MUSIC Yoko works to keep Lennon's legacy strong

The musician's widow says she's just trying to do right by her husband.
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
In many ways, the past 25 years have gone as perfectly as they could have for John Lennon.
The late musician's legacy has been preserved and presented with dignity. Widow Yoko Ono has become an elder stateswoman of rock. Son Sean has become a respected musician in his own right.
Everything turned out exactly the way Lennon and Ono hoped it would -- except, of course, that Lennon is not here.
"It's very difficult, especially with Sean. Sean is totally blocking the beautiful time that he had with his dad. And when he remembers it, when he opens up a little, he cries, of course," Ono says by phone from New York's Dakota Building, the place where Lennon lived and died.
"But I think John would be pleased, if he's up there watching, about the stuff he did hoping it would better the world."
Happy to be home
Lennon was particularly proud of staying home and being a father in the late '70s. His role as househusband caused an uproar at the time.
"Some people said that's just PR for his record or something. He was very upset about that. You don't make bread for PR," Ono says. "He was very proud about that. And also taking care of Sean.
"Now I think there are many sensitive guys who understand the issues and how important their participation in the family affects the family."
Ono has made it easy for fans to remember Lennon. She has reissued his music on the "Lennon Legend" DVD and a book of the same name. And his artwork is still on the road. An exhibition, "Imagine All The People ... John Lennon's Words and Images Endure," is at the Oxford Hotel in Denver for three days, starting Friday.
When Ono first put Lennon's artwork on the road in the '80s, she drew fire for exploiting his legacy. Time has shown her to be a visionary; The Beatles' work has been honored, remastered, expanded and revered, much of it following the trail Ono blazed.
"I'm very glad that this is such a success," Ono says, but notes it's still "50/50 for some people about what I'm doing. I can't be worried about that, you know?"
The traveling art exhibition has been revamped. There are new serigraphs, older ones that haven't been exhibited in years, plus Lennon's handwritten lyrics to many of his classic songs.
'Lennon Legend'
Last year saw another labor of love: the "Lennon Legend" DVD. His solo hits and videos were gathered in one place, with the music remixed in 5.1 surround-sound. The press made a fuss when it was released because Ono replaced a video of Lennon's onetime girlfriend May Pang with a video that showed Ono instead, but they missed the real story. The video for "Happy Xmas [War is Over]" was replaced by footage of the horror of war, especially on children. The violent images set to a children's choir of voices makes a disturbing political statement.
"The record company was saying, 'Could we just play the other one, the old one?' I said no. Whenever I see it, I cry," Ono says.
The "Lennon Legend" book gave his history with an unusual twist -- exact reproductions of key artifacts from his career, such as the flier announcing the Woolton Church Fete where he first met Paul McCartney. But memorabilia is also a sore spot with the Lennon estate. Tapes, lyrics, photos and other things that Ono thought she had invariably turn up at international auctions.
"Sometimes you see something that I thought I possessed. And then it's in a brochure for sale. I say, 'Oh, I thought that was in my fireproof.' I go and look into my fireproof and 'Oh, it's not here.' How did it get there? It's a bit sad.
"And sometimes I have to buy back the thing that was ... something that John and I owned. What am I doing buying my own thing? But ... you have to."
Fortunately, his artwork has been well-preserved and hasn't gotten away from the estate. That allows Ono to present new images to the public.
So, does Ono think she has done a good job with what Lennon left behind?
"I believe that one day I'm going to meet John again. And I would say, 'Did I do right by you?' And I would hope that he would think that I did do right by him."