Earlier this summer, Daily Express spoke with John Lennon’s sister, Julia Baird, about her brother’s love of Elvis Presley.
The late legend has been credited with saying, “Before Elvis, there was nothing” and “Without Elvis, there would be no Beatles.”
Julia, who was promoting the new Live Odyssey exhibit of her brother in Camden Town, revealed that Lennon’s love of Elvis actually originated with their mother Julia Lennon, who died in 1958.
Her 78-year-old daughter told us: “We all loved Elvis – as taught by my mother. It was ingrained by my mother. It was propaganda, because she was an absolutely huge fan.”
Julia continued: “She played all those instruments, including the big piano and accordion. But when Elvis came knocking, she loved it. And I remember my father coming into the living room with a record player.” He’d bought his wife Elvis Presley’s 1956 single of Heartbreak Hotel, which they all ended up dancing to. It was John’s musical mother and her love of the King that had a profound effect on the future megastar.
Lennon’s sister shared: “John was in and out, in and out, and he was learning the banjo with my mother, and plonking around on on the piano, but it was the banjo with the strings that really sort of interested him.” It wasn’t long before a young man called Paul McCartney was jamming with him on the porch, with the two Julias listening in. Julia also had fond memories of going with her mother and brother to the cinema to see Elvis movies of that period, like Love Me Tender, Loving You and Jailhouse Rock. Back in those days, there would be a B film and an A film, and “we sat through the whole thing twice!”