Yoko Ono at 90 finally shakes off the Beatles burden

In recent years, the reclusive avant garde artist’s work has been recognised as significant and pioneering.

Jim Windolf

Mar 2, 2023 – 9.41am

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At 90, Yoko Ono has outlasted her detractors, just as she more or less predicted she would in Yes, I’m a Witch, a defiant song she recorded in the 1970s. “I’m not gonna die for you,” Ono sang. “You might as well face the truth / I’m gonna stick around / For quite a while / Yes, I’m a witch.”

To commemorate her 90th birthday on February 18, more than 50 artists and fans gathered at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park to take part in “Morning Piece for Yoko Ono,” a 1960s-style art happening that doubled as a celebration.