The Truth About JOHN YOKO

A NEW BIOGRAPHY SHARES THE REAL STORY OF THE ARTIST'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LATE BEATLE

- Louise A. Barile

"In the course of survival, we don't have the luxury to be negative." -Yoko Ono

In 1966, John Lennon gained early entry to a London gallery and angered artist Yoko Ono by eating an apple from her display. “Yoko was shocked and upset,” writes David Sheff. “The piece was about the cycle of life — the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate. It hadn’t occurred to her that someone might take a bite out of her sculpture.”

A mountain of text has dissected every aspect of John’s life, but very few writers have centered on Yoko. Sheff’s new book, Yoko: A Biography, puts the spotlight firmly on the often misunderstood artist, who recently turned 92. “There has been lots of cynicism about Yoko,” Sheff told Publisher’s Weekly, explaining that she’s been viewed as a harpy who chased John. In fact, the musician pursued her. “[John] felt that Yoko was the person he had been looking for his entire life.”