John Lennon’s relationship with his father, Alf, had always been distant due to Alf’s abandonment of him during his childhood.
Their final meeting was no different, leaving behind a bitter memory of their strained connection.
Alf, an Irish merchant seaman, was absent for the early years of John’s life, making only brief visits home without forming a strong bond with his son.
Suddenly, Alf disappeared and went AWOL from the army, ceasing the financial support he used to provide to his wife, Julia, indicating the end of their marriage.
When he returned, Julia was already pregnant from another relationship.
Raised mainly by his Aunt Mimi, John was surprised in 1946 when Alf reappeared, taking him on a trip to Blackpool with intentions to whisk him away to New Zealand, which could have altered the course of history by preventing The Beatles from forming.
Fortunately, Julia intervened, and John remained in Merseyside.
It was not until John became successful that Alf reached out again, hinting at underlying motives behind his actions.
Their final encounter occurred in 1970, following John’s recording of ‘Remember’ as a solo artist.
They met for dinner at Tittenhurst Park, where Alf arrived with his young wife, Pauline, and introduced John to his half-brother, David.
Despite the potential for reconciliation, the evening turned sour for everyone involved.
In a letter to his solicitor, Alf described the unsettling dinner, recounting John’s distressing behavior: “He compared himself to Jimi Hendrix and other deceased pop stars, claiming he was ‘Bloody mad, insane,’ and predicted his own demise.
He revealed undergoing expensive drug treatment in America to revisit traumatic childhood memories.”
Alf continued, detailing John’s disparaging remarks about his deceased mother, aunt, and close friends.
The encounter left Alf shocked by John’s hostility, fearing for his own safety as John spoke of dumping him into the sea with sadistic satisfaction.
Sadly, John and Alf never managed to build a meaningful relationship, remaining strangers despite their shared bloodline.
Their final meeting served as a poignant farewell between a father and son, leaving behind a legacy of unresolved pain and severed ties.
For John Lennon, it was a closure that likely brought little emotional turmoil, as he moved forward without looking back on their tumultuous past.
