Sean Lennon facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Sean Ono Lennon
Ono Lennon in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Sean Taro Ono Lennon
Also known as	Tarō Ono (小野太郎)
Born	(1975-10-09) 9 October 1975 (age 49) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Rock avant-garde experimental psychedelia
Occupation(s)	Singer musician songwriter producer actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass piano drums synthesizer omnichord
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Grand Royal Capitol Chimera

Sean Taro Ono Lennon (Japanese: 小野太郎, Hepburn: Ono Tarō, born 9 October 1975) is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of famous musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He is also the half-brother of Julian Lennon.

Sean has been part of several bands, including Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and his parents' band, Plastic Ono Band. He has also released two solo albums: Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). Besides his own music, he has produced many albums for other artists.

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Early Life and Growing Up

Sean Lennon was born in New York City on October 9, 1975. This was also his father's 35th birthday! His mother, Yoko Ono, is Japanese, and his father, John Lennon, had English, Welsh, and Irish roots.

Sean has an older half-brother, Julian Lennon, and a half-sister, Kyoko Chan Cox. Famous singer Elton John is his godfather. After Sean was born, his father, John Lennon, stayed home to take care of him. John was a "house husband" until he sadly passed away in 1980.

Sean went to kindergarten in Tokyo, Japan. Later, he asked to go to a special private boarding school in Switzerland called Institut Le Rosey. He also attended private schools in New York, like Ethical Culture Fieldston School and Dalton School. Sean went to Columbia University for three semesters to study anthropology. However, he left college to focus on his music and tour with his mother.

In 1984, when Steve Jobs (who started Apple) visited New York, he went to a party Yoko Ono was hosting for Sean. Jobs gave Sean one of the very first Macintosh computers as a birthday gift! That same year, Sean sang a song called "It's Alright" on an album made to honor his mother.

Sean's parents helped him start his music journey. When he was just five years old, he told a story on his mother's 1981 album, Season of Glass. As he grew up, Sean kept working with his mother. He sang and helped produce her albums like It's Alright, Starpeace, and Onobox.

When he was 16, Sean helped write the song "All I Ever Wanted" with Lenny Kravitz for Kravitz's 1991 album Mama Said. He also worked with Kravitz on a cover of his father's song "Give Peace a Chance" to protest the Gulf War. By 1995, Sean had his own band called IMA. They played with his mother on her album Rising.

Sean also appeared in movies. He was in Michael Jackson's 1988 film Moonwalker. In 1990, he played a teenager seeing visions in a short film called Infinite Escher. Sean is a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Music Career

Performing Music

Ono Lennon at a Free Tibet event in 1998

In 1996, two musicians from the band Cibo Matto met Sean. They invited him to join their tour as a bass player. This led to Sean playing with them and eventually becoming a member of Cibo Matto. He played bass and sang on their EP Super Relax.

Because of his work with Cibo Matto, Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys noticed Sean. Yauch liked Sean's music and convinced him to sign with Grand Royal Records. Sean felt good about this, saying the label seemed to care about his music, not just his famous parents.

Sean's first solo album, Into the Sun, came out in 1998. A music video for his song "Home" was directed by Spike Jonze and played a lot on MTV. The album was produced by Yuka Honda from Cibo Matto, who Sean said inspired him.

He toured to support Into the Sun, often with Cibo Matto. He appeared on radio shows, but he later said promoting the album was hard because the media focused more on his family than his music. In 1999, Sean released an EP called Half Horse, Half Musician. It had new songs and remixes from Into the Sun. Also in 1999, Cibo Matto released their second album, Stereo Type A. Sean played many instruments on this album, not just bass. After this, Cibo Matto took a long break.

In 2000, Sean sang on songs for artists like Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and Jurassic 5. In 2001, he performed classic songs by the Beatles on TV, like "This Boy" and "Across the Universe." After this, Sean focused more on producing music for others.

Ono Lennon performing in 2007

In 2000, Sean also sang on the Soulfly album Primitive. After Grand Royal Records closed in 2001, Sean signed with Capitol Records. It took a while for new solo music to appear. In 2006, he released "Dead Meat," the first song from his new album, Friendly Fire. A video trailer for Friendly Fire showed scenes from a film version of the album. The videos were actually screen tests for another project Sean was working on.

Friendly Fire came out in October 2006. The album is about love and feeling betrayed. Sean dedicated it to a close friend who had passed away. On the night the album was released, Sean performed "Dead Meat" live on the Late Show with David Letterman. He also appeared on other TV shows. When asked why it took eight years for a new solo album, Sean said he wanted to experience music without being in the spotlight.

Ono Lennon performing in 2011

After Friendly Fire was released, Sean toured a lot. In France, he remixed his song "Parachute" with French artist -M-. This remix was called "L'éclipse" and was a bonus track on the French version of Friendly Fire. The song "Dead Meat" was also used in the TV show True Blood.

