Multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and peace activist Yoko Ono turns 89 today. Born in Tokyo to Japanese aristocrats, Ono recalls fleeing the city during World War II bombings, foraging in the countryside before returning to the city and school. The first female accepted into the Philosophy program at Gakushuin University, she soon left to accompany her family in a move to New York.
Drawn to the New York avant-garde movement, Ono’s Japanese upbringing was a distinct advantage as the movement drew from the elite cultural traditions of Japan. In the 60s, Ono hosted ‘happenings’ at her loft, attracting prominent avant-garde artists and performers and a crowd of up to 200 people.
After publishing a book of poetry and making films, she was invited to hold an exhibition in London. John Lennon attended and was attracted to her art and especially the artist. The relationship developed through the 60s with Ono divorcing in 1969 to marry Lennon.
When John and Yoko met, she was not familiar with the Beatles. The strain on their relationship was difficult, with Yoko Ono’s friend feeling that she was becoming too mainstream while Beatles fans felt that Lennon was being drawn away from the band. By 1969, the relationship progressed to marriage, with Ono divorcing her second husband in favor of John Lennon.
The couple combined performance with protest, celebrating their marriage with a weeklong Bed-In for Peace in Amsterdam. They followed with a second one in London where they recorded Give Peace a Chance. It was the first recording credited to the band the couple formed: the Plastic Ono Band.
After the Beatles broke up, Lennon and Ono moved to New York, where they separated in 1973. The couple reunited in 1980 to record in New York and it was there that Lennon was shot and killed in December.
A rush of attention on Ono followed the death of John Lennon, but she quickly transitioned into seclusion. She never remarried and worked to keep Lennon’s legacy alive, creating the LennonOno Grant for Peace in 2002 and inaugurating a structure in 2007 called the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland. Ono continues to work for peace, and sees things with ardent optimism, claiming we will see peace on earth in the year 2050.
