John Lennon’s Talented Son Julian Delivers Heartfelt Tribute, “Stand By Me”

With Love From Julian

Of all of The Beatles, the most tumultuous father/son relationship came from John Lennon and his son, Julian. John abandoned then-wife Cynthia Lennon and 5-year-old Julian, only to add insult to injury by later being fiercely devoted to his second wife Yoko Ono and their son, Sean. The two wouldn’t attempt a relationship until shortly before John’s death in 1980, by which point Julian had all but given up on ever knowing his famous father.

However, through it all, Julian has loved his father as much as any son could, and demonstrates that in this heartfelt, powerhouse performance of ‘Stand By Me’ – the Ben E. King classic covered by John in 1975.

Watching Julian Lennon onstage is like watching a ghost – he looks so much like his father that it’s unreal, and it’s clear that the Lennon talent runs through his veins!

The two Lennons share many of the same mannerisms and passion onstage, but while they share similarities, Julian Lennon is his own man and an accomplished performer in his own right. He definitely managed to step out of John’s shadow and even in the presence of other legendary musicians, he could clearly hold his own.

“Dad had said to me that if there was a way of letting me know that he was going to be all right, or that we were all going to be all right, it would be in the form of a white feather.” – Julian Lennon

They didn’t have the perfect father-son relationship, no one does. But it warms your soul watching Julian pay tribute to John this way. It’s beautifully done and it hits you right in the feels. Regardless of how the two may have felt about each other, we’re positive that wherever John is, he saw this performance and was fiercely proud of the man he never got to know!