Information AboutYoko Ono |
Yoko Ono Lennon (小野 洋子 ''Ono Yōko (ONO Yōko)'', born February 18 1933 ) is a Japanese-American Artist and Musician . She gained international fame because of her marriage to English musician John Lennon . She currently lives in New York City . Despite having a Kanji reading, Ono's name appears in Katakana (ヨーコ・オノ Yōko Ono) in the Japanese press and on album credits. EARLY LIFE Yoko Ono was born in 1933. Her mother was Isoko Ono, of the Yasuda banking family, and her father was Eisuke Ono, who worked for the Yokohama Specie Bank. Two weeks before she was born, her father was transferred to San Francisco . The rest of the family followed soon after. In 1937, her father was transferred back to Japan and Yoko was enrolled at the Tokyo's Peers' School , the most exclusive school in Japan, open only to those descended from aristocrats (in the House of Peers) or the imperial family. In 1940, the family moved to New York where Yoko's father was working. In 1941, her father was transferred to Hanoi and the family returned to Japan . Yoko was then enrolled in an exclusive Christian primary school run by the Mitsui family. She remained in Tokyo through the great Fire-bombing of March 9 , 1945 . During the fire-bombing, she was sheltered with other members of her family in a special bunker in the Azabu district of Tokyo , far from the heavy bombing. After the bombing, Ono went to the Karuizawa mountain resort with members of her family. The younger members of the imperial family were sent to the same resort area. Ono has claimed that she and her family were forced to beg for food while pulling their belongings in a Wheelbarrow ; and it was during this period in her life that Ono says she developed her "aggressive" attitude and understanding of "outsider" status when children taunted the once well-to-do Yoko and her brother. Other stories have her mother bringing a large amount of property with them to the countryside which they bartered for food. One often quoted story has her mother bartering a German-made sewing machine for sixty kilograms of rice to feed the family with. Her father remained in the city and, unbeknownst to them, was eventually Incarcerated in a Prisoner Of War Camp in China . By April 1946, the Peers' school was reopened and Yoko was enrolled. The school, located near the imperial palace, had not been damaged by the war. While the school was now in theory open to anyone, the students were still almost entirely aristocratic. She graduated in 1951 and was accepted into the philosophy program of Peers' University, the first woman ever to be accepted into that department of the exclusive university. But after two semesters, she left the school. {Link without Title} EMERGENCE INTO THE ART WORLD Ono's family moved to Scarsdale in the suburbs of New York City after the war. She left Japan to rejoin the family and enrolled in nearby Sarah Lawrence College . While her parents approved of her college choice, they were dismayed at her lifestyle, and, according to Ono, chastised her for befriending people they considered to be "beneath" her. In spite of this, Ono loved meeting artists, poets and others who represented the " Bohemian " freedom she longed for herself. Visiting galleries and art " Happening s" in the city whetted her desire to publicly display her own artistic endeavors. La Monte Young , her first important contact in the New York art world, helped Yoko start her career by using her Lower East Side loft as a concert hall. At one concert, Yoko set a painting on fire; fortunately John Cage had advised her to treat the paper with Flame Retardant . In 1956, she married Composer Toshi Ichiyanagi . They divorced in 1962 after living apart for several years. On November 28 that same year, Ono married American Anthony Cox . Cox was a Jazz musician, Film Producer and art promoter. He had heard of Yoko in New York and tracked her down to a Mental Institution in Japan, where her family had placed her following a suicide attempt. Their marriage was Annulled on March 1 , 1963 (Ono having neglected to finalize her divorce from Ichiyanagi first); they re-married on June 6 , and finally divorced on February 2 , 1969 . Their daughter, Kyoko Chan Cox , was born on August 8 , 1963 . The marriage quickly fell apart (as observers describe Tony and Yoko threatening each other with kitchen knives) but the Coxes stayed together for the sake of their joint career. They performed at Tokyo's Sogetsu Hall with Yoko lying atop a piano played by John Cage . Soon the Coxes returned to New York with Kyoko. In the early years of this marriage, Yoko left most of Kyoko's Parenting to Cox while she pursued her art full-time and Tony managed publicity. After she left Cox for John Lennon, Ono and Cox engaged in a bitter legal battle for custody of Kyoko, which resulted in Ono being awarded full custody. However, in 1971, Cox disappeared with eight-year-old Kyoko, in violation of the custody order. Cox thought Lennon was a bad influence and that Yoko was incapable of raising a child. Cox subsequently became a Christian and raised Kyoko in a