In a Dec. 21 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the 50-year-old musician and producer said that with Yoko Ono now 92, he has “technically” taken over her role as custodian of John Lennon’s legacy.
“But obviously the world is also the custodian of his legacy,” Sean 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.”
When asked if forgetting them was really possible, Sean admitted it was — something he said he never believed before.
John Lennon rose to global fame in the 1960s alongside Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison. After The Beatles broke up, John pursued a solo career and collaborated closely with Yoko Ono following their marriage in 1969. His life and career were cut short when he was murdered in 1980 at age 40.
“My parents gave me so much,” Sean said. “I think it’s the least I can do to try and support their legacy in my lifetime. I feel like I owe it to them.”
Sean described that legacy as more than just “peace and love.” Instead, he said it represents an approach to activism built on humor, compassion and humanity.
“I think the Beatles’ music, and John and Yoko’s legacy, is something important for the world to cherish and be reminded of,” he said. “That’s how I see my job.”
Still, the responsibility weighs on him. Sean acknowledged feeling pressure to live up to the standard his mother set while managing his father’s work and The Beatles’ history.
“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.”
One way Sean has honored that legacy is by reintroducing his parents’ 1971 song Happy Xmas (War Is Over) to new audiences. Originally written as a protest against the Vietnam War, the song later became a holiday staple.
“I wanted to see if I could get that feeling of hearing it again for the first time,” Sean explained, rather than it fading into background radio noise.
That idea led to War Is Over!, a short animated film he created with former Pixar animator Dave Mullins. The film, which tells the story of two soldiers playing chess on opposite sides of a war, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2024.
Sean is also deeply connected to a new HBO documentary, One to One, which focuses on John and Yoko’s first year in New York City and their 1972 Madison Square Garden concert — the only full-length concert they performed together.
“It’s my origin story, actually,” Sean said. “They came to New York, and that’s the only reason I exist.”
Born in Manhattan in 1975, Sean said the documentary includes home video footage and recordings he had never seen before.
“It’s like getting more moments to spend with my dad,” he said. “On a personal level, it really means a lot.”
Looking ahead, the story of The Beatles will reach a new generation through The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, a major four-part biopic directed by Sam Mendes and scheduled for release in 2028. Each film will focus on a different member of the band, with Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Anna Sawai will portray Yoko Ono.
For Sean Ono Lennon, all of it — the films, the music, the memories — comes back to one simple mission: making sure his parents’ voices, values and art continue to matter.
“I just want people to remember,” he said.
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