Shizuka Kudo

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Shizuka Kudo
工藤 静香
Born (1970-04-14) 14 April 1970 (age 54)
Hamura, Tokyo, Japan
Other namesShizuka Kimura/木村静香 (married name)
Occupations
Years active1984–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2000)​
Children
Musical career
OriginTokyo, Japan
GenresPop
InstrumentVocals
Labels Pony Canyon
Website shizuka-kudo.net

Shizuka Kimura (木村 静香, Kimura Shizuka, born 14 April 1970), known by her maiden name Shizuka Kudo (工藤 静香, Kudō Shizuka), is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hits. [1]

Contents

Biography

Kudo began her singing career at the age of 14 as a member of three-piece pop unit Seventeen Club consisted of runners-up from the 1984 Miss Seventeen Contest organized by Japanese teen magazine Seventeen, which Shueisha publishes. They had two singles released by CBS/Sony Records in 1985. Their first single "Su Ki Futari Tomo!" was released on 21 January 1985, and was used in television advertisements for snack food products "Suzuki Kun" and "Sato Kun" manufactured and sold by S&B Foods. The second single "Baajin Kuraishisu (Virgin Crisis)" was released on 25 August 1985. Its lyrics were written by Sunplaza Nakano-kun, who was a lead singer of Japanese rock band Bakufu Slump. Kudo later said that she hated the second single and that she joined the group "just to have fun". [1] With the two singles having failed to chart on the Oricon's Japanese single chart (the national single chart), the group couldn't gain much popularity and disbanded thereafter.

Onyanko Club made its television debut on 1 April 1985, on Fuji TV's daily live television variety show Yūyake Nyan Nyan. [2] Initially the group consisted of nine high school girls and two high school graduates, namely Sayuri Kokusho (number 8) and Satomi Fukunaga (number 11). They were selected from participants in Fuji TV's show All Night Fuji: High School Girl Special (オールナイトフジ女子高生スペシャル) aired in February and March that year. Kudo auditioned for the group in May 1986 during her first year in high school and became a member with number 38 assigned on 23 May.[ citation needed ] The group gave a new approach to the idol formula with 52 members and three associate members as well as subgroups, such as Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, Nyangilas and Ushirogami Hikaretai. [2]

After having appeared on the one-hour daily TV show from Monday to Friday regularly and having participated in Onyanko Club's fifth single "Osaki ni Shitsurei" as well as its nationwide concert tour in the summer and fall of 1986, Kudo was selected as one of two backing vocals for Onyanko Club number 36 member Marina Watanabe's first single "Shinkokyu-shite", along with Akiko Ikuina (number 40). The single was released under the name of "Watanabe Marina with Onyanko Club" by Epic/Sony Records on 8 October 1986, and debuted at number one on the single chart. Kudo continued to participate in Onyanko Club's recordings, such as its fourth album Side Line , which was the first one of its albums Kudo participated in and contains few songs in which Kudo had solo vocal parts, such as "Dare no Sei Kana" and "Shin-Shin Kaiin Bangou no Uta".

In the spring of 1987, Kudo was selected as one of the three members of Ushirogami Hikaretai along with Akiko Ikuina and Makiko Saito (number 42). The group's first single "Toki no Kawa wo Koete" was released by Canyon Records on 7 May 1987, and debuted at number one on the single chart. The song and its B-side "Ushirogami Hikaretai" were used as an opening theme and ending theme, respectively, of Fuji TV's anime High School! Kimengumi . Also, Kudo was featured as one of the four main vocals for Onyanko Club's eighth single "Katatsumuri Samba" released by Canyon Records on 21 May 1987. It debuted at number one on the single chart. Ushirogami Hikaretai subsequently released four more singles, two studio albums and two videos from July 1987 to June 1988 with a live album released as its final material in July 1988 (Hora ne, Haru ga Kita – First Concert).[ citation needed ]

Kudo has said of her time in Onyanko Club that "it was a great experience, with good, bad and really dirty things", and that she tried not to draw too much attention to herself over senior Onyanko Club members who were more popular than her at that time. [1]

Less than three weeks before Onyanko Club disbanded on 20 September 1987 with its two-day final concerts at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Kudo launched her solo career with her first single "Kindan no Telepathy" released by Canyon Records on 31 August. It debuted at number one on the single chart and also became a favorite throughout Asia during the early 1990s. The second and third singles, "Again" and "Daite-kuretara-iinoni", had moderate success, both reaching number three on the single chart. Released on 1 June 1988, the fourth single "Fu-ji-tsu" reached number one on the chart. The song drew attention as its lyrics were written by famed and critically acclaimed Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima. The number of its sales exceeded that of each of the three previous singles. The fifth single "Mugon... Iroppoi", whose lyrics were written by Nakajima again, was used in television advertisements for cosmetics products of Japanese company Kanebo Cosmetics, and reached number one on the chart. It was sold more than double the previous single. She eventually enjoyed a run of eight consecutive number-one singles in Japan between 1988 and 1990, eleven in total, and four number-one albums between 1988 and 1991. [1]