Christian group known as the Church Of The Living Word (or "the Walk"). Cox left the group with Kyoko in 1977. Living an underground existence, Cox changed the girl's name to Rosemary, and told her stories of her mother's 'wicked, hateful ways' {Link without Title} . But in 1980, Cox and Kyoko sent a sympathy message to Yoko after the death of John Lennon. Afterward, the bitterness between the parents lessened slightly and Yoko publicly announced in ''People Magazine'' that she would no longer seek out the now-adult Kyoko but still wished to make contact with her. Ono and Kyoko were finally reunited in 1994. Kyoko lives quietly in Colorado and avoids publicity. ARTWORK in Syracuse, New York ]] Ono was an early member of '' record, where both appear naked. Kusama was also an organizer of Pacifist events similar to Ono and Lennon's " Bed-in " interviews. Ono was an explorer of , was published several times, most widely distributed by Simon And Schuster in 1971, and reprinted by them again in 2000. Many of the scenarios in the book would be enacted as performance pieces throughout Ono's career and have formed the basis for her art exhibitions, including one highly publicized show at the Everson Museum in Syracuse , New York that was nearly closed by a fan riot. Ono was also an experimental Filmmaker who made sixteen films between 1964 and 1972, and gained particular renown for a 1966 film called simply ''No. 4'', but often referred to as "Bottoms". The film consists of a series of close-ups of human Buttocks as the subject walks on a Treadmill . The screen is divided into four almost equal sections by the elements of the Gluteal Cleft and the Horizontal Gluteal Crease . The Soundtrack consists of Interview s with those who are being filmed as well as those considering joining the project. In 1996, the watch manufacturing company Swatch produced a limited edition watch that commemorates this film. (Ono also acted in an obscure exploitation film of the sixties, ''Satan's Bed''.) John Lennon once described her as "the world's most famous unknown artist: everybody knows her name, but nobody knows what she does." "Yoko Ono: Rebirth of a renaissance rebel" . ''Asian heroes'' section of TIME Magazine's website. From the April 28 , 2003 issue of TIME Magazine. Her friends and lovers in the New York art world have included Kate Millett , Nam June Paik , Dan Richter , Jonas Mekas , Merce Cunningham , Judith Malina , Erica Abeel , Peggy Guggenheim , Betty Rollin , Shusaku Arakawa , Adrian Morris , Stefan Wolpe , Keith Haring , and Andy Warhol , as well as Maciunas and Young. In a lecture at Wesleyan University , January 1966, Yoko Ono explained the inspiration behind her conceptual art: "All of my work in fields other than music have an Event bent ... event, to me, is not an assimilation of all the other arts as Happening seems to be, but an extrication from various sensory perceptions. It is not a get togetherness as most happenings are, but a dealing with oneself. Also it has no script as Happenings do, though it has something that starts it moving- the closest word for it may be a wish or hope ... After unblocking one's mind, by dispensing with visual, auditory and kinetic perception, what will come out of us? Would there be anything? I wonder. And my events are mostly spent in wonderment ... The painting method derives as far back as the time of the Second World War, when we had no food to eat, and my brother and I exchanged menus in the air." Ono has sometimes been maligned and vilified by critics who condemn her art. For example, Brian Sewell , an Art Critic noted for his artistic conservatism and acerbic reviews of conceptual art, said: "She's shaped nothing, she's contributed nothing, she's simply been a reflection of the times...I think she's an amateur, a very rich woman who was married to someone who did have some talent and was the driving force behind the Beatles. If she had not been the widow of John Lennon, she would be totally forgotten by now...Yoko Ono was simply a hanger-on. Have you seen her sculpture or paintings? They're all awful." In the past few years, Ono's work has received recognition and acclaim. For example, Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the ." In 2001, ''YES YOKO ONO'', a forty-year Retrospective of Ono's work, received the prestigious International Association Of Art Critics USA Award for Best Museum Show Originating in New York City . (This award is considered one of the highest accolades in the museum profession.) In 2002 Ono was awarded the Skowhegan Medal for work in assorted media. And in 2005 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Japan Society Of New York . Ono received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Liverpool University in 2001; in 2002 she was presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Bard College . Scott MacDonald, visiting professor of film at Bard, said: "She is to be congratulated for the body of work she has made, and celebrated for what she has come to represent, within media history and throughout the world: courage, resilience, persistence, independence, and