is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Sugiyama's career began after joining the band "Kyutipanchosu," and subsequently winning 19th
Popcon
The , generally known as , was a Japanese popular music contest which ran from 1969 to 1986. It was sponsored by the Yamaha Music Foundation and was held annually (later, twice a year) at the Yamaha Resort Tsumagoi in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan.
Th ...
with the single, "Gospel No Yoru." After being scouted by producer
Koichi Fujita
was a Japanese guitarist, lyricist, composer, record producer, and businessman. He was known for producing for Kiyotaka Sugiyama, Carlos Toshiki, Toshiki Kadomatsu, Momoko Kikuchi, and Lazy.
Biography Early life and career
Fujita was born ...
, Sugiyama's band became "
Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe
Omega Tribe (Japanese: ; sometimes stylized as Ωmega Tribe) was a Japanese soft rock and city pop project that was led by producer Koichi Fujita, with the bands being handled by industry veterans Tetsuji Hayashi, Tsunehiro Izumi, and Hiroshi ...
," releasing five studio albums that all ranked on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
charts. After breaking up the band in December 1985, he went on to have a successful solo career.
Biography
Early life and career
Sugiyama was born in
Isogo-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward has an estimated population of 163,406 and a population density of 8,520 persons per km2. The total area is 19.17 km2.
Geography
Isogo is lo ...
on July 17, 1959 to his father, a police officer, and his mother, a
shamisen
The , also known as the or
(all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi.
The Japanese pronunciation is usual ...
teacher. While in elementary school, he wanted to be a
manga artist
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
and was invited to his friend Miura's house to make a manga. While in his friend's home, Miura's brother listened to
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, and borrowed the record to listen to while drawing. He stopped drawing after and bought
Let It Be
Let It Be most commonly refers to:
* ''Let It Be'' (Beatles album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970
* "Let It Be" (Beatles song), the title song from the album
It may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Let It Be'' (1970 ...
in 5th grade with his own pocket money. He attended Yokohama Municipal Okamura Junior High School and Yokosuka Gakuin High School. In 1980, he became the lead vocalist of the band "Kyutipanchosu," which won the 19th
Popcon
The , generally known as , was a Japanese popular music contest which ran from 1969 to 1986. It was sponsored by the Yamaha Music Foundation and was held annually (later, twice a year) at the Yamaha Resort Tsumagoi in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan.
Th ...
with their song, "Gospel No Yoru." After the debut of Kyutipanchosu and receiving the Popcon prize, Sugiyama was unsatisfied with the song, feeling that it was incomplete. He refused the invitation from Popcon and sought to make his own debut. Koichi Fujita, a producer who was president of Triangle Productions, paid attention to Sugiyama after the win, presenting Sugiyama with an idea to change the band's name. In 1983, the band changed their name from "Kyutipanchosu" to "
Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe
Omega Tribe (Japanese: ; sometimes stylized as Ωmega Tribe) was a Japanese soft rock and city pop project that was led by producer Koichi Fujita, with the bands being handled by industry veterans Tetsuji Hayashi, Tsunehiro Izumi, and Hiroshi ...
," debuting with the single, "
Summer Suspicion
is the debut single by Japanese band S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe released by VAP on April 21, 1983. Produced by Koichi Fujita and written by Tetsuji Hayashi and Chinfa Kan, the song is made to have a "domestic Japanese melancholy" by the request ...
."
Kiyotaka Sugiyama and Omega Tribe
The band included, of the Kyutipanchosu members, guitarist
Shinji Takashima
Shinji Takashima (Japanese: 高島信二, ''Takashima Shinji''; born October 23, 1960 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese musician, composer, and music producer. He is known for being the guitarist of Omega Tribe. Takashima wa ...
, new members Keiichi Hiroishi for drums, Takao Oshima for bass, and Kenji Yoshida for guitar, and replaced keyboardist
Akira Senju
is a Japanese composer, arranger and conductor.
