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12 December 2000
 Magazine
alert! The December 18th edition of People magazine has a
short blurb and photo of Julian taken at the World Music Awards in 1999.
| -- Lennon would no doubt take heart in knowing
that both his children carry his tuneful torch. "He has
finally come into his own," Cynthia Lennon says of Julian,
37, who, after drug problems and a string of most forgettable
albums, won over some critics with his last CD, Photograph Smile.
Living in Italy and France with his 24-year-old girlfriend,
Lucy Bayliss, Julian, who received a reported $30 million inheritance
from Ono in 1996 after a long legal battle, collects Beatle
memorabilia and is working on a new album, due next year. -- |
Sorry guys no confirmation on that last bit... we will
just have to wait and see...
Thank you Lynn 
7-8/12 December
2000
After
getting numerous requests for a statement in regards to how Julian felt
with the upcoming 20th anniversary of his father's death, Julian wrote
a statement on December 4th and released it to his website on December
6th.
Read
the full statement on JulianLennon.com
Of course the media quickly picked it up... and interpreted
it as they wished...
The AP
newswire simply linked statements made by Paul McCartney and Julian...
Paul Majendie of Reuters took literary license
and wrote a piece entitled "Julian
Lennon Looks Back in Anger" twice... the second of
which can be found on most news sites and makes small mention to Paul
McCartney's statement at the end... Mr. Majendie focuses on the long
time rift between Julian and Yoko stating "(Julian) returned
to the attack" on Yoko Ono yet he completely disregarding the
jab at Beatle fans and the media for their incessant requests for
information on a father Julian really didn't know....
In his first piece: "Julian
Lennon Looks Back in Anger at Father" Mr. Majendie uses the
overused "shadow" reference which the media has had follow
Julian around for the past 16 year... "At 37, Julian Lennon
showed the strain of living in his father's shadow. 'Life is difficult
enough. Trying to find one's own identity makes it even harder, especially
when you are not allowed to be you,' he said."
Launch.com's Gary Graff misses the mark with
his "Julian
Lennon Issues Statement to Commemorate Dad's Assassination" when
he says "Julian's relationship with Ono has been openly contentious,
and the two have haggled in recent years over John's estate and money
Julian felt is owed to him." - Sorry but it isn't the
money Julian has talked about it is the fact that Yoko will not give
him any of his father's belongings so that they can be heirlooms for
Julian, any children Julian may have in the future, and John's family
in England... anything of John's Julian must buy at auction...
NME.com brutally gets in on the Yoko strife and
throws out some erroneous information taboot with their Oh
No, Yoko: Julian Lennon launches blistering attack on Yoko Ono
they open with "JOHN LENNON's eldest son JULIAN has used the
upcoming 20th anniversary of his father's murder (December 8) to launch
a withering attack at LENNON's widow YOKO ONO, holding her wholly
responsible for the fracturing of their father/son relationship and
equating her to a "black hole" " Then they continue
with "In the no holds barred attack he went on" Excuse
me? It was you the media who was hounding him for the ENTIRE YEAR
for a statement!!
Then to go on with "Julian was prevented from
attending his father's funeral in New York after his mother (Lennon's
first wife) Cynthia told Yoko she felt he was too young to travel
to such a difficult occasion alone. When she suggested accompanying
Julian, Yoko made it clear that if she arrived neither would be allowed
to attend the service" WRONG! Julian flew to NYC
Dec 9th without his mother because of YOKO!!!
Sydney's Morning Herald ran a piece titled "Julian
Lennon... pointing the finger" and again focuses on the statements
aimed toward Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon...
Australia's The Age comes right out and puts
it in the title... "Lennon's
son blames Yoko for rift"
RollingStone.com Does a bit better with their
"Julian
Lennon Issues Statement About Father" starting out with the
quote "I am not John Lennon, I never will be!"
Maybe someday people will realize that all of this stems
from the same problem... the media prints what sells... news on John
Lennon and rifts with Yoko Ono sells... and it is what Julian will likely
be asked about from now until eternity as pathetic as that may be...
of course the one quote left out of all of these with the exception
of the few which ran the entire statement...
"Life is difficult enough. Trying to find one's
own identity makes it even harder, especially when you're not allowed
to be you. How are you supposed to define your own character when
all people want from you are answers about someone else's life, a
life that you don't have answers for! I am not John Lennon, I never
will be! I have never lived his life and never will do! Yet a lot
of people believe I have all the answers! Well--I don't! I feel sorry
for all the lost souls out there who have to look outside themselves
for the truth. Everything comes from within, it's just a question
of being able to touch it. You learn from without but you know from
within."