above all, imagination, and a belief that peace and love remain the way toward a brighter, ever-more-diverse human future." LIFE WITH LENNON and Yoko Ono with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau , 22 December , 1969 Ottawa, Ontario]] Ono first met John Lennon when he visited a preview of an exhibition of Ono's at the Indica Gallery in London on November 9 , 1966 . Lennon's first personal encounter with Ono involved her passing him a card that read simply "Breathe". He was taken with the positivity, humour, and Interactivity of her work, such as a Ladder leading up to a black canvas with a Spyglass on a chain allowing John to read the word "Yes" written on the canvas along with a real apple displayed with a card reading "APPLE." When John was told the price of the apple was 200 pounds, he thought, "This is a joke, this is pretty funny". Spitz 2005. p650 Another display was a white board with nails in it with a sign inviting visitors to hammer a nail into its surface. Since the show was not beginning until the following day, Ono refused to allow Lennon to hammer in a nail. The gallery owner whisked her away, saying, "Don't you know who that is? He's a millionaire!" (Ono later claimed not to know who John Lennon or the Beatles were, though some friends remember her being quite interested in the band and wanting to get involved with them). Upon returning to John, she said he could hammer in a nail for five Shilling s. Lennon replied, "I'll give you an imaginary five shillings if you let me hammer in an imaginary nail". Spitz 2005. p632 They began an Affair approximately two years later, eventually resulting in Lennon divorcing his first wife, Cynthia Lennon . Lennon referred to Ono in many of his songs. While still a Beatle he wrote "", " Don't Let Me Down ", " Happiness Is A Warm Gun ", "Well Well Well", "Oh Yoko!", "I'm Losing You", "Bless You", and "Dear Yoko." Ono and Lennon collaborated on many albums, beginning in 1968 when Lennon was still a Beatle, with '''', an album of experimental and difficult Electronic Music . That same year, the couple contributed an experimental piece to '' The White Album '' called " Revolution 9 ". Ono also contributed backing vocals (on " Birthday "), and one line of lead vocals (on " The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill ") to the White Album. Many of the couple's later albums were released under the name the Plastic Ono Band . The couple also appeared together at concerts; when Lennon was invited to play with Frank Zappa at the Fillmore on June 5 , 1971 , Ono joined in as well. In 1969, the Plastic Ono Band's first album, '' Live Peace In Toronto 1969 '', was recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival. In addition to Lennon and Ono, this first incarnation of the group consisted of guitarist Eric Clapton , bass player Klaus Voorman , and drummer Alan White . The first half of their performance consisted of rock standards, and during the second half, Ono took the microphone and along with the band performed what may be one of the first expressions of the Avant Garde during a rock concert. The set ended with music that consisted mainly of Feedback , while Ono screamed {Link without Title} and sang. Ono and Lennon married on March 20 , 1969 in Gibraltar . Ono released her first solo album, '', but bear much in common with sounds in nature (especially those made by animals) and free jazz techniques used by wind and brass players. The performers included Ornette Coleman and other renowned Free Jazz performers. The personnel was supplemented by John Lennon, Ringo Starr and minor performers. Some songs consisted of wordless vocalizations, in a style that would influence Meredith Monk , and other musical artists who have used screams and vocal noise in lieu of words. Perhaps, the most famous song on ''Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band'' is "Why", which features Ono repeating the word "Why" (in a manner reminiscent of John Gilmore's sax playing) for five minutes, as the band improvises with textural form and tempo over one chord. This structure calls attention to the timbral and orchestrational aspects of the music, a technique common to free jazz. Some punk bands, including Public Image Ltd consider this album (and her other early albums) as laying the foundation for punk. The album peaked at #183 on the US charts. In 1971, Ono released '' Fly '' - a double album. On this release Ono explored slightly more conventional Punk Rock with tracks like "Midsummer New York" and "Mind Train", in addition to a number of Fluxus experiments. She also received minor airplay with the Ballad "Mrs. Lennon". Perhaps the most famous track from the album is "Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)", an ode to Ono's kidnapped daughter. Ono later released two Feminist rock albums in 1973, '' Approximately Infinite Universe '' and '' Feeling The Space '', which received little attention at the time but are today recognized with much critical respect, particularly for tracks such as "Move on Fast", " Yang Yang " and "Death