She continued to release new music every year until 2000 with sporadic releases since then. Her most recent release came in 2008 when she teamed up with Miyuki Nakajima, who wrote lyrics of five of Kudo's number-one singles in the late 80s and early 90s, for a double A-side, "Night Wing"/"Yuki Gasa". Kudo said of their long-term working relationship that "We are not that close. We have a nice distance. Sometimes when I hear her music, it scares me but I especially like her passionate lyrics." [1]

Kudo also appears on television in jidaigeki roles and also creates her own jewelry sold in Japan.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Kudo married Takuya Kimura of popular boy-band SMAP in 2000. [3] They have two children named Cocomi and Mitsuki. [3]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onyanko Club</span> 80s Japan Idol Group

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Velvet (Shizuka Kudo song)</span> 1997 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Blue Velvet" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo for her thirteenth studio album, I'm Not. It was released by Pony Canyon as the album's leading single on May 28, 1997. It served as the third ending theme song to the Fuji Television anime series Dragon Ball GT, from episode 42 to episode 50. Out of all the artists that have contributed to the series' soundtracks, Kudo is the only one who is unaffiliated with a Being Inc. label. Kudo, who is a self-proclaimed Dragon Ball fan, received an autographed hand-drawn illustration of Goku from series creator Akira Toriyama for her 28th birthday.

Ushirogami Hikaretai (うしろ髪ひかれ隊) was a Japanese idol J-pop band, active from 1987 to 1988. It was the third sub-group of Onyanko Club, consisting of three of its members: Shizuka Kudō, Akiko Ikuina, and Makiko Saitō, the group debuted during the "Onyanko Yumekojo Sailing 87'" tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akiko Ikuina</span> Japanese actor, singer, tarento, and politician (born 1968)

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"Kōsa ni Fukarete" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo, released as a single through Pony Canyon on September 6, 1989. It is Kudo's last single to be released in 7-inch vinyl format. The song, which has never appeared on an original album, was included in the compilation album, Harvest. It was featured on commercials for Taiyo Yuden That's cassette tapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kindan no Telepathy</span> 1987 single by Shizuka Kudō

"Kindan no Telepathy" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo, from her debut solo studio album Mysterious. It was released through Canyon Records as the lead single from Mysterious on August 31, 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Again (Shizuka Kudo song)</span> 1987 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Again" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo for her debut solo studio album, Mysterious. Pony Canyon released the track as the second single from Mysterious on December 2, 1987, in both 12-inch vinyl and maxi single format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daite Kuretara Ii no ni</span> 1988 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Daite Kuretara Ii no ni" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. The song was released as a single by Pony Canyon on March 2, 1988. Despite being included in several subsequent compilation albums, "Daite Kuretara Ii no ni" was never included in any studio album. An English version of the song was recorded for Kudo's 1998 ballad compilation album Best of Ballade: Current, on which it is dubbed "Let Me Sleep In Your Arms".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fu-ji-tsu</span> 1988 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Fu-ji-tsu" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo for her eponymous second studio album, Shizuka. It was released on June 1, 1988 through Pony Canyon as the album's leading single. The song was written by Miyuki Nakajima and composed and produced by Tsugutoshi Gotō. This collaboration with a respected singer-songwriter like Nakajima, as well as Kudo's overall shift in image, were seen as a catalyst for the end of the 1980s idol phenomenon, with Kudo's career path being regarded as the blueprint for the successful transition from idol to artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mugon... Iroppoi</span> 1988 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Mugon... Iroppoi" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a single by Pony Canyon on August 24, 1988. It was used in the Kanebo Cosmetics televised ad campaign of fall 1988, for which the catchphrase was "n... Iroppoi". Kudo made her first appearance on the 39th Kōhaku Uta Gassen and performed "Mugon... Iroppoi" for the Red team. The song was nominated for the Grand Prix at the 30th Japan Record Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senryū no Shizuku</span> 1990 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Senryū no Shizuku" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a single through Pony Canyon on May 9, 1990. It marks the debut of Kudo as a songwriter. The song was featured on commercials for Taiyo Yuden That's cassette tapes. Similarly to her previous single, "Kuchibiru Kara Biyaku", a limited number of 7-inch vinyls of the single were produced for promotional use. "Senryū no Shizuku" has never appeared on an original album, but was included in the compilation album Unlimited (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watashi ni Tsuite</span> 1990 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Watashi ni Tsuite" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a single by Pony Canyon on September 21, 1990. The song made its first album appearance on the compilation album Unlimited, released that same year.