Biography
Senju studied composition at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and received his master's degree with honors.
Between 1994 and 2003, he produced series of cover albums ...
with
Toshitsugu Nishihara
was a Japanese music project led by producer Koichi Fujita from 1983 to 1995. With the help of composers Tetsuji Hayashi, Tsunehiro Izumi, and Hiroshi Shinkawa, the project had three different bands with three different lead vocalists: Kiyotaka ...
. "Summer Suspicion" peaked at No. 9 on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
charts while their freshman album,
Aqua City
is a Japanese band from Yokohama, Japan. It consists of lead vocalist Kiyotaka Sugiyama, rhythm guitarist Shinji Takashima, lead guitarist Kenji Yoshida, keyboardist Toshitsugu Nishihara, bassist Takao Oshima, drummer Keiichi Hiroishi.
The star ...
, reached No. 4.
The band continued to make music until the end of 1985, when Sugiyama proposed that the group have a "developmental dissolution" and break up. Takashima and Nishihara initially opposed the dissolution, but the group decided that it would happen, and the greatest hits album, ''
Single's History
is a Japanese band from Yokohama, Japan. It consists of lead vocalist Kiyotaka Sugiyama, rhythm guitarist Shinji Takashima, lead guitarist Kenji Yoshida, keyboardist Toshitsugu Nishihara, bassist Takao Oshima, drummer Keiichi Hiroishi.
The start ...
'', would be the last album. At the suggestion of producer Tetsuji Hayashi, it was decided that they would make another album called ''
First Finale
is a Japanese band from Yokohama, Japan. It consists of lead vocalist Kiyotaka Sugiyama, rhythm guitarist Shinji Takashima, lead guitarist Kenji Yoshida, keyboardist Toshitsugu Nishihara, bassist Takao Oshima, drummer Keiichi Hiroishi.
The start ...
''. ''First Finale'' was released on December 11, 1985, with the band breaking up 13 days later.
Solo debut and career
After the band disbanded, Sugiyama went to have a solo career as a vocalist. On May 28, 1986, he debuted with the single "
Sayonara no Ocean," which peaked at No. 3 on the
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
charts and sold 20 million copies. On May 27, 1987, he released his third single, "
Mizu no Naka no Answer," which gave Sugiyama the No. 1 spot on the Oricon charts and gave Sugiyama his first solo hit on the Oricon charts.
In 1990, he transferred from
VAP to
Warner Pioneer
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
, and sometime after, transferred from Triangle Productions to
Horipro
is a large Japanese talent agency.
History
It was founded in 1960 as Hori Productions (ホリプロダクション ''Hori Purodakushon'') and changed to its present name in 1990. Horipro has two locations in the United States: Nashville and ...
.
In 2000, he was re-signed to VAP. Sometime after, he left Horipro and became independent, establishing Masterwork Co., Ltd. before reorganizing the company as Island Afternoon Co., Ltd. In 2006, Sugiyama decided to hold a concert for the 20th anniversary of his solo debut, with the order of the songs being decided by vote on the Internet. The "Solo debut 20th Anniversary The Open Air Live High & High 2006" concert was scheduled on August 6, but cancelled due to Sugiyama's poor condition at the time. Sugiyama commented, "It's the first time I've been living for 47 years and being so conscious of a cold. I'd like to continue my musical activities for the next 30 or 40 years." The event was rescheduled on September 10, with 3,000 fans gathering.
In 2013, he transferred from
Warner Pioneer
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
to
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
on the 30th anniversary of Omega Tribe's debut, and held tour for his 30th anniversary called "I Am Me." He held the tour "The Open Air Live "High & High 2016"" at the
Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall
The is an outdoor theater in Tokyo, Japan's Hibiya Park. There are actually two concert halls; the smaller was erected during the Meiji era, and the larger was first built in the Taishō era. The larger venue is colloquially abbreviated to .
No ...
in 2016.
He released the album "Ocean" in 2016.