of Samantha." Ono has been accused by some music historians, and by most of American and British pop culture, of Breaking Up The Beatles , while others argue that the breakup was caused by the fact that the Beatles were moving in different directions musically and personally. Lennon, also, said he had wanted to leave the group even before he met Yoko. In a 2003 interview with Jay Leno , Yoko revealed the disappointment she felt by the breakup and the impact it had on a life that she was used to. Beatles historian Bob Spitz concluded that John Lennon wanted to disband the Beatles and saw in Yoko the perfect wedge to drive between himself and the others. After the Beatles disbanded, Lennon and Ono cohabitated in London and then in New York. They were arrested for possession of cannabis resin on October 18 , 1968 . The arrest would be significant to their future together. Their relationship was very strained as Lennon faced near-certain deportation from the United States based on the British drug charges and Ono was separated from her daughter, who would have remained behind if she followed Lennon back to England. Lennon began drinking heavily and Ono buried herself in her work. The marriage had soured by 1973 and the two began living separate lives, Ono pursuing her career in New York and Lennon living in Los Angeles with personal assistant May Pang . In 1975, the couple reconciled. Their son, Sean , was born on Lennon's 35th birthday, October 9 , 1975 . After Sean's birth, the couple lived in relative seclusion at The Dakota in New York. Lennon Retired From Music To Become A House-husband caring for their child, until shortly before his Murder In December 1980 , which Yoko witnessed at close range. Yoko has stated that the couple were thinking about going out to dinner (after spending several hours in a recording studio), but were returning to their apartment instead, because John wanted to see Sean before Sean went to bed.1 Following the murder, she went into complete seclusion for an extended period. Ono funded the construction and maintenance of the , Japan, her home town. MUSICAL CAREER Ono collaborated with experimental luminaries such as John Cage and jazz legend Ornette Coleman . In 1961, years before meeting Lennon, she had her first major public performance in a concert at the 258-seat Carnegie Recital Hall (not the larger "Main Hall"). This concert featured radical experimental music and performances. She had a second engagement at the Carnegie Recital Hall in 1965, in which she debuted "Cut Piece." In early 1980, Lennon heard ''. One of Barenaked Ladies 's best-known songs is " Be My Yoko Ono ", and Dar Williams recorded a song called "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono." The punk rock singer Patti Smith invited Ono to participate in "Meltdown", a two-week music festival that Smith organized in London during June 2005; Ono performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall . On December 8 , 1980 , Lennon and Ono were in the studio working on Ono's song "Walking on Thin Ice". When they returned to The Dakota , their home in New York City , Lennon was shot dead by a deranged fan, Mark David Chapman . "Walking on Thin Ice (For John)" was released as a single less than a month later, and became Ono's first chart success, peaking at No. 58 and gaining major underground airplay. In 1981, she released the album '' Season Of Glass '' with the striking cover photo of Lennon's shattered, bloody Spectacles next to a half-filled glass of water, with a window overlooking Central Park in the background. This photograph sold at an Auction in London in April 2002 for about $13,000. In the Liner Notes to ''Season of Glass'', Ono explained that the album is not dedicated to Lennon because "he would have been offended - he was one of us." Some time after her husband's murder, Ono began a relationship with antiques dealer Sam Havadtoy, which lasted until 2001. http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2002-02-21/cover_story.php She had also been linked to art dealer and ''. The cover featured Ono in her famous wrap-around Sunglasses , looking towards the sun, while on the back the ghost of Lennon looks over her and their son. The album scored minor chart success and airplay with the singles " My Man " and " Never Say Goodbye ." In 1984, a tribute album titled '' Every Man Has A Woman '' was released, featuring a selection of Ono songs performed by artists such as Elvis Costello , Roberta Flack , Eddie Money , Rosanne Cash and Harry Nilsson . It was one of Lennon's projects that he never got to finish. Later that year, Ono and Lennon's final album, '' Milk And Honey '', was released as an unfinished demo. Ono's final album of the 1980s was ''" was a hit, reaching No. 16 on the US dance charts and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as major airplay on MTV . In 1986 Ono set out on a goodwill world tour for ''Starpeace'', mostly visiting Eastern Europe an countries. Ono went on hiatus until signing with Rykodisc in 1992 to release the comprehensive six-disc box set '' Onobox ''. It