Sean launched a website with his music, videos, and a forum for fans. Fans even created their own cover album called Truth Mask Replica.

Sean and his partner, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, started a band called the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (often called the GOASTT). They first performed in 2008. They released their first song, "Jardin Du Luxembourg," in 2010, and their first album, Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Acoustic Sessions), later that year. They released their most successful album, Midnight Sun, in 2014. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the top 50 albums of that year. They toured with famous bands like the Flaming Lips and Tame Impala.

In 2018, Sean worked with Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson to cover his parents' Christmas song "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." They also performed it on Saturday Night Live.

In 2015, Sean formed the Claypool Lennon Delirium with Les Claypool from the band Primus. Sean played lead guitar. Their first album, Monolith of Phobos, came out in 2016 and did very well on the music charts. Their second album, South of Reality, was released in 2019.

Producing and Other Music Work

Ono Lennon in 2006

While making his own music, Sean also worked as a musician and producer for others. He helped artists like Dopo Yume and Albert Hammond, Jr. (from the Strokes). In 2007, Sean joined Mark Ronson at a BBC event. He sang "Sail on, Sailor" and "We Can Work It Out" with other singers.

In 2006, Sean wrote and directed his first film, Friendly Fire. Famous actors like Carrie Fisher and Lindsay Lohan were in it. His album of the same name was the film's soundtrack.

In 2009, Sean produced another album for his mother, Yoko Ono, called Between My Head and the Sky. He also worked with Yoko Ono as a producer for John Malkovich's 2016 remix EP. Sean helped produce Fat White Family's 2016 album, which was recorded in his New York City studio. He also helped write and produce a song called "Tomorrow Never Came" for Lana Del Rey's 2017 album Lust for Life.

Ono Lennon in September 2011

Sean started composing music for films in 2009 with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead. He also wrote the music for the 2012 film Alter Egos and even appeared in it. In 2014, Sean contributed a song called "Animals" to the Zombeavers movie soundtrack. He also wrote and recorded "Heart Grenade" for the Japanese anime TV series Ghost in the Shell: Arise. Sean spent over two years creating the music for the 2015 comedy horror film Ava's Possessions.

Sean and his girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, started their own record label called Chimera Music. They have signed artists like the Moonlandingz, Cibo Matto, and Yoko Ono.

On April 12, 2024, James McCartney, who is Paul McCartney's son, released a song called "Primrose Hill." Sean was credited as a composer and songwriter on this song, marking their first time working together.

Sean also played bass guitar and helped produce a song for The Lemon Twigs' 2024 album, "A Dream Is All We Know."

Activism and Beliefs

From 1996 to 1999, Sean helped organize and performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. These concerts supported the independence of Tibet from China.

Ono Lennon performing in July 2015

In 2011, Sean showed his support for the Occupy Wall Street protests. He went to Wall Street with Rufus Wainwright and Josh Fox and played music for the protesters.

In 2012, Sean wrote an article for The New York Times explaining why he was against hydraulic fracking. Fracking is a way to get gas from the ground, but it can harm water supplies. In 2014, he said that fracking's methane gas is much worse for global warming than carbon dioxide. On August 30, 2012, Sean launched "Artists Against Fracking." More than 200 artists, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr from the Beatles, joined this campaign to stop fracking in the United States.

When asked about religion, Sean said he thinks it can be helpful for some people, but for him, it's like mythology. He believes we all have a spirit and that there's more to life than science can explain. However, he prefers to look to science for answers because they can be tested.

In 2013, Sean performed at an online event to help the David Lynch Foundation. This foundation teaches Transcendental Meditation. Sean said that for him, Transcendental Meditation is like a scientific way to calm his brain and help him think more clearly.

Sean has described himself as a pacifist (someone who believes in peace), a capitalist (someone who believes in free markets), and an anarchist (someone who believes in no government). In 2016, he tweeted that being a pacifist means he is an anarchist.

Personal Life

Sean Lennon is in a relationship with Charlotte Kemp Muhl. They met at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2005. Sean said he discovered Charlotte's musical talent more than a year after they started dating. They formed their band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, around 2008. Sean and Charlotte work on many musical projects together. They often write music in their home studio in Greenwich Village, New York.

