The frontman of the legendary Irish band U2, Bono, recently posted a heartfelt letter he wrote for John Lennon’s mother on the band’s official Instagram account, in order to pay tribute to one of the most famous musicians of all time.

As you probably know, the world-famous band from Dublin, U2, was formed back in 1976 and they are still actively performing. Their last live performances took place as ‘The Joshua Tree anniversary tour‘ back in 2019 during which 3.3 million tickets were sold.

However, U2 is also known for their activism and philanthropy as they have actively supported and tried to raise awareness for various issues such as social injustice, the environment, women’s rights, and many more.

Bono reflected the band’s sensitive approach once again through his heartfelt letter addressed to John Lennon’s mother on the 40th year of his passing. His letter mentioned The Beatles’ contribution to both the rock scene and people’s life and how important John’s mother, Julia, was in his life.

As you may know, Julia Lennon passed away in 1958 after she was hit by a car driven by an off-duty policeman. John was 18 years old and his mother’s passing left a gap that no one would be able to replace.

John wrote the songs ‘Julia‘ and ‘Mother‘ as a tribute to his mother and his biographer Ian MacDonald even said that Julia was ‘to a great extent… her son’s muse.’ Bono, having understood the pain that John felt after his mother’s passing, decided that it would be best to honor John’s memory by paying tribute to his mother.

Bono said that he has been a fan of The Beatles and their solo work throughout his life and stated that John Lennon always had a mother even though she was not physically there. He said that if he’d made it into his 40s he would have followed her footsteps with pride just like she followed his.

Bono also said that in rock music, songwriters often deal with the concept of a mother’s abandonment which may be due to some circumstances or sometimes death parting them. He added that he has been writing a similar song throughout his life too.

Here’s what Bono said in the caption of U2’s Instagram post:

“Remembering John Lennon”

Here’s what Bono wrote in the touching letter:

“John Lennon – Mother

Dear Julian,

All the Beatles solo work has held me at one time or another. I surrendered to George Harrison’s What is Life… all things must pass, my arse. I know you know these songs will be with us forever. Like so many fathers, I marched on The Fat Controller with Ringo star as Thomas the Tank Engine. And yes Ringo’s version of With a Little Help from My Friend is still my favorite.

I loved Paul and Linda McCartney’s album, RAM, age 12… I bought My Love (Does it Good) age 13… that he (our very own Johanns Sebastian Bach) walks around so himself in a world where everyone changes around him, is beyond impressive. And this Ma was with us for Let it Be.

But on the mother’s front, John Lennon really went with a Mother… and that must have hurt a long time before healing. If he’d made it into his 40’s he’d have followed you around with pride the way you did him. I’ve been writing a version of this song all my life… So many rock’n’rollers write from a place of abandonment to a place of abandonment… In hip hop, it’s often the father.

But in rock, it’s often enough the mother, even if the mother just passes away too early for adolescence to wear itself out, and so it continues…

Your fan and friend, Bono.”

You can check out the photo that Bono wrote for John Lennon’s mother Julia below.