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Julian Lennon, legendary singer John Lennon’s son, broke his vow to never sing his father’s song Imagine by performing it for the first time publicly at the Stand Up for Ukraine event. Julian mentioned that he believed he would only sing the track if it was the end of the world. Calling it "an unimaginable tragedy," he tweeted:
"As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could. So today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, IMAGINE."
Speaking about breaking his vow to never sing the song, Julian Lennon wrote in a Twitter thread:
“Why now, after all these years? - I had always said, that the only time I would ever consider singing ‘IMAGINE' would be if it was the ‘End of the World'. Because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time. The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for."
Fans and artists react to Julian Lennon’s performance of Imagine
After Julian Lennon's performance of Imagine, fans took to Twitter and praised him for taking a prominent step for peace.
Billie Eilish also performed at the Stand Up for Ukraine event
Grammy-award winner Billie Eilish also performed her song Your Power at the event and said that her performance was in honor of the people of Ukraine. Other performers at the event included U2, Chris Rock, Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Green Day, Hugh Jackman, among others. The artists urged world leaders to help the people who have been displaced in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The 'Stand Up For Ukraine' event took place this Saturday and was convened by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in partnership with Global Citizen. The event saw $4.6 billion in grants and $5.5 billion in loans pledged for humanitarian efforts being undertaken by Ukraine and other European countries, UN agencies, and grassroots organizations to support Ukrainians and refugees.
