Julian Lennon made his recording debut at 21 years old in 1984 with the album Valotte. In the decades since, he had never performed his father John Lennon’s 1971 song, “Imagine.” That changed on April 8, 2022, when he sang it as part of Global Citizen’s Stand Up For Ukraine fundraiser. Julian Lennon, who turned 59 that same day, was accompanied by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. On June 1, Lennon released the performance across all streaming platforms. Watch the performance below.
On his social media platforms, Lennon wrote, “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.
“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. Because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time…
“The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for…
“As a result of the ongoing murderous violence, millions of innocent families, have been forced to leave the comfort of their homes, to seek asylum elsewhere.
“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”
That same day, Lennon released the first two songs from his upcoming album, Jude.
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
4 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationDamn!! Best cover ever! Simple, pure and powerful. Heard John thru Julian.
Excellent, haunting cover.
I literally just got chills listening to this. Clearly Julian is his father’s son. Wow! So powerful and beautiful
Totally agree with all the previous comments.