famous by The Dave Clark Five, in the UK for Clark's 1986 musical, Time (the single is out of print, though available as an iTunes download). Lennon never reached the same level of success in the U.S. post-Valotte, but he hit number five in Australia with the 1989 single "Now You're In Heaven", which also gave him his second #1 hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart in the USA.

On 1 April 1987, Julian Lennon appeared as The Baker in Mike Batt's musical The Hunting of the Snark[14] (based on Lewis Carroll's poem). The all-star lineup included Roger Daltrey, Justin Hayward and Billy Connolly, with John Hurt as the Narrator. The performance, a musical benefit at London's Royal Albert Hall in aid of the deaf, was attended by Prince Andrew's then wife, the Duchess of York.[15]

In 1991, George Harrison played on Lennon's album Help Yourself but was not directly credited. A song off the album, "Saltwater", reached number six in the UK and topped the Australian singles charts for four weeks. Also during this time he contributed a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" to the soundtrack of the television series The Wonder Years.

By the end of the year, Lennon left the music business for several years. He followed his interests in cooking, sailing, and sculpting during his leave from the music industry. After he began his performing career there was occasionally unfounded media speculation that Julian would undertake performances with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. However, in the Beatles Anthology series in 1996, the three surviving Beatles confirmed that there was never an idea of having Julian sit in for his father as part of a Beatles reunion, with McCartney saying "why would we want to subject him to all of this?"

In May 1998, Lennon released the album Photograph Smile to little commercial success. In 2002, he recorded a version of the Beatles' classic "When I'm Sixty-Four", a song from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, for an Allstate Insurance commercial.

In 2006 he ventured into Internet businesses, including MyStore.com with Todd Meagher and Bebo founder Michael Birch.[16] In 2009 Lennon created a new partnership with Todd Meagher and Michael Birch called theRevolution, LLC. Through this company, Lennon released a tribute song and EP, "Lucy", honoring the memory of Lucy O'Donnell, the little girl who inspired the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", with 50% of the proceeds going to fund Lupus research.[17][18][19]

In October 2011, Lennon released a new album called Everything Changes.

Film

Lennon's first-ever tour in early 1985 was documented as part of the film Stand By Me: A Portrait Of Julian Lennon  a film profile started by Sam Peckinpah, but completed by Martin Lewis after Peckinpah's death. Lennon has appeared in several other films including The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996, but shot in 1968), Cannes Man (1996), Imagine: John Lennon (1988), Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (1987) and a cameo in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) as a bartender. Julian provided the voice for the title role in the animated film David Copperfield.[20] He was also the voice of the main character Toby the Teapot in the animated special The Real Story of I'm a Little Teapot (1990).

Julian Lennon is also the producer of the documentary called WhaleDreamers[21] about an aboriginal tribe in Australia and its special relationship to whales. It also touches on many environmental issues. This film has received many awards[22] and was shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Photography

After photographing his half-brother Sean's music tour in 2007, Lennon took up a serious interest in photography.[23]

On 17 September 2010,[24] Lennon opened an exhibition of 35 photographs called "Timeless: The Photography of Julian Lennon" with help from long-time friend and fellow photographer Timothy White. Originally scheduled to run 17 September through 10 October,[25] the Morrison Hotel Gallery extended it a week to end 17 October.[26] The photographs include shots of his half-brother Sean, actress Kate Hudson, and U2 frontman Bono.[23]

On 3 October 2010, CBS Sunday Morning aired an in-depth interview with Lennon that covered much of his life, including his relationship with his parents and sibling, his career, and his experience growing up as the son of one of the world's most famous celebrities.[27]

Book

Shortly after the death of his father, Lennon began collecting Beatles memorabilia. In 2010, he published a book of his collection, Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection.[28]

Charity work

Lennon founded The White Feather Foundation in 2009. Its mission "embraces environmental and humanitarian issues and in conjunction with partners from around the world helps to raise funds for the betterment of all life, and to honour those who have truly made a difference."[29] Its name came from a conversation Lennon once had with his father. Dad once said to me that should he pass away, if there was some way of letting me know he was going to be OK that we were all going to be OK the message would come to me in the form of a white feather. ... the white feather has always represented peace to me.[30]

Personal life

Lennon has been quoted as having a "cordial" relationship with Ono while getting along very well with her son, his half-brother, Sean, even spending time together on Sean's tour in 2007.[31] In commemoration of John Lennons 70th birthday and as a statement for peace, 9 October 2010 saw Julian, alongside his mother Cynthia, unveil the John Lennon Peace Monument in his home town, Liverpool, England.[32]

Lennon has been engaged twice - to socialite Lucy Bayliss and actress Olivia d'Abo. He resides in Lake Como in Italy.[33]

In 2007 Lennon sold off a "significant" share of his stake in his father's catalogue of work,[34] in exchange for an undisclosed sum, and the agreement that the purchasing company, Primary Wave, would market and promote his new material. The stake entitles Primary Wave to a portion of all royalties on the catalogue.

