Guide Note
Yoko Ono is a Japanese-American artist and musician who married and performed with singer/songwriter John Lennon until his murder in 1980. A performance artist, Ono and Lennon campaigned on behalf of many political causes during the 1960s and 1970s and had a son together, Sean Ono Lennon.
Fast Facts
- Born: February 18, 1933
- Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
- School: Sarah Lawrence College
- Married: Toshi Ichiyanagi, 1956-1962; Anthony Cox, 1963-1969; John Lennon, 1969-1980
- Children: Daughter, Kyoko Cox and son, Sean Lennon
Career and Background
Ono was born to a well-to-do family in Tokyo, Japan in 1933, and remained in the city during the horrific 1945 firebombing during World War Two. Her family moved to Scarsdale, New York after the war, and Ono attended Sarah Lawrence College, where she first encountered postwar avant-garde performance art. After two divorces, Ono married John Lennon of The Beatles, and the two collaborated in creating and performing art and music throughout the next decade. After Lennon’s death in 1980 Yoko continued to campaign for peace and record new music, and continues to manage Lennon's extensive estate.
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