Yoko Ono Turns 80 - Noise11.com
Yoko Ono. Photo by Ros O'Gorman, Noise11, Photo

Yoko Ono at SXSW. Photo by Ros O'Gorman.

Yoko Ono Turns 80

by Paul Cashmere on February 18, 2013

in News

Happy birthday Yoko Ono. Mrs Lennon is 80-years old today.

Yoko Ono. Photo by Ros O'Gorman.

Yoko Ono. Photo by Ros O'Gorman.

Yoko Ono was born in Tokyo on February 18, 1933. She met John Lennon at an art exhibition in 1965. They married in 1969. It was the second marriage for John and third for Yoko.

Towards the end of The Beatles, John and Yoko formed the Plastic Ono Band. The first album was ‘Live Peace In Toronto 1969’ on The Beatles Apple label. The first single was ‘Give Peace A Chance’

The original line-up for Plastic Ono Band featured John, Yoko and Eric Clapton on guitar, Klaus Voormann on bass and Alan White on drums.

Yoko released her first solo album ‘Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’ in 1970 as a bookend to John’s ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’. She continued to record and release albums at a similar rate to John and the couple also shared singles with Yoko taking up the b-side to many of John’s solo hits.

In 1973, John and Yoko separated for an 18-month period but reconciled in 1975. Soon after, son Sean was born. Sean’s birth prompted John to retire. For the next five-years John stayed home at the Dakota building in New York and raised Sean.

In 1980 John returned to the studio after hearing B52’s and deciding Yoko was now musically relevant. The couple recorded the ‘Double Fantasy’ album, released on November 1980. Then on December 8, 1980, John was murdered.

Yoko has released 14 solo albums and seven albums with John. There has also been the two tribute albums attached to her name, ‘Every Man Has A Woman’ (1984) and ‘Mrs Lennon’ (2010).

Stay updated with your free Noise11 daily music newsletter. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here

Related Posts

The Beatles Anthology box 2025 vinyl edition
The Beatles Anthology 2025: A New Chapter in the Legendary Collection

This Friday, November 21, The Beatles' Anthology 2025 collection arrives, offering fans a new way to experience the band's extraordinary history. Anthology 4, the latest volume, joins fully remastered editions of the original Volumes 1-3, now overseen by Giles Martin.

2 days ago
John Lennon Shaved Fish 50th anniversary
John Lennon ‘Shaved Fish’ Turns 50: The Definitive Collection Of Lennon’s Post-Beatles Era

When John Lennon released Shaved Fish on 24 October 1975 in the UK, it marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. The album arrived just as Lennon withdrew from the public eye to focus on family life, following the birth of his son Sean Lennon earlier that same month. It was also the final record he would release on Apple Records before the label shut down, making Shaved Fish not just a greatest-hits compilation, but a symbolic farewell to a turbulent chapter in his solo journey.

October 20, 2025
John Lennon performing live at Madison Square Garden in 1972 during the One to One concerts, featured in the Instant Karma live premiere and Power To The People box set
John Lennon Estate Releases New “Sunday Bloody Sunday” Music Video Ahead of Power To The People Box

On 26 September 2025, the John Lennon estate premiered a brand-new music video for Lennon and Yoko Ono's hard-hitting protest anthem “Sunday Bloody Sunday (Ultimate Mix)”, reintroducing one of the most controversial yet vital tracks from Lennon's New York era. The video arrives just weeks before the release of the expansive Power To The People (The Ultimate Collection) box set, due 10 October, and places renewed focus on Lennon's uncompromising political voice.

September 28, 2025
The Beatles Help
Paul McCartney Performs ‘Help!’ For The First Time In 35 Years

Paul McCartney launched his 2025 tour in Santa Barbara, California on Friday night (26 September 2025), treating fans to a historic moment with the return of The Beatles' classic Help! to his setlist for the first time since 1990.

September 27, 2025
John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Clock
John Lennon’s Clock: A Forgotten Film Experiment Resurfaces in Power To The People Box Set

When the John Lennon Estate announced the release of the Power To The People deluxe box set, much of the attention naturally went to the remastered tracks, rare recordings, and newly unearthed video content. But among the archival treasures is something far less conventional—a quirky, avant-garde experiment called Clock. Filmed by John Lennon in 1971 during the creation of Imagine, Clock is as much a window into Lennon’s restless creativity as it is a document of the day-to-day rhythm of his life with Yoko Ono.

September 12, 2025
John Lennon Imagine
On This Day in Music History – September 9

September 9 is a date packed with pivotal music milestones, from the births of legendary voices to chart-topping singles that defined their eras. On this day, Elvis Presley made his debut on national television, The Beatles reached US No.1 again, and Nirvana brought grunge into the mainstream spotlight. Otis Redding, Dave Stewart, and Michael Bublé all share this birthday, while this date also marks the anniversary of the passing of Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass.” With groundbreaking debuts, unforgettable songs, and the arrival of iconic artists, September 9 is an essential marker in music history.

September 9, 2025
John Lennon performing live at Madison Square Garden in 1972 during the One to One concerts, featured in the Instant Karma live premiere and Power To The People box set
John Lennon ‘Instant Karma (We All Shine On)’ Live Premieres Ahead of New Box Set

John Lennon’s Instant Karma (We All Shine On) has premiered in a newly released live performance video ahead of the arrival of his Power To The People deluxe box set, due 10 October. The track, recorded at Lennon’s One to One concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1972, is one of the standout moments from what would ultimately become the only full concerts Lennon ever performed in his post-Beatles life.

September 1, 2025