He remains friends with his father's former bandmate Paul McCartney, though they experienced a public falling out in 2011 when Lennon was not invited to McCartney's wedding to Nancy Shevell.[35]

Discography

Albums

Year Title Chart positions Certifications
US
[36]
UK
[37][38]
AUS
[39]
NZ
[40]
GER
[41]
SWE
[42]
JPN
1984 Valotte 17 20 * 15 60 15   RIAA: Platinum[43]
1986 The Secret Value of Daydreaming 32 93 *     25   RIAA: Gold[44]
1989 Mr. Jordan 87   18        
1991 Help Yourself   42 5        
1998 Photograph Smile   78 28   94   70
2001 VH-1 Behind the Music The Julian Lennon Collection              
2011 Everything Changes[45]   106          

Singles

Year Title Album Chart positions
US Hot 100
[46]
US Adult Contemporary
[46]
US Mainstream Rock
[46]
US Modern Rock
[46]
UK
[37][38]
AUS
[39]
NZ
[40]
GER
[41]
SWE
[42]
US AC40 Indie Charts
1984 "Valotte" Valotte 9 4 2   55 75 10      
1985 "Too Late for Goodbyes" 5 1 11   6 13 24 26 17  
"Say You're Wrong" 21 6 3   75 31        
"Jesse" 54   24              
"Because" Dave Clark's Time Soundtrack         40 66        
1986 "Stick Around" The Secret Value Of Daydreaming 32   1   86 79        
"Time Will Teach Us All" Dave Clark's Time Soundtrack                    
"This Is My Day" The Secret Value Of Daydreaming                    
"Want Your Body"                    
"Midnight Smoke" Mike Batt's The Hunting of the Snark                    
1989 "Now You're in Heaven" Mr. Jordan 93   1 27 59 5        
"You're The One"                    
"Mother Mary"                    
1991 "Saltwater" Help Yourself         6 1   58    
"Help Yourself"         53 30   53    
"Rebel King"                    
"Listen"     31              
1992 "Get a Life"         56          
1993 "Children Of The World" Coo Soundtrack                    
1995 "Cole's Song" Mr. Holland's Opus Soundtrack                    
1998 "All Alone" (with Bald) Bald                    
"Day After Day" Photograph Smile         66          
"I Don't Wanna Know"         125 64        
"Photograph Smile"                    
2009 "Lucy" Non-album single                    
2011 "Lookin' 4 Luv" Everything Changes                    
"Children of the World"[47] Shine On! Songs Volume One                    
2012 "Hope" (Nick Wood)[48] Non-album single                    
"All That You've Wanted" (with Matt Backer)[49] Non-album single                   1
2013 "Someday"[50] Non-album single                    

Other releases

  • Dave Clark's Time: Original Soundtrack (1986)
  • Mike Batt's The Hunting of the Snark (1986)
  • The Wonder Years: Music From the Emmy Award-Winning Show & Its Era (1989)
  • Mr. Holland's Opus - Soundtrack (1996)
  • Lennon... and Proud of It A Conversation with Julian Lennon (1999)
  • Shine On! Songs Volume One (2011)

Films

Producer
  • WhaleDreamers (2008)

