Into the Sun

Background:

“Peace is a good thing, and so is salmon when it's smoked.” Sean Lennon

The only child of “The Beatles” founding member John Lennon and his avant-garde artist wife Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon entered the music scene at age 6 reciting a story on his mother's album “Season of Glass” (1981).

After joining the New York City-based band “Cibo Matto” in the mid '90s, Sean scored a solo recording deal and released his debut solo album, "Into the Sun" (1998), which managed to peak at #153 on Billboard. It spawned the singles "Home," "Intermission," and "5/8." After fading out of the spotlight for several years, he returned with his comeback album, "Friendly Fire" (2006). Sean has recently stated that he is working on a new solo album.

On a more personal front, the 5' 9" British musician with Irish, English and Japanese heritage once dated Elizabeth Jagger (actress, daughter of Mick Jagger; born on March 2, 1984; dated in 2004), Bijou Phillips (actress; born on April 1, 1980; dated 2000-February 2004), and Yuka Honda (member of the band “Cibo Matto;” lived together from 1996-1999). He is now reportedly dating model Irina Lazareanu

Lennon Legacy

Childhood and Family:

The only child of legendary musician John Lennon (born on October 9, 1940; murdered on December 8, 1980), and Yoko Ono (born on February 18, 1933), Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born on October 9, 1975, in New York, New York. John Lennon, who wrote the song “Beautiful Boy” for Sean, quit the music business and became a house husband to focus his attentions on raising young Sean (between 1975-1980).

In 1980, when Sean was 5 years old, John was shot by a fan outside the apartment building in Manhattan where the Lennons lived. Sean recalled, "I remember when my dad died. You don't really miss anything specific. You just miss them breathing, just being there. I miss the way his skin felt, the sound of his voice, him tucking me in at night."

Sean has one half sister, Kyoko Chan Cox (born on August 8, 1963; father: Anthony Cox), and one half brother, Julian Lennon (actor, musician; born on April 8, 1963; mother: Cynthia Lennon).

Sean frequently spent time with his mother's side of the family when they visited Japan. He had little contact with his father's side, though, until Yoko took him to the British Isles in the 1980s to meet the surviving Lennons and Stanleys (John's mother's family), and to see Liverpool, where John grew up.

Young Sean attended the exclusive private boarding school Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland. When he returned to the United States four years later, he enrolled at Dalton Schools. He also went to Columbia University, but left after three semesters to focus on his music career.

Sean’s godfather is English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist Elton John. He is also a childhood friend of Grammy-winning music producer Mark Ronson.

Friendly Fire

Career:

At the age of 6, Sean Lennon debuted in the music scene by reciting a story on his mother's first released recording after the murder of John Lennon, “Season of Glass” (1981). He continued to collaborate with his mother and contributed vocals and receiving production credit on her solo albums “It's Alright (I See Rainbows)” (1982), “Starpeace” (1985) and “Onobox,” a 1992 comprehensive 6-disc collection of Yoko Ono's work from 1968 to 1985. Afterward, Sean was featured in the cast of Michael Jackson's 1988 “Moonwalker” and Sony's 1990 promotional short-film “Infinite Escher.”

At age 16, Sean co-wrote the song "All I Ever Wanted" with Lenny Kravitz, who was 21 at the time, for Kravitz's second studio album, “Mama Said” (1991). In the mid '90s, Sean, alongside Sam Koppelman and Timo Ellis, formed the band “IMA” to back his mother on her album “Rising” (1995).

The following year, when Ono was working on a remix for the song "Talking To The Universe" for a "Rising" remix EP "Rising Mixes," she invited Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda of “Cibo Matto” to mix the song. They met Sean and invited him to join them on tour as a bass player. Sean subsequently became a member of their band as well as their musical side project, "Butter 08," whose other members included Russell Simins of the “Jon Spencer Blues Explosion,” Rick Lee of “Skeleton Key,” and director Mike Mills. They released just one album, the self-titled "Butter 08" (1996) on the Beastie Boys' now defunct Grand Royal record label.

"I think I found the only label on the planet who doesn't care who my parents are and what my name is. It's a good feeling to know that I wouldn't have gotten the offer if they wouldn't have liked my songs. That's pretty rare in the music business!" Sean Lennon

After being signed to Grand Royal Records, Sean released his debut album, "Into the Sun," on May 19, 1998. The album peaked at #153 on Billboard. It spawned the singles "Home," "Intermission," and "5/8." Sean then embarked on a tour to promote the album and was often backed by "Cibo Matto." He also performed on such radio programs as “The Howard Stern Show” and KCRW's “Morning Becomes Eclectic.”

On February 23, 1999, Sean released an EP in Japan, "Half Horse, Half Musician," which consists of new tracks like "Heart & Lung" and "Happiness," as well as remixes of songs from “Into The Sun.”

The new millennium saw Sean enter the rap scene and contributing vocals to Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Handsome Boy Modeling School and Jurassic 5. He performed the Beatles classics "This Boy," "Across The Universe," and "Julia" alongside Robert Schwartzman, Rufus Wainwright and Moby for “Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music” on national television in 2001 before fading out of the spotlight.

Although Sean signed with Capitol Records following the demise of Grand Royal Records in 2001, his solo record didn't surface until February 2006, which marked the release of "Dead Meat," the first single from his second studio and comeback album, "Friendly Fire." Released on October 3, 2006, by Capitol Records in the U.S. and Parlophone in the U.K., the album climbed to #152 in the Billboard 200 chart and #5 in the Top Heatseekers chart.

The night "Friendly Fire" was released, Sean made his first major television appearance in five years by performing "Dead Meat" live on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” He has since appeared on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” and “The Sharon Osbourne Show.” Meanwhile, along with French artist "-M-," Lennon collaborated on the song "L'éclipse," a remix of his song "Parachute" that was featured as a bonus track on the French release of "Friendly Fire."

Sean has recently stated that he is working on a new solo album.

Awards:
---