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Julian Lennon plans to release Imagine as a charity single

Julian Lennon will be releasing Imagine as a charity single credit:Bang Showbiz
Julian Lennon will be releasing Imagine as a charity single credit:Bang Showbiz

Julian Lennon plans to release 'Imagine' as a single in aid of Ukrainian refugees.

The 59-year-old singer - who is the son of Beatles icon John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia - performed his dad's song for the first time ever in April, after being asked to do something by the refugee charity Global Citizen, and Julian now plans to donate the money from the single amid Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia.

During an appearance on 'Elton John's Rocket Hour On Apple Music 1', Julian shared: "Since I've been in the business, I've kind of been dreading the day that I'm ... Because I'd always said that I would only actually sing it if it felt like it was the end of the world, in many respects. And after watching what's been going on over the past couple of years, and especially recently with Russia and Ukraine, the people of Global Citizen said, 'Got anything up your sleeve?' And I've been watching the horrors on TV, as we all have. I just felt, this is it.

"And once I'd said yes, if you think I had anxiety before, once I'd said, yes, I went, 'Oh my God, how am I going to do this, that honours it, and is different and is my own take, but still respects it in every way, shape or form?'

"For me, the only way I could do that was take it away from the piano, the plunky piano, and do it as raw, as un-produced as possible and as heartfelt as possible. For me, that was the way to do it."

'Imagine' was originally released in 1971, and is now one of the most covered songs in music history.

Julian ultimately hopes that his own effort will help the people of Ukraine.

He said: "I have to tell you that we will be releasing that as a single in some way, shape or form very soon with all donations going to refugees in Ukraine and around the world. That's on the cards."