Born in Kamigata at an unknown date. He started his career at the end of the Bunsei era in hama shibai as a disciple of Ôtani Tomoemon II, who gave him the name of Ôtani Tokujirô. He became disciple of Nakayama Hyakka in 1831 and received the name of Nakayama Tokujirô. He quickly joined Onoe Tamizô II and took the name of Onoe Tamezô. He was back in 1833 in the Nakayama clan, adopted by Nakayama Hyakka, who gave him the name of Nakayama Hyôtarô II. He broke up with his adopted father a few years later and became a disciple of Onoe Kikugorô III, who named him Onoe Baikaku. While on tour in Nagoya in Spring 1849 with both his new master and Ichikawa Ebizô V, he impressed everybody with his performances in the roles of Togashi and Tamiya Iemon in the dance-drama "Kanjinchô" and in the ghost play "Yotsuya Kaidan". It was decided to allow him to take the prestigious name of Onoe Shôroku. he went to Edo with his master (who unfortunately died on the road, at the Kakegawa station on the Tôkaidô, the 24th April 1849). He took the name of Onoe Shôroku in October 1849 at the Kawarazakiza, playing the role of the yakko Rampei in the drama "Saiwai Ariwara Keizu". He went back to Ôsaka in January 1853 and spent several years in hama shibai or on tour in the countryside. He became a great and popular fukeyaku from the beginning of the Meiji era. He appeared on stage for the last time in February 1873, at the Chikugo no Shibai. He most likely died in May 1873.

Onoe Shôroku was a talented actor, able to perform a wide range of roles, from katakiyaku to onnagata. His vocal projection and the way he delivered his lines were great. We definitively think he should be considered as the second in this line of actors as it is the case in Nojima Jusaburô"s reference book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten". Unfortunately, the 2002 shûmei of Onoe Shôroku IV made it clear: the Kabuki world refused to treat him fairly!