Discography

Solo Music

Albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions				Certifications
Title	Details	US	FRA	JPN	UK	Certifications
Into the Sun	Released: May 8, 1998 Label: Grand Royal Format: LP, CD	153	—	50	90
Friendly Fire	Released: October 2, 2006 Label: Parlophone, Capitol, EMI Format: LP, CD	152	59	—	—	SNEP: Silver
Asterisms	Released: February 16, 2024 Label: Tzadik Format: LP, CD, streaming	—	—	—	—

EPs (Extended Plays)

Half Horse, Half Musician (1999)

With Cibo Matto

Super Relax (1997)
Stereo Type A (1999)

With The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger

Acoustic Sessions (2010)
La Carotte Bleue (2011)
Midnight Sun (2014)

With Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band

Rising (1995)
Blueprint for a Sunrise (2001)
Don't Stop Me! EP (2009)
Between My Head and the Sky (2009)
The Flaming Lips 2011 EP: The Flaming Lips with Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (2011)
Take Me to the Land of Hell (2013)

With Mystical Weapons

Mystical Weapons (2012)
Crotesque (2013)

With The Claypool Lennon Delirium

Monolith of Phobos (2016)
Lime and Limpid Green (2017)
South of Reality (2019)

Film Music (Scores)

Smile for the Camera (2005)
The Stranger (2008)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2008)
Tea Fight (2008)
Alter Egos (2012)
Ava's Possessions (2015)

As a Producer

Soulfly – Primitive (2000)
Valentine Original Soundtrack (2001)
Five Children and It Soundtrack (2004)
Esthero – Wikked Lil' Grrrls (2005)
Irina Lăzăreanu – Some Place Along the Way (2007)
Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band – Between My Head and the Sky (2009)
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - Acoustic Sessions (2010)
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - Midnight Sun (2010)
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - La Carotte Bleue (2011)
Kemp & Eden – Blackhole Lace (2012)

Lennon in 2006
Plastic Ono Band - Take Me to the Land of Hell (2013)
Fat White Family - Songs for Our Mothers (2016)
Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life (2017)
The Moonlandingz - Interplanetary Class Classics (2017)
Black Lips - Satan's Graffiti or God's Art? (2017)
Insecure Men - Insecure Men (2018)
Temples - Paraphernalia (2020)
Glüme – Main Character (2023)
Temples - Exotico (2023)
The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know (2024)

Other Music Contributions

Sang "Salvation" on Marianne Faithfull's album Easy Come, Easy Go (2008).
Sang "Shady" on Salyu's album Merkmal (2008).
Contributed vocals and guitar to "Son Song" on the Soulfly album Primitive.
Sang backing vocals on "Sandpaperback" for Ben Lee's 1998 album Breathing Tornados.
Collaborated on John Zorn's tribute albums for Marc Bolan, Burt Bacharach, and Serge Gainsbourg in 1997 and 1998.
Remixed Tom Ze's song "O Olho Do Lago" in 1999.
Read names of charity donors for the Flaming Lips' six-hour song "Found This Star on the Ground."
Sang on the track "Before the Skies" for Haale's EP Paratrooper.
Contributed vocals for the 2011 film A Monster in Paris.
Co-wrote "Perfect Crime" with John Zorn for "The Song Project" (2014).
Remixed the Moonlandingz' 2015 song "Sweet Saturn Mine."
Covered "Row Bulies Row" with Charlotte Kemp Muhl for Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys (2013).
Played slide guitar in Lady Gaga's "Sinner's Prayer" from her 2016 album Joanne.
Appeared with the Sachal Ensemble on their album Song of Lahore (2016).
Remixed John Malkovich's 2016 song "Cryolite."
Sang on the track "Tomorrow Never Came" for Lana Del Rey's 2017 album Lust for Life.
Co-wrote "Theme for Valhalla Dale" for the Moonlandingz 2017 album, Interplanetary Class Classics.
Recorded a cover of "(Happy Xmas) War Is Over" with Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson in 2018.
Performed "Mambo Sun" with Charlotte Kemp Muhl on Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex (2020).
Performed with Lily Allen on her album No Shame (2018).
Performed "Come Together" with Aerosmith at Madison Square Garden (2012).
Credited as composer/songwriter for James McCartney's 2024 song "Primrose Hill."
Played bass on "Church Bells" and "In The Eyes Of The Girl" for The Lemon Twigs' album A Dream Is All We Know (2024).

Film and TV Appearances

Moonwalker (1988) – Himself
Imagine: John Lennon (1988) – Himself
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Season 2, Episode 1 – "When She Was Bad" (1997) – Musician with Cibo Matto
Melrose Place – Season 7, Episode 8 – "The World According to Matt" (1998) – Himself
Smile for the Camera (2005) – Wrote music, writer
Friendly Fire (2006) – Actor, wrote music, writer
Coin Locker Babies (in production 2008) – Actor, writer
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead (2010) - Wrote music
A Monster in Paris (2011) – Voice of Francœur (English version)
Alter Egos (2012) – Wrote music, small acting role
Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Episode 3 (2014) – Singer, wrote lyrics
Ava's Possessions (2015) – Wrote music
Poker Face Episode 8, Guest Number 1