I feel sorry for them too I just wish they would let Julian
have some peace. But from what I've seen in the 16 years of being a
fan I have serious doubts it will ever happen... Peace to you Jules...
CJ of Hey Jules...
PS. If the links to the articles (each articles title)
stop working please let me know...
Update December 8th:
Here are some more...
NY Post - Lennon's
Son Julian Slams Dad this one starts with "Talk about
bad karma! John Lennon's eldest son is marking the 20th anniversary
of John's death today with a cyber-diatribe against the slain Beatle
and his widow, Yoko Ono." And includes a comment by Yoko
Ono's spokesman Elliot Mintz "It's a free country . . . but
I found it absolutely disturbing that he has picked this day and this
time to once again vent his anger and frustration towards Yoko.
Julian had some legitimate issues with his father, and John acknowledged
the fact he was an absentee father . . . but Julian wants to lay much
of the blame on Yoko."
DotMusic.com - Lennon's
Son Brands Him "Lost Soul" pretty short.. only
one thing Julian is 37 not 38...
Ottawa Citizen - Only a brief mention of Julian
and his statement at the end of their "Paul
McCartney says he'll be thinking about Beatles bandmate Lennon on
Friday" but I love Paul's comment: "On Friday, I'll
be doing what we always enjoyed best together - making music. What
else would you want to do?"
Update December 12
I think this will be the last of these but a couple
more article from the BBC... thanks to Laura D for bring them
to my attention
Living
with Lennon's Legacy discusses the differences growing up Julian
and Sean Lennon...
Julian
Lennon reflects on John discusses the statement made on the official
site focusing on Julian not knowing his father, the statements aimed
at Yoko, and those towards Sean...
Considering the way the media handled this it seems that
most fans have decided to express their feelings on the Guestbook
vice heading to the Message
Board which is fine by me... It isn't something I care to discuss
much either beyond what I've posted here in the news... It is a real
shame that Julian's statement was spliced and used in the form it was..
it was well thought out and sincere not a vindictive jab as it was made
out to be... Thank you to all who have left kind and thoughtful messages
in the Guestbook
- CJ
27 November
2000
JulianLennon.com
has added several new additions to their site including a "shopping"
section where you can purchase "Photograph Smile" on
CD/Cassette/ and the Limited Ed. Promotional Version as well as various
"Photograph Smile" apparel items. If you wish to receive
items before Christmas you must order before December 11th.
The official site also makes note of some recent donations
Julian has made including gifts to the Brooklands Special School in
Surrey, England for their Autographed Celebrity Memorabilia Auction
which raised £4, 425 as well as a photograph Julian took and donated
to Fashion Acts to help raise money for people affected by HIV/AIDS.
40 celebrities were given Olympus i-zoom 75 compact cameras and asked
to take 3 photographs one of which was signed and sold at auction on
November 1st. Julian's photo can be viewed on JulianLennon.com
by going to the "Photos" section and looking under
"Fashion Acts"
27 November
2000 updated 4 December 2000
Apparently
a new interview with Julian Lennon will be appearing on a VH1 Behind
the Music on John Lennon which will premier Sunday December 3rd.
Update December 4: The interview footage in this
Behind the Music on John Lennon is actually not new... it was filmed
late 1998/early 1999 by VH1 for the Julian Lennon Behind the Music which
premiered in April 1999.
Show times include:
Dec 3 @ 11:30am & 9pm EST
Dec 4 @ 12:30am EST
Dec 5 @ 9pm EST
Dec 8 @ 12pm & 11:30pm EST
Dec 9 @ 8am EST
Dec 11 @ 11pm EST
Dec 24 @ 1pm EST
Below is the Press Release from VH1 from November 22nd
- "Behind the Music" explores last years of John - Thanks
Jeann
| VH1's Emmy-Nominated Series 'Behind The Music'
Looks at 'John Lennon: The Last Years' in New Episode Premiering
Sunday, December 3 at 9:00 P.M. (ET/PT) Episode Features New
Interviews With Yoko Ono, Julian Lennon, David Geffen and Others
NEW YORK, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1980, John Lennon rediscovered
his passion for rock 'n' roll, a feeling he'd been missing
during a self-imposed five-year break from the music business.
His "Double Fantasy'' album was screaming up the charts,
he was planning his first world tour since the Beatles broke
up, and he was poised to begin a new phase of his life. Then,
the bullets from a deranged fan's gun silenced him forever.
