Sean Ono Lennon explains how music helped him grieve John Lennon
Sean Ono Lennon has opened up about the loss of his father, The Beatles’ John Lennon, explaining how music helped him deal with his grief.
Ono Lennon was only five years old when his father was murdered in 1980 outside of their family apartment in New York’s The Dakota. As a result of Mark Chapman’s senseless killing, he was robbed of having Lennon in his life during his childhood and took to music as a coping mechanism.
In a new interview with People, Ono Lennon explained his reasonings for following in his father’s footsteps as a musician, which was due to creating a connection between the pair. He has established himself as a respected artist in his own right, having released three solo albums.
Furthermore, Ono Lennon has also worked as a producer for a variety of acclaimed artists such as Lana Del Rey, Temples, The Lemon Twigs, The Moonlandingz, and Fat White Family.
“I never played music because I was good at it,” Ono Lennon confessed to People in a new interview. “I lost my father and I didn’t know how to fill that void. Learning how to play his songs on guitar was a way to process the loss with an activity that made me feel connected to him.”
Ono Lennon emotionally continued: “When you’ve lost a parent, things like that motivate you – because you’re trying to find them. Making music always made me feel like I was getting to know him better.”
How Ono Lennon is keeping his father’s legacy alive
Although Lennon’s death shook the world to its core, Ono Lennon and his mother, Yoko Ono, have both dedicated themselves to preserving his legacy. Earlier this year, Ono Lennon helped create an expanded boxset of the late singer-songwriter’s fourth album, Mind Games.
In total, there are six different mixes of Mind Games, culminating in the Ultimate Collection. Each variation of the album focuses on a separate element, such as vocals and instrumentation, which allows the album to be enjoyed in a number of new ways.
Upon release, this may have appeared to have been a cash grab, which isn’t the case. During an interview with The Times in July, Ono Lennon explained how dearly his father’s music means to him, and why he feels it’s a necessary step to ensure it doesn’t become consigned to the history books.
“One thing that distinguishes my dad’s solo career is how personal his lyrics became. It is like a diary, and it is my duty to bring attention to my father’s music. Not just my duty to him, but a duty to the world,” he shared.
The musician continued: “With the world as it is now, people have forgotten so many things that I never imagined could be forgotten. I refuse to let that happen to this music — it means too much to me.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.