Julian Lennon is a well-known English musician and the son of legendary ‘Beatles’ co-founder John Lennon. Julian was enamored with music from a young age, and his father’s tremendous success and showmanship exposed him to the glitz and glamour of showbiz from an early age. Julian is said to have inspired several of the Beatles’ compositions as a child, including the record ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’ Julian was enamored with his father’s art and swore to one day be as famous as him, despite his parents’ divorce while he was a child. He made his debut as a drummer on his father’s album, ‘Walls and Bridges,’ for the track ‘Ya Ya,’ and then went on to create his own album, ‘Valotte,’ which produced four top singles. ‘Virgin,’ ‘Atlantic,’ ‘Charisma,’ and ‘Music From Another Room’ are just a few of the music labels he’s worked with. He is dedicated to a number of humanitarian projects in addition to his musical pursuits, the most notable of which being his own charity, the ‘White Feather Foundation.’ Along with Micheal Birch, he has started his own internet firm, ‘MyStore.com.’ Although he aspired to be as successful as his father, his career trajectory has been unstable, with many of his albums failing to chart.
Childhood and Adolescence
John Charles Julian Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, to John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia. He was born on the eve of Beatlemania, and was named after John’s mother, Julia. Julian and Cynthia were reportedly kept out of the public eye because Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, believed that a ‘bachelor’John Lennon would appeal to female fans more. Julian Lennon was the inspiration for several of his father’s famous songs as a child, including ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’ ‘Good Night,’ from the album White Album, was another Julian-inspired tune.
After his parents divorced when he was five, Paul McCartney penned “Hey Jude” to console him. He had no communication with his father after the divorce until the 1970s. John Lennon gave him a drum machine for Christmas in 1973, which fueled his enthusiasm for music. At the age of 11, he made his musical debut on his father’s album, ‘Walls and Bridges,’ with the smash tune ‘Ya-Ya.’
Career of Julian
Julian Lennon’s musical career began with his debut album, ‘Valotte,’ released in 1984. ‘The Secret Value of Daydreaming,’ his second album, was not as successful as his first, but it still managed to top the ‘Album Rock Tracks’ list. Despite the popularity of his first two albums, he never had the same level of success with any of his subsequent efforts. Mike Batt’s musical ‘The Hunting of the Snark,’ based on Lewis Caroll’s poem, included him.
The film ‘Stand By Me: A Portrait of Julian Lennon’ chronicled his first ever musical tour, which took place in 1985. He went on to star in films such as ‘Imagine: John Lennon,’ ‘Cannes Man,’ and ‘Leaving Las Vegas,’ among others.
He released the album ‘Help’ in 1991, from which one of the singles, ‘Saltwater,’ reached number six in the UK and topped a number of Australian singles charts for weeks on end. He took a break from the music industry after 1991 to pursue other interests such as cooking, sculpture, and sailing.
In 1998, he returned with the album ‘Photograph Smile,’ which was a commercial flop. In 2002, he recorded an adaptation of the Beatles song “When I’m Sixty-Four,” which was panned by many die-hard Beatles fans. In 2006, he formed a new collaboration with Michael Birch, the founder of Bebo, and Todd Meagher, and launched an internet firm called ‘MyStore.com.’ The following year, he developed an interest in photography and organized his own exhibition, named “Timeless: Julian Lennon’s Photography.” In 2009, he established the ‘White Feather Foundation,’ a humanitarian organization whose aim encompasses global environmental and social challenges.
He began collecting Beatles relics shortly after his father’s death and produced a book on the collection in 2010, titled ‘Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection.’
Major Projects of Julian
His debut album, ‘Valotte,’ launched his career and earned him a Grammy nomination for ‘Best New Artist’ in 1985. The album also spawned a slew of chart-topping singles in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The title track, as well as ‘Valotte’ and ‘Too Late For Goodbyes,’ became major hits and were played on radio stations across the country for weeks at a time. He directed the documentary ‘WhaleDreamers,’ which told the story of an Australian aboriginal clan and their special relationship with whales. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win multiple accolades.
Personal History and Legacy
Following his father’s death and divorce, Julian’s relationship with Yoko Ono, his father’s fiancée and half-brother, Sean, was strained. They became ‘cordial’ soon after, and Yoko Ono was appointed as the executor of John Lennon’s will. This musician’s artwork was the inspiration for the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
Estimated Net Worth
Julian Lennon is a musician from the United Kingdom with a net worth of $50 million. Julian Lennon is likely most known for being the son of legendary musician and Beatles member, John Lennon.