John Lennon and his dad, Fred Lennon, had a fraught relationship for most of Lennon’s life. They went for years without speaking, and their first reunion after years apart was tense and uncomfortable. After a particularly bitter fight, Fred even believed Lennon was making plans to murder him. Despite this level of animosity, Lennon made amends with his father before his death.
John Lennon and his dad reconciled in 1976
After reuniting in the mid-1960s, Lennon and Fred fell out of contact again in 1970. Lennon had recently undergone primal scream therapy. When Fred arrived at his party, Lennon confronted him about the issues that had come up during therapy, Fred’s abandonment chief among them.
“As his voice tailed off, his rage seemed to change to anguish and for one moment I thought he might even begin to cry,” Fred’s wife Pauline wrote, per the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman.
John Lennon and his dad reconciled in 1976
After reuniting in the mid-1960s, Lennon and Fred fell out of contact again in 1970. Lennon had recently undergone primal scream therapy. When Fred arrived at his party, Lennon confronted him about the issues that had come up during therapy, Fred’s abandonment chief among them.
“As his voice tailed off, his rage seemed to change to anguish and for one moment I thought he might even begin to cry,” Fred’s wife Pauline wrote, per the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman.
- 9/28/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon spent most of his childhood estranged from his father. By the time Lennon had risen to fame with The Beatles, he’d gone two decades without seeing the man. This changed in 1965 when Lennon’s father, Alfred Lennon, knocked on his front door. According to Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, her husband was angry, embarrassed, and ill at ease throughout the visit.
John Lennon’s estranged father dropped in on him after years apart
In 1965, Alfred Lennon met a man who had occasionally driven The Beatles. He agreed to take Alfred to Lennon’s home, where a bewildered Cynthia answered the door.
“He was a charmer in his own way,” Cynthia said in the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman. “There was no way I could have shut the door on him. He looked like a tramp but he was John’s Dad. I had no...
John Lennon’s estranged father dropped in on him after years apart
In 1965, Alfred Lennon met a man who had occasionally driven The Beatles. He agreed to take Alfred to Lennon’s home, where a bewildered Cynthia answered the door.
“He was a charmer in his own way,” Cynthia said in the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman. “There was no way I could have shut the door on him. He looked like a tramp but he was John’s Dad. I had no...
- 9/19/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
Barbra Streisand released a John Lennon cover on her album Barbra Joan Streisand. The album also features tunes written by Carole King and Burt Bacharach. John said the song in question could apply to people in situations different from his own.
Barbra Streisand once covered one of John Lennon‘s songs and released it as a single. Subsequently, it became a hit in the United States. The tune in question is one of John’s most personal and revealing.
Barbra Streisand covered a John Lennon song on an album with songs by important artists
Streisand covered John’s ballad “Mother” for her album Barbra Joan Streisand. The album features recordings of tunes by well-known songwriters like John, Carole King, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Burt Bacharach. Streisand’s cover of “Mother” climbed to No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for five weeks. On the other hand,...
Barbra Streisand released a John Lennon cover on her album Barbra Joan Streisand. The album also features tunes written by Carole King and Burt Bacharach. John said the song in question could apply to people in situations different from his own.
Barbra Streisand once covered one of John Lennon‘s songs and released it as a single. Subsequently, it became a hit in the United States. The tune in question is one of John’s most personal and revealing.
Barbra Streisand covered a John Lennon song on an album with songs by important artists
Streisand covered John’s ballad “Mother” for her album Barbra Joan Streisand. The album features recordings of tunes by well-known songwriters like John, Carole King, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Burt Bacharach. Streisand’s cover of “Mother” climbed to No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for five weeks. On the other hand,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon was the most revealing and introspective member of The Beatles. Many of his songs revealed details of his past or brought to life emotions he kept trapped inside. These types of tracks were even more prominent in his solo career. One song he wrote for The Beatles was for his mother, with whom he had a troubled history.
John Lennon wrote ‘Julia’ for his mother John Lennon | Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images
John Lennon was born to Julia and Alfred Lennon on Oct. 9, 1940. His father abandoned him as an infant, leaving him alone with his mother. After receiving complaints from social services, Julia gave custody of John to her sister, Mimi, but the two still had contact. In 1958, a car struck and killed Julia when John was just 17.
The memory of his mother became a creative inspiration for the young singer. While The Beatles were initially a pop-rock band,...
John Lennon wrote ‘Julia’ for his mother John Lennon | Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images
John Lennon was born to Julia and Alfred Lennon on Oct. 9, 1940. His father abandoned him as an infant, leaving him alone with his mother. After receiving complaints from social services, Julia gave custody of John to her sister, Mimi, but the two still had contact. In 1958, a car struck and killed Julia when John was just 17.
The memory of his mother became a creative inspiration for the young singer. While The Beatles were initially a pop-rock band,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon and his dad, Alfred Lennon, had a rocky relationship. They reconnected after years without seeing or speaking to each other, but their relationship never quite recovered from Alfred’s time away from his son. During their last-ever meeting, Lennon flew into a rage and directed it at his father. When Alfred left, he wrote a letter to his lawyer, genuinely worried that Lennon would do something to harm him.
Alfred Lennon and John Lennon | J. R. Watkins/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Helmut Reiss/United Archives via Getty Images John Lennon and his dad got into an argument the last time they saw each other
Alfred Lennon remarried and had another child. The young family visited Lennon on his 30th birthday, but they didn’t find him in good spirits. He ranted about the people who negatively affected his life, Alfred included. Alfred said his wife, Pauline,...
Alfred Lennon and John Lennon | J. R. Watkins/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Helmut Reiss/United Archives via Getty Images John Lennon and his dad got into an argument the last time they saw each other
Alfred Lennon remarried and had another child. The young family visited Lennon on his 30th birthday, but they didn’t find him in good spirits. He ranted about the people who negatively affected his life, Alfred included. Alfred said his wife, Pauline,...
- 5/14/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney and John Lennon bonded over the deaths of their mothers and, according to McCartney, Lennon also spoke candidly about his relationship with his father. He was not a part of Lennon’s life for most of his childhood, but they reunited during Lennon’s time with The Beatles. According to McCartney, Lennon never fully recovered from his father’s absence.
John Lennon | Michael Putland/Getty Images Paul McCartney said John Lennon struggled with his relationship with his father
When Lennon was young, his father, Alfred, and his mother, Julia, separated. Alfred fell out of his life entirely, and Lennon moved in with his aunt and uncle. While he saw Julia sporadically throughout his childhood, he was fully estranged from Alfred. According to McCartney, Lennon’s formidable reputation as a teenager was a result of his upbringing.
“John was the local Ted. You saw him rather than met him,...
John Lennon | Michael Putland/Getty Images Paul McCartney said John Lennon struggled with his relationship with his father
When Lennon was young, his father, Alfred, and his mother, Julia, separated. Alfred fell out of his life entirely, and Lennon moved in with his aunt and uncle. While he saw Julia sporadically throughout his childhood, he was fully estranged from Alfred. According to McCartney, Lennon’s formidable reputation as a teenager was a result of his upbringing.
“John was the local Ted. You saw him rather than met him,...
- 5/8/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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