John Lennon's son Sean Ono Lennon said he is increasingly concerned that younger generations could "forget" The Beatles, prompting him to take a more active role in protecting and promoting his parents' legacy.
Sean Ono Lennon, 50, told "CBS Sunday Morning" he has "technically" assumed responsibilities long handled by his mother, Yoko Ono, now 92, as she enters later life.
He said he is focused on keeping his father's legacy and The Beatles' music from fading from view.
"But obviously the world is also the custodian of his legacy, I would say," he said. "I'm just doing my best to help make sure that the younger generation doesn't forget about The Beatles and John and Yoko.
"That's how I look at it."
When asked whether forgetting the band was a real possibility, Sean Ono Lennon said his outlook has changed.
"I do, actually," he said. "And I never did before."
John Lennon rose to international fame in the 1960s as a member of The Beatles alongside Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.
The group became one of the most influential acts in music history before breaking up in 1970.
John Lennon later pursued a solo career and collaborated extensively with Yoko Ono, whom he married in 1969, until his death in 1980 at age 40.
Sean Ono Lennon said preserving that history feels like a personal obligation rather than a professional duty.
"My parents gave me so much that I think it's the least I can do to try and support their legacy in my lifetime," he said. "I feel like I just owe it to them. It's a personal thing."
Sean Ono Lennon said activism was central to his parents' legacy, not just their music. He said the "peace and love" message also defined how they engaged with political and social issues.
"But it's not just peace and love," he said. "It's an attitude towards activism that is done with humor and love."
Sean Ono Lennon said he feels pressure assuming responsibilities his mother carried for decades, saying she set a high standard in managing his father's work.
"She set a high standard for the way that she dealt with my dad's music, and the Beatles stuff," he said. "She's always been very singular."
Sean Ono Lennon has previously spoken about the lasting impact of his father's death on his mother.
In a 2024 interview with BBC Radio 6 Music, he said Yoko Ono "never has moved on from that relationship," reflecting on what he described elsewhere as the enduring bond between his parents, according to NME.
Among his recent projects is an animated short inspired by the 1971 song "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," which John Lennon and Yoko Ono originally released as a protest against the Vietnam War.
Sean Ono Lennon said the aim was to present the song in a way that would capture attention anew.
"I wanted to see if I could get that feeling of maybe it sounds like you're hearing it again for the first time, or at least in a new context, in a way that you'd pay attention, as opposed to, 'Oh, there it is on the radio again,'" he said.
The short film, "War Is Over!" co-created with former Pixar animator Dave Mullins, depicts two soldiers on opposite sides of a conflict playing a game of chess.
Released in 2023, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2024.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono's life together is also revisited in the new HBO documentary "One to One," which chronicles their first year in New York City and their 1972 Madison Square Garden performance, their only full-length concert together.
"It's my origin story, actually," Sean Ono Lennon said. "If you think about it, they came to New York, and that's the only reason I exist."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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