NEED TO KNOW
John Lennon had two sons.
The first one, Julian Charles John Lennon, was born to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon.
The second one, Sean Taro Ono Lennon, was born to his second wife, Yoko Ono.
John Winston-Ono Lennon (October 9, 1940 –December 8, 1980) was an English music icon, lyricist, and social activist. John grew up in an average family in Liverpool but grew up to become one of the most significant personalities of the century.
Born to Julia Stanley and Alfred Lennon, his aunt, Mimi ‘Mary’ Smith, raised him Smith, at their home, ‘Mendips’ after the separation of his parents. John Winston Ono Lennon gained international recognition as the co-founder, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of The Beatles.
The group became the most successful rock band in history in the 1960s by leading the ‘British Invasion’ of the era and creating music and fashion trends for an entire generation. After the disintegration of the band in 1970, Lennon turned to his solo career.
The private life of Lennon revolved around two marriages and two children. He married Cynthia Powell in 1962, and Cynthia gave birth to a son named Julian Charles John Lennon in Liverpool on April 8, 1963; they separated in 1968.
He chose Japanese multimedia artist Yoko Ono for his second marriage, and she remained his partner in art projects and politics until his death. Yoko Ono gave birth to his son, Sean Taro Ono Lennon, in New York on October 9, 1975.
Julian Charles
Julian Charles (also known as Julian Charles; born on April 8, 1963, in Liverpool, England) is an English musician, photographer, author, and philanthropist. He is popularly known for being the elder son of the legendary Beatles musician John Lennon and his ex-wife Cynthia Lennon.
The name was chosen in honor of his grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian Lennon has spent his entire life in the shade of his father’s fame and popularity. In 2020, he legally reversed the order of his name to Julian Charles John Lennon.
In 1984, Julian began his musical career with the highly praised album ‘Valotte’. Throughout the years that followed, he released seven more studio albums, which consisted of lyrics that were very personal along with wonderful pop-rock music.
Julian was not limited to just music, and besides composing music for movies, he even acted at times. Julian has also become an award-winning photographer of fine arts and a writer of the ‘New York Times’ best-selling children’s books. He has also produced an environmental documentary called ‘Whaledreamers’ in 2006.
Julian is the offspring of John Lennon and Cynthia Powell (Cynthia Lennon). Cynthia was an artist and textile designer, who got married to John after he discovered that she was pregnant in 1962. Julian also has a younger half-brother by the name of Sean Ono Lennon, who was conceived when John Lennon was with Yoko Ono in 1975.
Sean Taro Ono Lennon
Born on October 9, 1975, in New York City, Sean Taro Ono Lennon is a British and American musician, composer, and actor. ‘Taro’ is the middle name which means ‘eldest son’ and is a very common name in Japan. Sean was born on the same day as his father and has dual citizenship of both countries because of his mixed parentage.
Sean started his professional career in the middle of the 1990s as a guitarist and keyboardist of the experimental band ‘IMA’, which accompanied Yoko Ono during her tour and on the 1995 album ‘Rising’. He then became part of the New York based music project Cibo Matto for which he made music for their ‘Super Relax’ EP.
His first solo studio album ‘Into the Sun’ (1998) was noted for its unique mixture of folk, funk, and Brazilian pop music. His other solo work includes albums ‘Friendly Fire’ (2006) and ‘Asterisms’ (2024). Moreover, collaborations such as his participation in the formation of psychedelic rock duo ‘The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger’ together with Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and progressive rock supergroup ‘The Claypool Lennon Delirium’ with Les Claypool, made him one of the greatest multi-instrumentalists and producers.
In addition to making music, Sean has worked as a composer of music for movies and TV shows and even starred in movies such as ‘Monster-in-Law’ and ‘Going the Distance’. Recently he started to continue the musical tradition of his family by serving as an executive producer of such documentaries as ‘One to One: John & Yoko’ (2025).
Sean is the younger half-brother of Julian Charles John Lennon. Julian is the son of John and his first wife Cynthia Powell. Sean has been seen from time to time collaborating with his half-brother in various activities connected to the legacy of their family. After the death of John, Sean was brought up largely by Yoko Ono.
Sean considers Yoko a visionary who has taught him the value of hard work and creative freedom. Meanwhile, he has stayed on good terms with all other offspring of John Lennon (his half-brothers and sisters). In September 2026, Sean and his longtime companion, musician and model Charlotte Kemp Muhl, became parents to a baby boy named Aurelius.