Sean Lennon says his parents John and Yoko were ‘the first power couple'
Musician Sean Lennon, the son of late Beatles star John Lennon and his wife, fellow musician Yoko Ono, has suggested his parents were the first true 'power couple'.
John and Yoko are the subject of a new documentary from Kevin Macdonald that explores their relationship and work around the time that John was organising his only full post-Beatles concert at Madison Square Garden in 1972.
The film, which was made with the cooperation of Sean, Yoko and the Lennon estate, includes extensive archive footage along with audio recordings of interviews and private phone calls.
'Anyone who pays attention to John and Yoko in the latter part of The Beatles, and then together through the Seventies, can see that my dad had this feeling that John and Yoko had sort of fused into one person,' Sean told The Telegraph in an interview this week.
'He had all these terms [such as] 'JOKO'! He said that they were one, and there should be one word: JohnandYoko.'
'I think a modern psychologist might say that [my dad] was a bit co-dependent,' he continued. But the reality is, he didn't want to individuate any more.
'They were the first power couple, like Brangelina or whatever. He wanted them to be an institution beyond just marriage and family. He wanted them to be an artistic union, a political union, a romantic union.'
The documentary also delves into the racism and hatred Yoko received from Beatles fans and members of the public who blamed her for breaking up The Beatles.
In 2021, Yoko appeared to agree with fans who suggested that Peter Jackson's three-part documentary, Get Back, had helped to dispel this notion, as archival footage showed her sitting quietly reading the newspaper or knitting while the band are at work.
'The thing with Yoko, though, that they have to say, is that she doesn't impose herself,' Jackson pointed out in an interview with 60 Minutes. 'She's writing letters, she's reading letters, she's doing sewing, she's doing painting, sometimes some artwork off to the side.'
In an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music last year about the Grammy-nominated expanded box set edition of John's 1973 album, Mind Games, Sean discussed the influence his mother had on his father's work.
At the time he was writing his fourth solo album, Mind Games, John was in the middle of his famous 18-month separation from Ono, a period referred to as the 'Lost Weekend'.
'A lot of people said like, 'Yoko wasn't around for this record, why are they featuring her in the booklet' or something,' Sean began. 'And I think there's a lot of history, there's a lot of assumptions made about that time period because they were sort of on their way towards that famous separation that people call the Lost Weekend.
'But the truth is, even when they were apart they were always talking, so I don't think they ever really broke up, all his stuff was still in the apartment with my mum. It's not like they had a real separation. And on top of it, all my dad was thinking about was her.'
He pointed to the album artwork for Mind Games: 'It's a collage of my mum literally the size of a mountain, and he's this little tiny thing sort of fading into the background.
'And I think it's clear what his view of my mum was in his life. She was monumental, obviously. And the whole album is about her.'
One to One: John & Yoko shows in IMAX exclusive previews on 9 and 10 April – and is in cinemas nationwide from 11 April.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
See Bruce Springsteen Bring Out Paul McCartney at Liverpool Concert
Bruce Springsteen is performing his first-ever shows in Liverpool, England — the birthplace of the Beatles — this week, so naturally Paul McCartney came out to join the E Street Band for a couple of songs Saturday. Wednesday marked Springsteen's first concert in Liverpool, and it was a Beatle-less affair. Saturday brought the Boss back to the city's Anfield stadium, and it was a pretty routine E Street show again until the encore, when Springsteen and company welcomed out McCartney: More from Rolling Stone Eric Church: 'I Enjoy the Antagonistic' Garland Jeffreys Was One of Rock's Most Essential Voices. Where Did He Go? Rob Reiner: 'Bruce Springsteen Is 100 Percent Right' About Trump 'Thank you Liverpool. You're lucky tonight, we have a young man, a local young man from Liverpool, he's gonna play with us tonight, I think he has a lot of talent, and I believe he's gonna be going places,' Springsteen quipped in his introduction. 'So let's bring out Paul McCartney.' McCartney first led the band on a rendition of the Fab Four classic 'Can't Buy Me Love' — Springsteen and the E Street Band's first time performing that song live — followed by a rendition of Little Willie Littlefield's 'Kansas City' that was popularized by Little Richard and then the Beatles on Beatles for Sale. The two rock legends have shared the stage together on a handful of occasions over the past dozen-plus years: At London's Hyde Park in July 2012, and again at New York's Madison Square Garden in September 2017 (both times they played 'I Saw Her Standing There'). They also performed together during McCartney's East Rutherford, New Jersey gig in June 2022 (playing the Beatles' 'I Wanna Be Your Man' and Springsteen's own 'Glory Days') and, most recently, a week later during McCartney's headlining set at Glastonbury. Mirroring the Beatles' own sojourn from Liverpool to Germany, Springsteen and the E Street Band's European tour next heads to Berlin on June 11. McCartney, who played a residency at New York's tiny Bowery Ballroom back in February, has no tour dates presently on his 2025 calendar. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
Why Disney and Universal are investing billions into their theme parks