"Dōkoku" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo for her eighth studio album, Rise Me. It was released by Pony Canyon as the album's lead single on February 3, 1993. "Dōkoku" is the theme song of the CX getsuku television series Ano Hi ni Kaeritai, starring Momoko Kikuchi and Kudo herself as two sisters who fall in love with the same man. Kudo performed the song on the 44th Kōhaku Uta Gassen, marking her sixth consecutive appearance on the annual show. With over a million copies sold, "Dōkoku" remains Kudo's best-selling single to date. In 2015, DAM asked their users to select their favorite Shizuka Kudo songs to sing karaoke to and compiled a top ten list; "Dōkoku" came in at number two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gekijō</span> 1996 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Gekijō" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo, from her twelfth studio album, Dress. It was released by Pony Canyon as the album's lead single on November 7, 1996. It is the theme song of the CX television series Yuzurenai Yoru, starring Kudo herself. "Gekijō" was written by Miyuki Nakajima specifically for the drama; after reading the script, Kudo immediately thought of Nakajima for the soundtrack and sought to have her write the theme song. Nakajima's lyrics invoke the series' title, which loosely translates to "Unyielding Night".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setsu Getsu Ka</span> 1998 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Setsu Getsu Ka" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a single by Pony Canyon on February 18, 1998. The song served as one of the theme songs to the tanpatsu dramas aired in 1998 on CX's Kinyō Entertainment time slot. "Setsu Getsu Ka" made its first album appearance on the compilation album, Best of Ballade: Current.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Wing</span> 2008 single by Shizuka Kudo

"Night Wing" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released as a double A-side single alongside "Yukigasa" by Pony Canyon on November 5, 2008. It served as the ending theme to the AX music show Ongaku Senshi Music Fighter.

Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo has released eighteen studio albums, fourteen compilation albums, one EP, two cover albums, six video albums, twelve live video albums, two box sets, and forty-three singles. Her career began in 1985 when she debuted as one of the three vocalists of the girl group Seventeen Club. The short-lived group disbanded after two unsuccessful singles. In 1986, she joined the idol girl group Onyanko Club as member number 38, which led to Kudo forming the subgroup Ushirogami Hikaretai the following year. She released her first solo single, "Kindan no Telepathy", on the same day as the last broadcast of the variety show Yūyake Nyan Nyan, from which the Onyanko Club members originated. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and became the first of eleven total number-one singles released in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "Koi Hitoyo", "Arashi no Sugao", "Kuchibiru Kara Biyaku", "Senryū no Shizuku" and "Please". Miyuki Nakajima penned the following singles released by Kudo during this era: "Fu-ji-tsu", "Mugon... Iroppoi", "Kōsa ni Fukarete", "Watashi ni Tsuite" and Dōkoku". All five singles debuted at number one and, with total sales exceeding a million, "Dōkoku" became the best-selling single of Kudo's career.

<i>Millennium Best</i> 2000 compilation album by Shizuka Kudo

Millennium Best is the ninth compilation album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released on March 15, 2000, through Pony Canyon. It is Kudo's second single collection: the album features all of Kudo's singles released from "Kindan no Telepathy" (1987) up to her most recent at the time, "Blue Zone" (1999), as well as all five singles released by Ushirogami Hikaretai. The album was released digitally on May 28, 2014, however only the four singles missing from the subsequently released compilation Shizuka Kudo Best were made available for download.

<i>Intimate</i> (Shizuka Kudo album) 1991 compilation album by Shizuka Kudo

Intimate is the fourth compilation album by Japanese singer Shizuka Kudo. It was released on December 11, 1991, through Pony Canyon. The album features all singles released from "Koi Hitoyo" (1988) through "Metamorphose" (1991). The opening track, "Dare mo Shiranai Blue Angel" is a re-worked solo recording of an Ushirogami Hikaretai song by the same name released as a B-side to the single "Hora ne, Haru ga Kita" in 1988. The closing track is a new song entitled "Rashikunai", written specifically for the album by Kudo herself, under the pseudonym Aeri.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Robert Michael Poole (7 November 2008). "Shizuka Kudo -The storied J-pop superstar reflects on life at the top". Metropolis . Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Onyanko Club". Encyclopedia Idollica. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  3. 1 2 Lee, Jan (14 April 2020). "Japanese star Takuya Kimura shares rare picture taken with singer wife Shizuka Kudo". The Straits Times.

Sources

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