Julian Lennon says he was ‘heartbroken’ by the reaction to his last album
Musician and photographer said he’d hoped to appear on late-night TV but ‘sadly nobody would have me on’
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Your support makes all the difference.Julian Lennon has claimed that “nobody” would have him on their late-night shows while he was promoting his most recent album.
The musician and photographer, who is the son of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia Powell, released his record Jude – his first in over a decade – in 2022.
Speaking to The Independent at the time, Lennon, 61, said the album’s title was an act of reclamation that helped him come to terms with his past.
In a new interview, however, he admitted he was “heartbroken” by the apathy he apparently received in response to his music, and suggested it had put him off recording anything else for the foreseeable.
“I put a band together at the end of last year and did some rehearsals in Los Angeles, and I was amazed at how great we sounded,” he told The Observer.
“The idea was to hit a couple of the American late-night TV shows and the likes of Graham Norton and Jools Holland, but sadly nobody would have me on, so that was a bit of a letdown.
“I’m not saying I’m leaving music alone but I was heartbroken by that, I still am.”
In the same Q&A, Lennon revealed he is “not part of the inner circle” involving other Beatles offspring or family members.
“You have to realise that when Dad left, when I was between three and five (it was a bit of a process), it was just mum and me, and we had nothing to do with the Beatles or Dad,” he said.
“I visited him on the odd occasion but we were very much on the outside. I’m thankful that Sean and I get on like a house on fire – we’re best buddies and he tells me what he can, but things are pretty secret on the Beatles front.”
Lennon has since released his first photo book, titled Life’s Outstanding Moments, which came out in September 2024.
Last month, Lennon revealed that he had been treated for skin cancer for a second time.
“My lovely dermatologist [was] the one who caught and operated on my mole skin cancer a few years ago, and literally saved my life,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Anyway, after having just finished GMA, I received a message from Dr Tess, with some urgency to return to Los Angeles, as I had two locations on my skin, shoulder and forearm, one of which was melanoma, that should be operated on asap!!
“So instead of going home to put my Christmas tree up and happily finish the year off, relaxing at home, I flew directly back to Los Angeles, after all my work in New York was done, and went directly from LAX airport, to surgery.”
Lennon said the operation was a success but he has yet to receive the results of the biopsy.
“First of all, I’m very thankful to Dr Tess and Dr Tim, for being able to coordinate this surgery at such short notice, but for once again, hopefully saving my life,” he said.
“One can never be too confident in circumstances like this, but we all believe that Dr Tim has saved the day… So fingers crossed for now.”
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