Now, after 20 years, those who knew John Lennon best speak
out when VH1's highest rated original series continues its
acclaimed music biography tradition when "Behind the
Music: John Lennon: The Last Years,'' a poignant chronicle
of the rock legend's final half-decade, premieres on Sunday,
December 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
The debut of "Behind the Music: John Lennon: The Last
Years'' is preceded by an airing of the two-hour special "The
Beatles Revolution,'' beginning at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The
"Behind the Music'' episode will also air again on December
8, the 20th anniversary of Lennon's death.
"Behind the Music: John Lennon: The Last Years'' features
exclusive new interview footage with Yoko Ono, as well as
his son Julian Lennon and close friends like music mogul David
Geffen, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, photographer
Bob Gruen and actor Peter Boyle. Additional interviews include
the police officers who responded to the scene on the night
Lennon was murdered, and the Emergency Room doctor who tried
in vain to save his life.
"Behind the Music: John Lennon: The Last Years'' tracks
the former Beatle's life from 1975, when his wife Yoko Ono
gave birth to Sean, and Lennon took the opportunity to quit
rock's rat race and instead raise his son. For five years
afterward, Lennon was able to enjoy a life he had never had
before, one in which he was a regular husband and father,
as well as just a neighborhood guy who could walk the streets
like other New Yorkers.
In the summer of 1980, however, Lennon began to take sailing
lessons, and during a storm-tossed trip to Bermuda, he was
asked to take the helm. A raging squall knocked him off his
feet time and again, but Lennon persisted at the wheel, singing
old Liverpool sea chanteys and shouting at the gods. Landing
in Bermuda, Lennon the survivor found himself centered, focused
and inspired. Finding his voice again, he soon had enough
material for a new album, and took to the studio with Yoko.
Recording in secret sessions, Lennon gradually regained his
confidence, and the brilliant "Double Fantasy'' came
together with John and Yoko alternating tracks on the album.
Songs like "Beautiful Boy,'' "Woman'' and "Just
Like Starting Over'' reflected Lennon's evolution during the
years away from music and also his new priorities as family
man. With the new album finished, life for Lennon was, indeed,
just like starting over: he and Yoko gave their first press
interviews in years, he was excited about rock again, he announced
plans to tour extensively for the first time since 1966. But
on December 8, as he and Yoko strolled into the entrance of
his apartment building in New York City, a deranged fan put
an end to Lennon's plans. The dream was over.
Critically applauded by the Arizona Republic as ``So addictive
it should be preceded by a warning from the surgeon general,''
the Emmy Award-nominated series takes an intimate look into
the personal lives of pop music's greatest and most influential
artists, tracing their struggles, setbacks and successes.
``Behind The Music'' features rare and never-before-seen archive
video, film and home movie footage, concert clips and songs,
plus exclusive interviews with the artists, their families,
friends and colleagues.
"Behind the Music: John Lennon: The Last Years'' is
a production of VH1. Jeff Gaspin and George Moll are executive
producers.
|
27 November 2000
"Pop
And Me" a documentary on fathers and sons has a short interview
with Julian candidly talking about his father filmed in 1996 will be
released on DVD on December 19th, 2000... The DVD will have 8 additional
minutes of Julian's interview which was cut from the film release. You
can pre-Order
Pop & Me from Amazon.com!!
Previous news bits on "Pop & Me"
Visit
the "Pop & Me website...
11 October 2000
A
recent updated from "Pop & Me" a documentary on fathers
and sons which includes an interview with Julian...
| Out of the 90 films that were invited to the
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, including all 5 of last
years Academy Award nominees - "Pop & Me" was
chosen as the Opening Night Showcase! It's a great honor and
Pop, Chris, as well as Richard Roe jr. will be attending this
coming weekend (October 13). The report from the Bangkok Film
Festival was very positive (unfortunately we couldn't make it,
although Pop did manage to squeeze in a vacation in Aspen from
his already-vacation lifestyle), and we just found out that
"Pop & Me" got accepted into the Ojai Film Festival
in November. There are several more festival screenings coming
up (including Marco Island and Rehoboth Beach), so go to http://www.popandme.com/screenings.html
to see if we'll be coming near you.
Also MGM has been aggressively selling "Pop & Me"
for our video and DVD release on December 19 - so next time
you go to your local video store, see if they plan on having
"Pop & Me" so you won't have to go to their
competition to find it. And as always, thanks so much for
your time and your support,
- Pop & me
|
If you would like to be added to the "Pop & Me" mailing
list or know friends who would like to be added please send an email
to creo@mediaone.net
Previous news bits on "Pop & Me"
Visit
the "Pop & Me website...
