Launched in 1969 with the recording “Give Peace A Chance,” The Plastic Ono Band’s original lineup always seemed like a party with all of rock’s royalty invited. Along with Lennon and Ono, band membership back in the day included artists and musicians such as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, bassist Klaus Voorman, Who drummer Keith Moon, saxophonist Bobby Keys and keyboardist Billy Preston. Record producer Phil Spector was also a member, as was drummer Alan White, who went on to replace Bill Bruford in Yes in 1972.
Now Ono has created a new lineup for the band, which is performing a special one-night-only show at the Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Feb. 16. Sure, some old Plastic Ono Band members will be there, including Clapton, Voorman and Jim Keltner, but the band has a few new members as well.
Like Sean Lennon, who wasn’t even a gleam in John & Yoko’s eyes during the band’s heyday. Also appearing as Plastic Ono members will be Bette Midler, Mark Ronson, Paul Simon, Martha Wainwright, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Justin Bond, Yuka Honda, Haruomi Hosono, and Cornelius consisting of Keigo Oyamada, Naoki Schimizu and Yuku Araki.
2009 was a great year for Ono. Her new album – Between My Head And The Sky – was released in September and received great reviews from several music publications including Rolling Stone, NME and Spin.
Ono also received the prestigious Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mojo Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award. For more information on everything Yoko, please click here for the Plastic Ono Band Web site.