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CNN Showbiz Today's Laurin Sydney interviews Julian Lennon
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Web posted on: Friday, March 05, 1999 5:18:01 PM EST

(CNN) -- When you're father is one of the most recognized figures in the history of rock 'n' roll, and you have dreams of being a rock star yourself, life can be a constant struggle to prove yourself. Just ask Julian Lennon, who has lived in the shadow of his father, former Beatle John Lennon, throughout his five-album career.

Lennon admits that he has often struggled with dealing with the legend of his father, which grew ten-fold when John Lennon was gunned down by a crazed fan outside his New York City residence in 1980.

"It's certainly been a handful," he says of growing up with the Lennon name.

Despite struggling with his father's death and legacy, Julian released four albums between the years 1984 and 1991, with combined sales of five and a half million. But when Lennon's independent label Charisma records was absorbed by a larger label, he felt suffocated by this new control over his career. So he quit the music business.

But now, after a seven year break, Lennon is back with a new CD, "Photograph Smile." What convinced him to come back?

"I think the thing was that if I left behind the music industry, that the last four records were not a good enough legacy to leave behind," Lennon told Showbiz Today. "So I felt it was necessary for me to come back with an album that I felt complete with."

One song on the album, "Day After Day," is indicative of the autobiographic perspective Lennon takes in his songwriting.

"Basically, it's about a soldier who's at war, any war," says Lennon. "The only thing that keeps him going is the hope and faith that one day he's going to make it back to his friends and family and the people he loves. And that related to me and anyone who works away from home so much."