Yoko Ono

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© whateverlife.com Avante-guard poet, performance artist, composer, and vocalist. I was born on February 18, 1933, in my ancestral estate in Tokyo. My father, named Eisuke Ono, was the descendant of a 9th Century Emperor of Japan. My mother, named Isoko Yasuda Ono, was the granddaughter of Zenijiro Yasuda, the founder of Yasuda Bank. I was 2 years old when I was brought to California, and joined my father for the fist time. I returned to Japan before WWII and survived the bombings of Tokyo in 1945. I went to school with Emperor Hirohito's two sons. Though boys and girls were separated, I was visited by Emperor's son Yoshi, and in turn I visited the boy's school in defiance of the rules. In the early 50s me and my parents moved to New York. I went to Sarah Lawrence College, where I was particularly adept in music, with my perfect pitch and untamed creativity. I married a Julliard student, Toshi Ichiyanagi, and moved to Manhattan. My admiration with Franz Kafka, Vincent van Gogh, and Arnold Schönberg gave root and was fertilized by the New York avant-garde scene. In 1960 me and my friend La Monte Young staged the legendary loft events on Chambers Street. I also provided the loft for John Cage and his ground-braking classes of experimental music. I collaborated with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Nam June Paik, George Maciunas and Fluxus. I cut myself from my parents and was on my own, working as a waitress, an apartment manager, and a music teacher in New York's public schools. In 1962, after separating from Toshi, I gave in to my parents and returned to Japan. There I suffered from a clinical depression, and was locked up in a mental hospital. Anthony Cox went to Japan and managed to release me from captivity. I married Cox in Tokyo the same year, and our daughter, Kyoko, was born in 1963. Cox became my artistic assistant. But in 1964 we separated and Cox returned to New York. I joined him the same year with Kyoko. I dreamed up the concept for 'Bottoms' (1966), completed only after 365 friends and volunteers provided their naked buttocks for close-ups. My ad was "Intelligent-looking bottoms wanted for filming. Possessors of unintelligent-looking ones need not apply." I promoted 'Bottoms' (1966) by being tied to a bronze lion in London's Trafalgar Square. I met John Lennon at my art show in London on November 9, 1966. At first we were impressed with each other's intellect, everything else followed later. We married. John was lambasted by the British public. I almost lost my daughter Kyoko, who was kidnapped by my ex-husband Cox in 1971 (I reunited with my daughter only in 1998). John and I were together 24/7 for six years until our fifteen-month brake in 1973-74. Back together again we sustained attacks from the media, politicians, and all kinds of harassers. John and I created art, music, and had a son in 1975 Sean Taro Ono Lennon. We nourished each other's artistic nature with enough humor to survive through almost everything. Almost. In 1982 I won the Grammy Award in the Album of the Year category for Double Fantasy with John Lennon and Jack Douglas. My name translates into English as "Ocean Child". Before meeting John Lennon, the only Beatle I knew by name was Ringo, as the word means "apple" in Japanese. After my husband John Lennon was fatally shot, I took a photograph of his bloodstained eyeglasses laying on the pavement. In 2002, this photo sold for thousands of dollars. Returned to music in 1995 with my son Sean Lennon and his band Ima Rising. Played my first public concert at the age of four, and my first composition "Secret Piece" was in 1955. As a child I attended the prestigious Jiyu-gakuen Music School in Japan, the training school for many Japanese composers. I was taught piano and composition, as well as voice training in both opera and German Lied singing. I own the copyrights and masters to my Apple Records releases, including "Two Virgins" and "Life With The Lions", recorded with 'John Lennon' ; with none of the records initially selling well, Lennon had to pay Apple for them, as part of the Beatles' partnership settlement. In the 1990s, with interest regenerated, I re-released my music through Ryko, after turning down another label that only wanted my albums with John. The term "Yoko factor", referring to the influence of wives or girlfriends on a band's politics or business, comes from my constant presence (and kibitzing) at latter-day Beatles recording sessions. (John broke the longstanding no-wives-or-girlfriends rule the Beatles had in the studio, to bring me there.) In 2003, at the age of 70, I topped the US dance music charts with a reworking of "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him", a song I co-wrote with John Lennon, to support gay marriage: "Every Man Has A Man Who Loves Him". I also recorded a lesbian version of the song. Elton John is the godfather of my son Sean Lennon. After my husband's murder, I began a relationship with antiques dealer Sam Havadtoy, which lasted until 2001. We were never legally married. Appointed Honorary Ambassador of Peace for the Harvey Ball Foundation along with Jackie Chan, Brooke Shields, A.V.T. Shankardass, Jerry Lewis, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Phil Collins, Jimmy Buffett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Heather Mills, Patch Adams, Sergei Khrushchev and Winnie Mandela.. width="425" height="350" ..