9 October 2000
In
honor of their 300th show Acoustic Cafe featured the 6 best guests
from each year they have been on the air on the show and Julian was
picked for 1999!
Check it out at http://www.mlive.com/cafe
and hear an edited version of the interview as well as Julian
and Matt Backer playing songs from 'Photograph Smile' acoustic!
- Read
a transcription of the full interview here on Hey Jules....
5 October 2000
Bravo
will be re-airing "The Real Yoko Ono" Sunday October
8th at 6am EST and 1pm EST. This biography profile has as short interview
with Julian mentioning Yoko could have given him a few of his father's
items as heirlooms...
MDC was denied parole at his October 3, 2000 parole hearing.
He will be up again for parole in October of 2002. For those interested,
the parole boards' one page letter denying parole can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/chapmanlennon001003.html
. (Thanks to Ron!)
Yoko Ono sent a letter to the parole board stating she
did not wish to see MDC granted parole. Julian has refused all interviews
regarding this subject and his official website has stated that "Julian
will commemorate his father's death in his own private way and believes
that Mark Chapman's situation is for the parole board to decide."
2 October 2000
Did
Julian play his father in a made for TV biography.... that is something
I've been asked numerous times but haven't actually found out for sure...
but the biography in question will be airing on the Fox Movie Channel
(Channel 258 on Direct TV) Saturday Oct. 14th at 1:31pm EST and again
on Sunday Oct. 15th at 3:31am EST...
"Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story"
is a made for TV 1995 biography on the life of Mia Farrow.
The
Internet Movie Database (IMDb) lists Julian as playing his father
as does several other movie databases on the internet... Honestly, this
is not something I could imagine Julian doing but if he did it was done
at a time when he was spending very little time with his own musical
career having stopped promotion for his music in 1992 and not working
again on his own music until his 1997 work for the 1998 release of "Photograph
Smile"
I plan on at least taping the show and will post what
I see/think after seeing it...
Update October 25, 2000: I've watched most of this
movie... "John Lennon" is shown for about 3 seconds during
a flashback showing Mia Farrow with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Whoever
IS playing John Lennon does not appear very comfortable in doing so
but I can't tell definitely if it is Julian or not and the film credits
do not have the person who plays John listed.
1 October 2000
Cynthia
Lennon was recently interviewed for a controversial new documentary
called "The Real John Lennon." The documentary asserts
that John and Yoko's marriage was on the rocks and that John was planning
on returning to Liverpool. His cousin Stanley Parkes quotes a letter
from John shortly before his murder: "I'm coming home...I'm
going to look after my own family for a change." The documentary
also states that Yoko had already moved John's belongings out of their
apartment and was planning on divorcing John for her long-term lover
whom she is still with today.
Cynthia talks about how she came home from a week long
vacation with Julian and discovered John and Yoko: "All the
lights were on, we went in and shouted, 'Anybody home?' John and Yoko
were sitting there, he was in a dressing gown and she was in a dressing
gown. They just sat there as if everything was normal." And
how she blames Yoko for wrecking her marriage and for keeping John from
Julian... Cynthia also tells how shortly after John and Yoko relocated
to NYC Cynthia received a call from Yoko. "She said, 'John and
I have decided that from now on I speak to you about Julian and he speaks
to my ex-husband about my daughter Kyoko'. Then there was no contact
for four years. Julian would watch TV and it would be, 'That's my daddy!'
At school it was, 'My daddy is a Beatle'. But daddy wasn't having anything
to do with him."
Cynthia sums up the anger which has haunted the family
ever since. "After John got shot there was a phone call from
Yoko wanting to speak to Julian," she says. "He was
very distressed and said, 'Mum, Yoko wants me to go to the funeral'.
I said, 'Do you want me to go with you?' He said yes. I told Yoko I
didn't think he was in any fit state to go to America alone and she
said, 'Look, Cynthia, if you come he won't be coming - it's not as if
you're an old school friend of mine, is it?' I couldn't believe what
I was hearing."
Other people interviewed for the documentary include former
personal assistants May Pang and Fred Seaman as well as John's half
sister Julia Baird. Yoko was invited to appear in the documentary however
she declined... The documentary was shown on UK C4 on Saturday. No US
dates that I know of...
For more info: The
Mirror October 1, 2000
For Discussion: I've already seen a lot of discontent
on this documentary on behalf of Yoko fans. Their feeling is Cynthia,
May and Fred should not be living off of their brief time with John
and just let the past go... What are you're thoughts on this subject...
do you feel John's UK family is justified in their claim to their past?
Post
You're Views on the Message Board!
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July - September 2000 
