Who is Julian Lennon? John Lennon's son wishes "uncle" Paul McCartney on his 82nd birthday with Hey Jude clip

In a touching tribute to his "uncle" and legendary musician Paul McCartney, Julian Lennon, the son of the late Beatles icon John Lennon, shared a heartfelt birthday message on X.

On June 18, 2024, Julian penned a beautiful wish with a video montage featuring The Beatles' hit song Hey Jude, released in August 1968.

"Hoppy Birdy, Uncle Paul! Only love… Jude x," Julian wrote.

The song, Hey Jude, was written by Paul McCartney and was a non-album single released by the English rock band. Moreover, the single was the Beatles' first release on their Apple record label.

Julian Charles John Lennon is the eldest son of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. He is an English musician, photographer, author, and philanthropist.

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Getting to know Julian Lennon

Julian Lennon (Image via Getty)

Julian was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on April 8, 1963. John Charles Julian Lennon was named after his grandmother, Julia Lennon. It was in 2020 when he decided to legally change his name to Julian for "travelling and security companies" reasons. He told the Word in Your Ear podcast that year—

"Because originally my name was John Charles Julian Lennon, and the crap that I had to deal with when travelling and security companies and this and that and the other," Julian said.

Julian has spent most of his early childhood in London and nearby Surrey. Also, a significant chunk of his life is surrounded by The Beatles, but the actor and composer is known for Leaving Las Vegas 1995, Mr. Holland's Opus 1995, and Julian Lennon: Too Late for Goodbyes 1984.

As per IMDb, when Julian decided to pursue music, he contacted record companies and sent them demo tapes without his name. It was in September 1983 when Charisma Records in the United Kingdom offered him the contract. Until the singer was signed, the label did not know who he was.

Julian debuted in the music industry at age 11 in a remake of Lee Dorsey's Ya Ya, where he played drums. The song was later featured on John's Walls and Bridges' 1974 album. His most recent studio album, Jude, was released on September 9, 2022, and took 11 years to complete.

As per Celebrity Net Worth, Julian's net worth is $50 million as of 2024.

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Julian Lennon marks Paul McCartney's 82nd birthday with a Hey Jude tribute

To celebrate Paul McCartney's milestone birthday, Julian posted a black-and-white video montage on X today featuring archival footage of Julian as a child alongside a youthful McCartney. The video started with Julian and McCartney sitting on grass, followed by Julian's uncle holding his hand. In the following picture, the duo is on the seashore making a castle together, and the video ends with The Beatles star Paul holding Julian in his arms.

Paul McCartney (Image via Getty)

The highlight of the tribute was the song Hey Jude. It was released after Julian's parents' separation and was written as a "hopeful message" for young Julian. In March 2024, in an episode of Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics on iHeartRadio, McCartney revealed that Julian inspired him for the song as he was heading to see him and his mother, and while traveling, he started off the song.

"I was travelling one day to see Julian Lennon and his mother, Cynthia, and I used to call him Jules. So the song started off as I was in the car driving out, which was a 45-minute drive out of central London," McCartney said.

Moreover, speaking about the track Hey Jude with L.A. Times in 2023, Julian said that he had a love-hate relationship with the song.

"I have a love-hate [relationship] with it. I've probably heard that song and heard renditions of it more than most people alive. And even my dear friends send me babies in nappies playing guitars [and] singing, 'Hey Jude', which I really don't need," Julian revealed.

Julian Lennon shares a special bond with McCartney. As per IMDb, Julian prefers his uncle's work in The Beatles to his father's. Also, in 2022, Julian wished McCartney his 80th birthday on X with an old picture of themselves. Last year, in Club Random, Julian revealed that he wanted to hear more about his father from his uncle, McCartney.

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Julian's parents divorced in 1968, when he was five. Following his father's infidelity with Japanese multimedia artist Yoko Ono, with whom Julian has a half-brother, Sean Taro Ono Lennon.