The Walt Disney Company and Universal, two of the biggest names in theme parks, are both undertaking historic expansions to their experiences businesses. Universal Orlando Resort in May opened the gates to Epic Universe, its fourth theme park at its flagship resort. Epic cost an estimated $7 billion to build, according to numbers provided by the University of Central Florida. Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Universal parent company Comcast, called it the "single-largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business". "It's so different than anything else that we've ever built, but certainly I think it's different than anything anyone's ever built," said Karen Irwin, Universal Orlando President and COO. Epic's opening coincides with an expansion of Universal Orlando's resort portfolio, adding three Loews hotels to bring its total to 11 operated on the property. Universal is betting that the addition of Epic will turn the resort into a full-week destination, a distinction that is normally reserved for its crosstown neighbor, Walt Disney World. Not to be upstaged, Disney is working on a historic undertaking of its own. In 2023, Disney announced plans to invest $60 billion in its experiences segment, which includes theme parks, cruise ships and consumer products. Of that investment, $30 billion will go to its domestic theme parks, Disney World and Disneyland. "We've got a lion's share of that investment coming to us," said Michael Hundgen, portfolio executive creative producer with Walt Disney Imagineering. "It's about finding what strikes the best creative intent in the most value oriented way possible." These investments come at a time when both Disney and Comcast are paring down or spinning off their linear TV segments, an arena that has seen volatility in recent years. By comparison, theme parks have been consistent revenue drivers for the companies in the post-COVID tourism bounce. However, the timing of these openings and expansions could prove challenging for both theme parks. Epic's opening summer coincides with fears of a travel slowdown due to economic volatility. "If you're uncertain how the economy is going to develop, then you're going to try to be more cautious in your spending," said Jorge Ridderstaat, associate professor at UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
Cosmopolitan
6 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Ranking all the best bits you missed from Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter London tour dates
Beyoncé is in town, people! Queen Bey is currently halfway through her London leg of the Cowboy Carter Tour, and those who managed to secure tickets have witnessed music royalty in real-time. For those who didn't - or won't - be making it to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we've resorted to catching the best bits through our phone screens. So, as Beyoncé takes it easy for a couple of days before taking back to the stage on 10th June, we thought now might be the perfect time to look back on the epic performances so far. Because honestly, there have been some pretty iconic moments. For all the Beyoncé sleuths out there, you'll likely have checked out the setlist way ahead of time. Of course, the tour is in support of her Grammy-winning album, Cowboy Carter, meaning the show revolves mostly around this era. However, that doesn't mean that plenty of her other hit songs are out of the question. Despite this, many were gutted when her 2022 Renaissance hit 'Break My Soul' was nowhere to be seen on lists... Until now. Thankfully, on 7th June, she performed it as a surprise song. And as you can hear from the crowd's screams, it was the correct artistic decision to make. During the opening London show, Beyoncé also performed her Renaissance track, 'Energy.' With that, she prompted fans to reenact the Renaissance World Tour staple, the "mute challenge." To recap, this is where fans go silent when she sings the lyrics "look around everybody on mute." In 2022, it made its way onto social media and became a viral TikTok sensation. "We got Donatella Versace in the house," Beyoncé told the crowd towards the end of the show on night two. Which is perhaps the reason fans were treated to some new looks. Continuing with her cowboy couture theme, she donned cowboy hats, boots and plenty of fringe. During 'Alliigator Tears,' she served a fresh fit consisting of a white top, white skirt, thigh-high boots and fringe gloves. Later, she donned a Versace ensemble complete with a ruffled dress with matching boots and gloves. It's the UK. Rain doesn't spare anyone, even Sasha Fierce. On night one, the heavens opened, but rather than fuming at the weather, fans seemed to embrace it. Many even called it iconic. One person said that the downpour during 'Bodyguard' was a vibe, while others said that the rain made Honey Balenciaga's section of the show "all the more iconic." It didn't seem to bother Queen Bey, either, as she told the crowd: "We won't let the rain stop us." Unfortunately, even during a Beyoncé show, things can't always be guaranteed to go 100% smoothly. It's how you deal with unprecedented mishaps that separates amateurs from pros. On the first night, while performing 'I'm That Girl,' Bey encountered a wardrobe malfunction during a choreographed moment. Her gold chaps literally fell down around her ankles, but rather than freaking out, she continued. Her expression didn't change, nor did she try and fix the problem. Rather, one of her dancers subtly slipped them back up, fastened them, and carried on with the performance. It wasn't until after the chaps were firmly back up that Beyoncé hilariously acknowledged the slick moment: she just laughed as if to say, "s**t happens." And finally, how could we leave out the sweetest moment of all? Beyoncé literally hyped up her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who has been a major part of the Cowboy Carter Tour, as she left the stage. Just look at how proud she is of her! Mother-daughter goals right there. There's a reason she's called Queen Bey.