included remastered highlights from all of Ono's solo albums, as well as unreleased material from the 1974 "lost weekend" sessions. There was also a one-disc "greatest hits" release of highlights from Onobox, simply titled '' Walking On Thin Ice ''. In 1994, she produced her own Musical entitled '' New York Rock '', featuring Broadway renditions of her songs. In 1995, she released '' Rising '', a collaboration with her son Sean and his band, Ima . ''Rising'' spawned a world tour that traveled through Europe, Japan and the United States . The following year, she collaborated with various Alternative Rock musicians for an EP entitled '' Rising Mixes ''. Guest remixers of ''Rising'' material included Cibo Matto , Ween , Tricky , and Thurston Moore . In 1997, Rykodisc reissued all her solo albums on CD, from ''Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band'' through ''Starpeace''. Ono and her engineer Rob Stevens personally Remastered the audio, and various bonus tracks were added including outtakes, demos and live cuts. 2001 saw the release of Ono's Feminist concept album '' Blueprint For A Sunrise ''. Starting in 2002, some DJ s Remix ed other Ono songs for Dance Club s. For the remix project, she dropped her first name and became known as simply "ONO", as a response to the "Oh, no!" jokes that dogged her throughout her career. ONO had great success with new versions of "Walking on Thin Ice", remixed by top DJs and dance artists including Pet Shop Boys , Orange Factory , Peter Rauhofer , and Danny Tenaglia . In April 2003, ONO's ''Walking on Thin Ice (Remixes)'' was rated No. 1 on Billboard Magazine 's "Dance/Club Play Chart", gaining ONO her first number one hit. On the 12" mix of the original 1981 version of "Walking on Thin Ice", Lennon can be heard remarking "I think we've just got your first No.1, Yoko." She returned to No. 1 on the same charts in November 2004 with "Everyman...Everywoman...". A reworking of her song "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" from ''Double Fantasy'', the track contained new lyrics supportive of Gay Marriage . Ono's latest album is '''' is also due in April. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41503/Basement_Jaxx_Pet_Shop_Boys_Remix_Yoko_Ono During her career, Ono has collaborated with a diverse group of artists and musicians including John Cage , David Tudor , George Maciunas , Ornette Coleman , Charlotte Moorman , George Brecht , Jackson Mac Low , Jonas Mekas , Yvonne Rainer , La Monte Young , Richard Maxfield , Zbigniew Rybczyński , Yo La Tengo , DJ Spooky , and Andy Warhol . In 1987 Ono was one of the speakers at Warhol's funeral. POLITICAL ACTIVISM Since the 1960s, Ono has been an activist for peace and human rights. After their wedding, Lennon and Ono held a " Bed-In For Peace " in their honeymoon suite at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in March 1969. The press fought to get in, presuming that the two would be having sex for their cameras, but they instead found a pair of newlyweds wearing pajamas and eager to talk about and promote World Peace . Another Bed-In in May 1969 in Montreal, Canada, resulted in the recording of their first single, "Give Peace A Chance", a Top 20 hit for the newly-christened Plastic Ono Band. Other demonstrations with John included Bagism . Introduced in Vienna, Bagism encouraged a disregard for physical appearance in judging others. In the 1970s, Ono and Lennon became close to many radical leaders, including Bobby Seale , Jerry Rubin , Michael X , John Sinclair (for whom they organized a benefit after he was imprisoned), Angela Davis , Kate Millett , and David Peel . They appeared on The Mike Douglas Show and took over hosting duties for a week, during which Ono spoke at length about the evils of Racism and Sexism . They were forced to curtail much of their political activity when the United States government put them under Surveillance and Lennon was threatened with deportation on drug charges. Ono remained outspoken in her support of Feminism , and openly bitter about the racism she had experienced from rock fans, especially in the UK. For example, an '' Esquire '' article of the period was titled "John Rennon's Excrusive Gloupie" and featured an unflattering David Levine cartoon. In 2002, Ono inaugurated her own peace award by giving $50,000 (£31,900) prize money to artists living "in regions of conflict." Israel i and Palestinian artists were the first recipients. In 2004, Ono remade her song "Everyman... Everywoman..." to support Same-sex Marriage , releasing remixes that included "Every Man Has a Man Who Loves Him" and "Every Woman Has a Woman Who Loves Her." RELATIONSHIP WITH PAUL MCCARTNEY AND CYNTHIA LENNON Ono occasionally argued with Beatle '' which credited several Beatles' songs as P. McCartney-J. Lennon compositions. Similarly, a 1998 John Lennon anthology, '' Lennon Legend '', listed the composer of " Give Peace A Chance " as John Lennon rather than the original composing credit of Lennon-McCartney. In 1995, McCartney and his family collaborated with Ono and Sean Lennon to create the song "Hiroshima