Sean Ono Lennon has revealed that he started making music in order to “fill the void” left by the death of his father, John Lennon.
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The musician and producer was born in 1975 to the former Beatles icon and the artist Yoko Ono, and was only five years old when his father was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman in 1980.
In a new interview with People, Lennon has shared a personal insight into how the tragedy affected him and how music became an outlet for his creativity.
“I never played music because I was good at it,” he explained. “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.”
Sean Ono Lennon and John Lennon. Credits: Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images and Chris Walter/WireImage
“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.”
Lennon has released a number of solo records, including this year’s ‘Asterisms’, and in recent years has become a sought-after producer for alternative bands including Fat White Family, Temples and The Lemon Twigs.
Sean has also recently been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for the reissue of his father’s 1973 album ‘Mind Games’, for which Sean oversaw new “meditation” mixes.
“The whole album is about my mum,” Sean explained in the new interview. “My dad declared to the world that ‘John and Yoko’ were one word. I think he always had his heart set on her. He was so in love with her. They had a legendary love and I think that this album is infused with that love. You can hear it.”
At the time of the ‘Mind Games’ reissue, Sean spoke about his father’s post-Beatles work. “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.”
“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.”
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