Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki

Birth Place: Fukuoka, Japan

Date of Birth: 1978/10/2

Heritage: Japanese

Famous for: Her debut single Poker Face

Background:

"I listened to rock (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple) through the influence of my older brother. Now I enjoy listening to black music like Babyface, En Vogue, etc." Ayumi Hamasaki

Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki is widely recognized for winning the Japan Recording Award for three consecutive years, in 2001 for "Dearest," 2002 "Voyage" and 2003 "No Way to Say." First noticed with her 1998 smash hit debut single "Poker Face," Hamasaki and her record label, AVEX Records, later created a series of remix albums called "ayu-mi-x" featuring DJs from around the world.

As of 2002, this Japanese diva became the highest earning entertainer in her country. She is also the first artist ever to have 4 singles on Japan's top 10 charts simultaneously and has the most units of singles sold, 17.4 million copies to date. Additionally, 5' 1" tall Hamasaki has branched out into modeling. She is the spokesmodel for several product ads, including Aube and Kose cosmetics, as well as Honda cars.

Ayu

Childhood and Family:

"I don't even know if he's dead or alive." Ayumi Hamasaki

On the southern island of Kyushu in Fukuoka, Japan, Ayumi Hamasaki was born on October 2, 1978. Her father left the family when she was a toddler and Ayumi grew up with her mother and grandmother. She began modeling at age 7 to help raise money for the family.

Ayumi Hamasaki, nicknamed Ayu, plays the piano, and enjoys arranging flowers, drawing and ballet. A fan of baseball and music, she also likes to collect white decorative things for rooms.

Love-Destiny

Career:

"I thought mommy's life was strange, not mine. I didn't understand my loneliness until I moved to Tokyo." Ayumi Hamasaki

A local child model in her early years, 14-year-old Ayumi Hamasaki and her family uprooted to Tokyo for further acting and modeling jobs. There, she scored bit parts in several minor films and TV projects like Art of Fighting (1993, TV), Like Grains of Sand (1995) and A Class to Remember 2 (1996). However, Ayumi later dropped acting and modeling, as well as high school, to do her favorite activities, shopping and partying.

"I'd never heard of Avex. When he asked if I wanted to pursue a singing career, I said, 'No way.' He was this older guy, and I thought the whole thing sounded fishy." Ayumi Hamasaki (on her first encounter with Avex label).

While dancing at the vast Velfarre nightclub in Roppongi, a friend encouraged Ayumi to sing. In the club, owned by the Avex record label, Ayumi was introduced to Masato ("Max") Matsuura, the label's producer. He subsequently offered her a contract, which she first turned down. The next year, Ayumi accepted the deal and agreed to take singing classes. She missed most of the classes and the label later sent her to New York for lessons in the summer of 1997. This time she enjoyed the class and sharpened her talent in just three months.

"Going to New York promised me nothing in terms of becoming professional. I just had to believe in myself." Ayumi Hamasaki

Her producer was deeply impressed with the words in her letters and when Ayumi returned to Japan, he advised her to write lyrics for her songs. Being asked about her lyrics, Ayumi explained, "I like to try to view my own and my friends' experiences objectively, and put my honest feelings into words. If I write when I'm low, it will be a dark song, but I don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times."

After launching one album and one single in 1995, featuring her song "Nothing from Nothing," Ayumi eventually released her major label debut album "Love-Destiny" in 1998 and introduced her debut single "Poker Face," which she wrote herself, on April 4, 1998. The song is about strength in sorrow and was produced by Yasuhiko Hoshino (composition) and Akimitsu Honma (arrangement). About her first single she revealed, "At first, the song was about a weaker girl. But you can cry anytime, and I wanted to smile at those sad, lonely moments. I rewrote the lyrics over and over, and finally finished the song the day before the vocal recording."

Following her debut single, Ayumi's next four singles hit the Top 10, making "Love-Destiny" the No. 1 slot in April 1999. Her star continued to shine in the new millennium. She nabbed the Japan Recording Award three times in a row, for "Dearest" (2001), "Voyage" (2002) and "No Way to Say" (2003). Moreover record label Avex Records created a series of remix albums called "ayu-mi-x," featuring DJs from around the world.

As of August 2005, Japan's most abundant musician has released 7 albums and 34 singles. She also models and is the spokesmodel for a string of products including Aube cosmetics, Honda cars, Kose cosmetics, Morigana Food Company, Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic and Tu-Ka handsets.

"It's necessary that I am viewed as a product. I am a product." Ayumi Hamasaki

Awards:

* Japan Recording Award: 2003

* Japan Recording Award: 2002

* MTV Asia: Best Female Artist Award, 2002

* Japan Recording Award: 2001