That's it.

...has had beards in the past, hasn't he..?

... and there's still nothing like a beard or a lit gasper (preferably both) to instantly imply coolness, seriousness, depth, gravitas etc.

(It should be noted that as a non-smoker who can barely stand having a day's stubble growth without being desperate to shave, this barely scratches the surface of how uncool I am.)

...by putting John Lennon on the cover.

Or perhaps, neither copied each other, they just both cover music and there is the occasional crossover.