Ono, Yoko (1933–)

Japanese artist and musician. Name variations: Yoko Ono Lennon. Born Feb 18, 1933, in Tokyo, Japan; dau. of Eisuke Ono (banker) and Isoko Yasuda Ono; attended Gakushuin University, 1952–53, 1st woman to be admitted to study philosophy, and Sarah Lawrence College, 1953; m. Toshi Ichiyangi (musician, artist), 1956 (div. 1963); m. Tony Cox (filmmaker), 1963 (div. 1969); m. John Lennon (musician), 1969 (murdered 1980); children: (2nd m.) Kyoko Chan Cox; (3rd. m.) Sean Lennon (musician).

Avant-garde artist, received training in classical music, German lieder and Italian opera and spent some of childhood in US; moved to US (1953); became part of movement that mixed poetry, music and visual art in installations and "happenings"; staged series of concerts and performance events with Toshi Ichiyangi at venues throughout NY, including Carnegie Recital Hall (1961); collaborated and toured with John Cage (1962); married Ichiyangi (1956) and moved back to Tokyo (1962); as marriage disintegrated, attempted suicide, and returned to NY with filmmaker Tony Cox; developed and collected conceptual art projects in book Grapefruit (1964); joined colleagues in movement Fluxus; gave 2nd performance at Carnegie Recital Hall, Cut Piece (1965); with Cox, opened conceptual art gallery, IsReal Gallery (1965); received raves for work presented in London's Destruction in Art Symposium (1966), leading to show at Indica Gallery which featured Box of Smile; met John Lennon (1967) and recorded controversial Two Virgins with him (1968); blamed for break-up of Beatles, married Lennon (1969), became involved in peace movement, engaged in series of "Bed-ins," and recorded with Lennon Give Peace a Chance (1969); formed Plastic Ono Band and produced recordings, solo and with Lennon, including Life with the Lions (1969), Wedding Album (1969), Live Peace in Toronto (1969), Some Time in New York City (1972), Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (1970), Fly (1971), Approximately Infinite Universe (1973), and Double Fantasy (1980), which won Grammy for Album of the Year (1981); following assassination of Lennon (1980), recorded Season of Glass (1981); had retrospective at Whitney Museum (1989) and release of Onobox (1992); other albums include Milk and Honey (1984), Live in New York City (1986), Starpeace (1985), Walking on Thin Ice (1992) and Rising (1996).

See also Clayson, Jungr, Johnson, Woman: The Incredible Life of Yoko Ono (Chrome Dreams, 2004).