Sky is Always Blue", which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the dropping of an Atomic Bomb on the Japanese City . Of Ono, McCartney stated: "I thought she was a cold woman. I think that's wrong ... she's just the opposite ... I think she's just more determined than most people to be herself." McCartney did not invite Ono to his wife Linda's memorial service in 1998. http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=531072002 Accepting an award at the 2005 Q Awards, Ono mentioned that Lennon had once felt insecure about his songwriting, and asked her why other musicians "always cover Paul's songs, and never mine".http://www.macca-central.com/macca-news/morenews.cfm?ID=1962 Ono then responded "You're a good songwriter; it's not June with spoon that you write. You're a good singer, and most musicians are probably a little bit nervous about covering your songs". http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/news/article319727.ece Heather Mills McCartney , when asked about her husband's thoughts on the subject, said "He doesn't even know yet. Look at how successful Yoko's music is compared to Paul's. Speaks for itself." Ono later issued a statement claiming she did not mean any offense, as her comment was an attempt to console her husband, not attack McCartney; she went on to insist that she respected McCartney and that it was the press who had taken her comments out of context.http://www.macca-central.com/macca-news/morenews.cfm?ID=1962 She also said: "People need light-hearted topics like me and Paul fighting to escape all the horror of the world, but it's not true anymore...We have clashed many times in the past. But I do respect Paul now for having been John's partner and he respects me for being John's wife." Her relationship with Cynthia Lennon remains strained. In a recent BBC interview, Cynthia Lennon said Ono's behaviour toward Julian Lennon after his father's death was "shameful" and remarked of Ono's "lonely" existence in her "ivory tower". This interview can be seen here . RECENT LIFE Ono again proved herself to be a provocative and controversial artist with her contribution to the fourth and Breasts are a child’s introduction to Humanity . Some in Liverpool, including Lennon's half-sister, Julia Baird, found the citywide Installation offensive. Indeed, the BBC program '' North West Tonight '' invited viewers to phone in their opinion of the piece, and of the 6,000 viewers who responded 92% wanted the images removed. However, due to Response Bias , this poll may not have determined the general public's actual opinion. Others appreciated the Conceptuality of the work. Chris Brown, of Liverpool's ''Daily Post'', wrote: "Many have loved the work… and Yoko Ono has again managed to get the eyes of the world looking in our direction." An editorial in '' The Times '' of London wrote: "Her unmissable contribution to the fourth Liverpool Biennial dominates the event and seems also to symbolise the new international Liverpool...Ono manages successfully to get right up the noses of the locals, as she always has. Brilliant...As always with Ono's art, a simple act has become a radical one." Some local councillors welcomed the removal of Ono's image from the deconsecrated Church Of St. Luke . "I'm delighted that it has been removed", said Joe Anderson, leader of the Labour Party group. "I find it appalling that the picture was put in a place which offended people. St. Luke's is a war memorial and many people felt it was being desecrated with this picture." (Ono's art was placed there at the invitation of St Luke's Peace Centre in recognition of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's steadfast promotion of peace.) The biennial's chief executive, Lewis Biggs, denied the claim that it was moved due to public pressure: "The banner was taken down to replace the one torn down at the Bluecoat Centre over the weekend. The only banner of the same size was at St. Luke's. If the biennial had the money to replace the one at the church, we would have." He further stated, "There are a great many people who enjoy and support this project." Paul Domela, deputy chief executive of Liverpool Biennial, said: "We were aware that some would object to it. But, at the same time, we realised that a great many would love it as well...We have got bags, stickers and badges that are so popular we cannot give out enough of them because they are going so quickly." He continued: "In the campaign for the election in the European Union , there was an image of a woman breast feeding. The campaign was aired across Europe, including some very Catholic countries. Over here, the difference was that the Nipple was removed. This baby had its mouth open into nothingness. What does that say about the relationship we have in this country to Motherhood ? To begin to think about that and talk about it is very important." In response to the controversy Ono stated, "I wasn't trying to insult Liverpool. In fact, when I thought of the idea and I visualized this beautiful mum's breasts and vagina all around the city I thought, 'Ah, it would be