In 2016, he sang a duet with actress and singer
Momoko Kikuchi
is a Japanese actress, entertainer, singer, and scholar who was formerly represented by the talent agency, Parfit Production. On June 22, 2020, Kikuchi announced that she has left Parfit Production and gone independent.
Her ex-husband is profes ...
in the song "Kaze no Kioku." The two had previously starred in the movie ''Idol wo Sagase'' as siblings.
Yasushi Akimoto
is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, maki ...
, who had written songs for Sugiyama during the Omega Tribe era, wrote the song.
In 2019, he made his first appearance in
Nippon BS Broadcasting
() is a private satellite broadcasting station in Kanda, Tokyo, Japan. It is an independent television station and is a subsidiary of Bic Camera. Its channel name is BS11 (''BS Eleven'') and was BS11 Digital until March 31, 2011. It was founded ...
's Momoiro Uta Gassen (ももいろ歌合戦).
Public image
Sugiyama was known to wear a pair of
sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names below) are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can s ...
during concerts and in pictures. He did not wear sunglasses at the beginning of his career, but shortly thereafter, appeared in the media in black sunglasses. This was to hide the swelling of his face after a live performance by covering it just before his debut, but since it was well received by fans, he continues to do so. He was known during this time as "a top class man who looked good with sunglasses." However, during the performance of "
Futari no Natsu Monogatari
Futari no Natsu Monogatari - Never Ending Summer (Japanese: ふたりの夏物語 Never Ending Summer, English: "Summer Story for Two of Us - Never Ending Summer"), also known as Futari no Natsu Monogatari, is the fifth single by Kiyotaka Sugiyam ...
" in
The Best Ten
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, he took off his sunglasses while singing. His face without the sunglasses can now often be seen during concerts and in photos.
Personal life
Sugiyama married fellow singer Yuko Yanagisawa, the sister of comedian
Shingo Yanagisawa
is a Japanese actor, ''tarento'' and comedian. He graduated from Matsuda High School. He is nicknamed . He is represented with Hercules.
Filmography Variety
TV dramas
Films
Voice acting
Internet dramas
Original videos
Radio
Music v ...
who had debuted with little success and recorded narrations for ''Live Emotion'', in 1985. The two had previously met during the after party of the 19th
Popcon
The , generally known as , was a Japanese popular music contest which ran from 1969 to 1986. It was sponsored by the Yamaha Music Foundation and was held annually (later, twice a year) at the Yamaha Resort Tsumagoi in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan.
Th ...
. They had one daughter, Maho, a year after they married.
The three had moved to Hawaii and lived in
Hawaii Kai
Maunalua (Hawaii Kai) is a largely residential area located in the Honolulu County, Hawaii, City & County of Honolulu, in the East Honolulu, Hawaii, East Honolulu CDP, on the island of Oahu, Oahu. Maunalua, (Hawaii Kai) is the largest of ...
, going back and forth between Los Angeles, Japan, and Hawaii for recording activities. In 1992, he was granted
permanent residence
''Permanent Residence'' () is a 2009 Hong Kong film starring Sean Li and Osman Hung. It was directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Danny Cheng, also known as Scud. The film explores several themes traditionally regarded as 'taboo' in Hong Kong society, ...
for the United States. Sometime after, Yanagisawa divorced Sugiyama, and with Maho moved to the mainland U.S, where they were granted permanent U.S. residence in 2006 while Sugiyama moved back to Japan.
After 10 years, Maho and Kiyotaka reunited.
[
]
Discography
Singles
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
Songs provided to other artists
References
External links
Official site
Personal blog
Island Afternoon Answer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugiyama, Kiyotaka
1959 births
People from Yokohama
People from Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Musicians from Yokohama
Horipro artists
Japanese male singer-songwriters
Japanese singer-songwriters
Warner Music Japan artists
King Records (Japan) artists
Living people
Omega Tribe (Japanese band) members