On Friday, October 9, John Lennon, if he was still with us, would have celebrated his 80th birthday. His son, Sean Ono Lennon, marked that special day with a cover of “Isolation” for The Late Show’s #PlayAtHome music series.
The cover helped kick off a “Lennon 80” series on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram where artists and fans alike could upload their own renditions of their favourite John Lennon songs. All clips sent in will be curated on Lennon’s YouTube channel, which has enjoyed an immense following this year, leading up to #Lennon80 and #GimmeSomeTruth.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honored to bring John Lennon’s music to a new generation, and are eager to see how the TikTok community will be inspired to create to the sounds of Lennon’s repertoire,” Corey Sheridan, head of TikTok’s music partnerships and content operations, said. “Lennon’s timeless lyrics are as relevant now as when they were written.”
Heartfelt tributes
Meanwhile, in honour of her late husband’s 80th birthday, Yoko Ono took to Instagram to share a family photo of the trio when Sean was a toddler. Lennon was tragically gunned down outside the family's New York City apartment building when Sean was just five years old. Incidentally, Sean shares the same birthday as his late father, and is now 45. She wishes them both a heartfelt happy birthday.
Paul McCartney took to Twitter to share a favourite moment he had with his former Beatles bandmate.
I love this picture, it reminds me of the bond between us. Happy 80th John. Love Paul#JohnLennon #LENNON80 pic.twitter.com/ePrHqvZxVB
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) October 9, 2020
From the Official Twitter feed of the Estate of George Harrison:
‘It’s Johnny’s Birthday’. Remembering @johnlennon on his 80th Birthday.
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) October 9, 2020
Click here - https://t.co/FJUaSsNR5k - to listen to the ‘It’s Johnny’s Birthday’ George & John Spotify Playlist.
Animation by Spencer Ramsey. pic.twitter.com/yZKMxy5088
Ringo Starr and others continued to pay tribute to Lennon.
Happy Birthday, John@johnlennon #LENNON80 pic.twitter.com/Y5BPeaBai8
— The Beatles (@thebeatles) October 9, 2020
And there are hundreds of fan covers trending with the hashtag #Lennon80, such as this one from TheMexicaliKid.
– The Vibes, October 11, 2020
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