so beautiful', and it's like giving them love, because we are all Born from our mother's body, and that's the first thing that we were Nurture d by—mothers' breasts. Somehow people try to inhibit that memory. Women are put in a position of feeling embarrassed about their bodies. It's so ridiculous, but also astounding—we have to always be apologetic about having created the Human Race ." Of her artistic inspiration she said, "I'm always inside myself and listening to what's coming into my head. I'm like a conduit of some message coming through me. I'm interested in everything, equally, every day. I'm in love with life, the world, every moment." Yoko Ono performed at the Opening Ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin , Italy , wearing white, like many of the others who performed during the ceremony, to symbolize the snow that makes the Winter Olympics possible. She read a free verse poem from a prepared script calling for peace in the world. The poem was an intro to a performance of the song "Imagine", Lennon's anthem to world peace. On 13 December 2006 , Ono's bodyguard Koral Karson was arrested after he was taped trying to extort Ono for two million dollars, threatening to release private conversations and photographs. Yoko Ono bodyguard accused of extortion Recently, Ono appeared on ''Larry King Live'' along with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Olivia Harrison. On 29 June 2007 , she appeared on the Japanese televised music program, ''Bokura no Ongaku'', to interview Japanese psychedelic-rock band, Love Psychedelico . Ono headlined the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago on 14 July , 2007 , performing a full set that mixed music and performance art. She sang "Mulberries", a song about her time in the countryside after the Japanese collapse in World War II for only the third time in her life, with Thurston Moore ; Ono had previously performed the song once with John Lennon and once with Sean Lennon . KYOKO CHAN COX Kyoko Chan Cox (born August 3 , 1963 ) is the daughter of Yoko Ono and jazz musician Anthony Cox , and is Sean Lennon 's half-sister. Kyoko spent her earliest years surrounded by a variety of artists, musicians, and film-makers. Cox raised her alone from 1965 to 1969 after Yoko Ono left him. She divorced him in 1969. In 1971, while studying with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Majorca, Cox accused Yoko Ono of abducting Kyoko from his hotel. A large number of accusations were then made by both parents toward each other and the matter of custody. Cox eventually moved to Houston, Texas and converted to evangelical Christianity with his wife who was originally from Houston. At the end of 1971, a custody hearing in Houston went against Cox. In violation of the order, he took Kyoko and disappeared. Yoko Ono then launched a search for her daughter with the aid of the police and private detectives; she also wrote a song about her daughter, "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)", which appears on Lennon and Ono's Live Peace In Toronto 1969 album. Cox had fled to Los Angeles where he lived with a friend who was associated with the Church Of The Living Word . He joined the group in 1972 and then lived in various communities associated with the group in Iowa and California. In 1977, Cox left the group. In 1978 Cox and Kyoko stayed with the Jesus People USA commune in Chicago , where Kyoko went by the assumed name of "Molly". After the murder of John Lennon in 1980, Cox along with Kyoko (then 17 years old) sent a message of sympathy to Yoko Ono but did not reveal their location. There was a reconciliation to a small degree between the two afterward though Cox did not allow Kyoko to contact Yoko Ono. Yoko Ono afterward printed an open letter to Kyoko saying how she missed her but that she would cease her attempts to find her. Croce, Maria (April 2000) "Weekend Life: The Lost Daughter of Yoko Ono; I Thought About My Daughter Every Day of My Life" ''Daily Record'' (Glasgow, Scotland) from Questia Online Library, subscriber access only Kyoko next appeared in 1986 when she was listed as an associate producer on a documentary film made by Cox about his involvement in the Church of the Living Word called ''Vain Glory''. Cox resurfaced in public in the same year, but Kyoko did not. In 1987, Kyoko sang on the Wax UK song "American English"; this is her only known performing credit. In 1994, Kyoko, fully-grown and married re-established a connection with her mother. Although Kyoko prefers to remain very much away from publicity, she did grant an interview where she revealed that her reunion with Ono was a very happy one, and they remain in close contact to this day. Kyoko made a rare public appearance in August 2005 at the opening of ''Lennon, the Musical''. YOKO ONO IN CULTURE
DISCOGRAPHY (WITH U.S. CHART POSITIONS) Albums
Singles
B-Side appearances on John Lennon singles:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
FILMS
FURTHER READING
NOTES REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
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