Her early works that have stood the test of time include "Cut Piece," performance art where attendees were invited to cut away her garments; and her book "Grapefruit."
During her marriage to John Lennon, she became an activist for peace and women's equality. The couple famously spent their honeymoon staging a Bed-In (a take-off on the popular cultural phenomenon of a "Be-In") at a Toronto hotel to raise consciousness about peace and war. They were joined by artists, musicians, and journalists across the socio-political spectrum. The song "Give Peace A Chance" is a product of that work.
She was reviled for her relationship with Lennon, and misguided people (both consumers and media professionals) treated her miserably. Much of the baby boom generation still dismisses her, talks of her derisively, and are completely closed-minded about her talent, her impact on Western Civilization, and respond only with racist, misguided pettiness when they discuss her. The couple was so dogged by media hatred of Ono that they fled London to take-up residence in New York City.
The couple formed Plastic Ono Band, with a core of Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, and Eric Clapton, often joined by some of the era's most influential musicians. Yoko recorded the album "Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band," a companion release to "John Lennon Plastic Ono Band" which was the starting point of her ongoing decades-long solo music career. Her album "Approximate Infinite Universe" is grossly under-appreciated and should not be ignored. Her song "Death Of Samantha" has been covered by many artists.
The biggest disappointment of her recording career has to be the "Some Time In New York City" double-LP she recorded with Lennon. It is a collection of deeply political songs performed and produced brilliantly. It was released in 1972, as the world was fatigued by the Vietnam War and the media exposés of military suppression throughout the free world. America was ready for dance music and Yoko was still delivering a vital message of peace and justice. It was the couples' worst-selling record.
Her later works include "We Are Plastic Ono Band," which she formed with her son, Sean Lennon, and bandleader Yuka Honda. Like the original Plastic Ono Band, the new iteration has featured many of this era's most influential musicians and performers. A show by WAPOB in Brooklyn included Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Scissor Sisters, Ween, Sonic Youth, and others. The show ended with a reunion of the original POB Clapton, Voorman, and Keltner with Sean Lennon. Recent collaborations also include records released with Iggy Pop and RZA (Wu-Tang Clan). Ono continually delivers new variations on important themes in her music and her art.
Her "Wish Tree" was installed at MoMA, in New York City, for a period of time. Viewers were invited to write a wish on a tag and tie it to the tree. Its popularity was another huge success in Ono's efforts to restore humanity to every facet of human life. The "Imagine Peace" Tower, a memorial to John Lennon and his desire for world peace, is installed on Viðey Island near Reykjavík, Iceland. I hope to see it one day.
The best story (fact or fiction matters for nothing) about Ono's influence on popular music is that John Lennon was riding in a car when a B-52s song came on the radio. When he heard it, he insisted the car pull over, and he called Ono from a pay phone to tell her there was a band on the radio singing exactly like her. The band subsequently explained that Ono was a huge influence, and she has appeared on stage with them.
Yoko Ono is one of the smartest, most influential artists and activists of two centuries. There is no denying her impact on history.
See Yoko discussing "Imagine Peace" and "Wish Tree" along with the dedication of Imagine Peace Tower:
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By Marcela Cataldi Cipolla
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