John Lennon“resented having to be a Beatle” and “wanted to move on and be a radical artist and activist” in the years following the breakup of the band, according to his son Sean Ono Lennon, 49.
Speaking to Chris Hawkins of BBC Radio 6 Music ahead of the release of a new box set, Power to the People, featuring Lennon’s Madison Square Garden concerts and unreleased tracks from the time he made the 1972 album Some Time in New York City, Ono Lennon candidly shared his father’s desire to move beyond being known as one of the Fab Four.
“I don’t feel that he’d fallen out of love with music. I think he’d fallen out of love with a certain kind of fame,” Ono Lennon explained. “I think he’d fallen out of love with having to be a part of a machinery, of a pop machine, you know.”
He continued, “I think that was—even though he was always rebellious within that framework—I think that he still resented having to be a Beatle, in a way.”
@bbc6music Sean Ono Lennon opened up to Chris Hawkins about his Dad’s complicated relationship with music and creativity. Listen back now on BBC Sounds 🎧
♬ original sound – BBC Radio 6 Music
Further sharing how John Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono influenced this change, Ono Lennon said, “I think he really wanted to move on from that, you know. I think his relationship with my mum was the catalyst for it and the symbol of it in his mind.”
Ono Lennon added that his father “wanted to move on and be a radical artist and activist” with Yoko Ono.
Sean Ono Lennon Says John Lennon Recorded All His Phone Calls
The legendary rocker’s son also shared the staggering revelation that John Lennon recorded all his phone calls during the early 1970s, after becoming concerned that the FBI had tapped his phone due to his political activism. Remarkably, those recordings became the foundation for the documentary One to One: John & Yoko, which gave Sean an opportunity to connect with his father’s most authentic self.
“For me, it was really incredible getting to hear them because they’re so candid, they’re even more candid than an interview, because it’s literally the most intimate thing you can hear—someone’s private phone call,” he said. “So it really feels more than anything like a time machine or a time capsule, where you just get to be a fly on the wall.”
‘Power to the People’ Box Set Release Details
Featuring John Lennon’s only recorded full-length concerts after leaving The Beatles, Power to the People includes two historic performances at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The concerts raised over $1.5 million to support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, drawing a combined audience of 40,000 people.
Power to the People will be released on October 10, 2025, and is available for pre-order now.
Related: How John Lennon Changed the World Forever 56 Years Ago Today
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