References

  1. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds LSD. snopes.com. Retrieved on 30 July 2009.
  2. VH1 Behind the Music: The Julian Lennon Collection: Julian Lennon: Amazon.co.uk: Music. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 30 July 2009.
  3. Home - For the Conservation of Life - White Feather Foundation. Whitefeatherfoundation.com. Retrieved on 2013-04-07.
  4. The Return of the Whale Dreamers. I-sis.org.uk. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.
  5. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds: woman who inspired Beatles song dies, The Daily Telegraph, 28 September 2009. URL accessed on 29 September 2009.
  6. Barry Miles (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 465. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
  7. Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection. Lennon.net. Retrieved on 28 August 2007.
  8. Lennon (2006) p345
  9. Scotsman.com News, News.scotsman.com, 13 January 2009. URL accessed on 30 July 2009.
  10. John Lennon: The Last Will And Testament: Rockmine On-Line. Rockmine.com. Retrieved on 8 March 2013.
  11. Imagine, 1988, Warner
  12. Brooks, Richard, Julian Lennon gives family peace a chance, The Times, 13 June 2009. URL accessed on 7 May 2010.
  13. Pang, Loving John, Warner, 1983
  14. Mike Batt feat. Julian Lennon - The Escapade (from The Hunting Of The Snark/ TV 1987). YouTube. Retrieved on 2012-12-15.
  15. Julian Lennon website, biography section. Accessed 12 March 2012.
  16. Imagine! Julian Lennon Invests In MyStore - Forbes.com, 4 December 2007.
  17. The track can be purchased at www.therevolution.com.
  18. Julian Lennon Honors Lucy in the Sky.
  19. Lucy Songfacts. Songfacts.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.
  20. Dahl, Roald. David Copperfield. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.
  21. at. Whaledreamers.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.
  22. Whaledreamers News. Whaledreamers.com. Retrieved on 30 July 2009.
  23. 23.0 23.1 Doyle, Patrick, Julian Lennon On His New Photos of U2, Kate Hudson, Rolling Stone Magazine, 17 September 2010. URL accessed on 8 October 2010.
  24. Cheney, Alexandra, Julian Lennons Photo Exhibit: Dad was never a photographer, Wall Street Journal, 17 September 2010. URL accessed on 8 October 2010.
  25. Julian Lennon Show at the Bowery. Morrison Hotel Gallery. Retrieved on 8 October 2010.
  26. Julian Lennon Show at the Bowery. Morrison Hotel Gallery. Retrieved on 8 October 2010.
  27. Julian and Sean Come Together, CBS Sunday Morning, 3 October 2010. URL accessed on 8 October 2010.
  28. Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection (9781847960184): Brian Southall, Julian Lennon: Books, Amazon.com.
  29. The White Feather Foundation Mission. Whitefeatherfoundation.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-05.
  30. The White Feather Foundation - How It All Started. Whitefeatherfoundation.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-05.
  31. Hoyle, Ben, Reallife Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds dies at 46, The Times, 29 September 2009. URL accessed on 7 May 2010.
  32. The Telegraph, Monument to John Lennon unveiled in Liverpool On on his 70th birthday, The Daily Telegraph, 9 October 2010.
  33. Nicole Lampert (2011-11-05). John Lennon's son Julian fears Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney are trying to obliterate him from history | Mail Online. Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved on 2013-03-19.
  34. Lennon's son sells Beatles stake, BBC News, 13 April 2007. URL accessed on 7 May 2010.
  35. Willman, Chris (7 April 2013). Julian Lennon At 50: Its Never Much Too Late For Lennon Family Discord | Stop The Presses! (NEW). Music.yahoo.com.
  36. [Julian Lennon at All Music Guide Artist Chart History (albums) Julian Lennon]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  37. 37.0 37.1 Chart Stats Julian Lennon. ChartStats. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  38. 38.0 38.1 Chart Log UK: DJ Steve L. LZ Love. zobbel.de. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  39. 39.0 39.1 australian-charts.com Discography Julian Lennon. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  40. 40.0 40.1 charts.org.nz Discography Julian Lennon. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  41. 41.0 41.1 charts.de. charts.de. Retrieved on 6 May 2013.
  42. 42.0 42.1 swedishcharts.com Discography Julian Lennon. Hung Medien. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  43. American album certifications Valotte. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 6 May 2013.
  44. American album certifications The Secret Value of Daydreaming. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 6 May 2013.
  45. IT (14 January 2006). Julian's MySpace profile. Myspace.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 [Julian Lennon at All Music Guide Artist Chart History (singles) Julian Lennon]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 8 April 2010.
  47. Julian Lennon, Tin Cup Gypsy, Donna Burke, Mark Ballas, Maxi Priest, Wendy Parr, Monday Michiru, Amber Lily, Tierney Sutton, Rie Fu and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Shine On! Songs Volume One. Discogs (7 October 2011). Retrieved on 30 October 2011.
  48. iTunes - Music - Hope (feat. Julian Lennon, Tetsuya Komuro, Beyond Tomorrow Students) - Single by Nick Wood. Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved on 8 March 2013.
  49. All That You've Wanted - Official Julian Lennon Website. Julianlennon.com (11 January 2013). Retrieved on 8 March 2013.
  50. 'Someday', worldwide release confirmed for 8th April 2013 - Official Julian Lennon Website. Julianlennon.com (6 March 2013). Retrieved on 8 March 2013.

External links

  • Julian Lennon's official website
  • White Feather Foundation website
  • Julian Lennon at the Internet Movie Database
  • Rare 1999 interview with Retro Rewind
  • Unveiling of Peace & Harmony, European Peace Monument Dedicated to John Lennon
  • CBS Sunday Morning interview (3 October 2010)
  • Timeless: Julian Lennon photo exhibition at the Morrison Gallery Hotel (17 September 17 October 2010)
  • The watercolour painting that inspired Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
  • Julian Lennon's Soundcloud Account with promo material (As October 2011)
This page was last modified 25.04.2014 23:20:09

This article uses material from the article Julian Lennon from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.