John Lennon Once Said His Son Julian Would’ve Preferred Paul McCartney as His Father: ‘Unfortunately He Got Me’

John Lennon once revealed his suspicion that his son Julian Lennon would have preferred to have Paul McCartney as a father, but he “unfortunately” ended up with him instead. What relationship did the father and son have before the former Beatle’s tragic death? And how close was Julian to McCartney?

Julian Lennon has ‘fond flashes of memories’ of John Lennon

According to Julian Lennon, John Lennon was only sometimes present in his life following his parents’ divorce and his father’s marriage to Yoko Ono. “[My] relationship with dad was very few [and] far between, really,” he revealed in an interview with BBC (transcribed by Rock and Roll and Garage.) He added, “There are fond flashes of memories.”

Julian confessed it was “tough” for him to see his half-brother, Sean Lennon, “with all the love and all the toys he could ever want.” Meanwhile, he said he was fighting kids in school who thought he was rich since his dad was once a Beatle. He felt Sean got things that he wanted but never received and confessed that made it difficult to visit them.

He also guessed that he could count the times he saw his father between the elder Lennon’s marriage to Ono in the late ’60s and his death in 1980.

John Lennon said Julian Lennon would have preferred Paul McCartney as his father

Meanwhile, McCartney was a father figure in Julian Lennon’s life. And John Lennon once said he had a suspicion his son wished his bandmate was his real dad (per Spin Magazine.) “I think he likes Paul better than me … I have the funny feeling he wishes Paul was his dad,” he shared.

“Unfortunately,” he added, “he got me.”

Despite that feeling, John said they bonded over their shared love of music, and he learned from his son. “I call him and he says, ‘Have you heard Queen?’ and I say ‘No, what is it?'” the former Beatle told SPIN. “I’ve heard of them. I’ve seen the guy.”

John shared that it was without his encouragement that Julian started a band in school. He explained, “… They sing rock ’n’ roll songs, ’cause their teacher is my age. So he teaches them ‘Long Tall Sally’ and a couple of Beatles numbers.”

Julian Lennon still has a relationship with Paul McCartney, though ‘it’s difficult’

John Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980, decades after a controversial remark left him in fear for his life in the United States. Julian was only 17 when he died and explained that he’s come to forgive his father for the things they couldn’t reconcile before that tragedy.

On the other hand, Julian told BBC that he and McCartney still send each other cards for birthdays and Christmas, but the rocker is hard to keep up with. “He is touring all over the world like the Energizer bunny,” he shared. “He doesn’t stop.”

But he doesn’t hold that against him. Instead, he said it gives him something to look up to “in regards to longevity.”