Kazuya Yoshii Explained

Kazuya Yoshii
Background:solo_singer
Alias:Yoshii Lovinson, Lovin, Robin
Birth Date:8 October 1966
Birth Place:Kita, Tokyo, Japan
Origin:Shizuoka Prefecture
Years Active:1986–present
Current Member Of:The Yellow Monkey

[1] is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band The Yellow Monkey. When they went on hiatus in 2001, before officially disbanding three years later, Yoshii started a solo career in 2003 under the name Yoshii Lovinson. He switched back to his old name in 2006 and The Yellow Monkey reformed in 2016.

Career

Yoshii's first band was Urgh Police, which he joined in 1986 as bass guitarist. He was given the nickname "Robin" due to his tall stature being reminiscent of Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby.[2] After releasing a demo, an EP and one album, the self-proclaimed "Mötley Crüe of Shizuoka" disbanded.[3] Yoshii was the youngest member of Urgh Police, and he said he learned a lot while in the band.[3] In 1988, Yoshii formed a new group called The Yellow Monkey, where he used the nickname "Lovin". Yoshii switched to guitar when he recruited Youichi Hirose as bassist because he liked his personality and playing style.[4] Shortly after their vocalist left due to musical differences, they recruited drummer Eiji Kikuchi's older brother Hideaki as lead guitarist.[4] Yoshii was temporarily providing vocals while they looked for a new singer, but when they received an offer to make a record, he permanently became frontman of the band.[4] The Yellow Monkey had what is regarded as their first concert on December 28, 1989, at Shibuya La Mama.[5]

The Yellow Monkey went on to have three consecutive number one albums and 17 top ten singles. With 10 million records sold,[6] including 6.2 million singles,[7] they were ranked number 81 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.[5] The Yellow Monkey went on an indefinite hiatus in January 2001, before officially announcing their disbandment on July 7, 2004.[8]

Yoshii made his solo debut under the name "Yoshii Lovinson" in 2003 with the single "Tali".[9] He took the stage name from Mark Levinson Audio Systems.[10]

He dropped the Yoshii Lovinson name in 2006 and began using his old name with the single "Beautiful". His album 39108 was released on October 4, with the title derived from his age of 39 years old at the time and his October 8 birthday.[11]

Yoshii released his first live album Dragon Head Miracle on April 30, 2008.[12] His January 2009 single "Biru Mania" included a cover of "Kuchibiru Motion", which Yoshii wrote for the duo PUFFY two years earlier. The single was followed by his fifth album Volt on March 18.[13]

The single "Love & Peace" was released on February 16, 2011, and a cover of "Betsujin" was contributed to the Reichi Nakaido tribute album OK!!! C'mon Chabo!!! which was released days later.[14] His sixth album The Apples was released on April 13, 2011, and followed by his first mini album After the Apples just seven months later.[15]

He covered the song "Razor Sharp・Kireru Yatsu" for the 2012 Kiyoshiro Imawano tribute album King of Songwriter ~Songs of Kiyoshiro Covers~.[16] His 2012 single "Tenbyō no Shikumi" was used as the theme song of the film Key of Life.[17]

In 2014, it was announced that Yoshii would transfer record labels to Triad/Nippon Columbia. He contributed a cover of "Be My Last" for the Hikaru Utada tribute album Utada Hikaru no Uta at the end of the year.[18] The January 2015 single "Clear" was his first official release on Triad, which was the debut label of The Yellow Monkey, although his first cover album Yoshii Funk Jr. ~Korega Genten!!~ was released by Nippon Columbia two months earlier.[19]

His song "Chōzetsu☆Dynamic!", which he composed with lyrics by Yukinojo Mori, is the opening theme song of the Dragon Ball Super anime. It was released as a single on October 7, 2015, with a B-side cover of "Romantic Ageru yo" that features his former Yellow Monkey bandmate Hideaki Kikuchi on guitar.[20] The Yellow Monkey reunited in 2016 and began an arena tour in May.[21]

In 2021, Yoshii formed the record label Utanova Music and signed a partnership deal with A-Sketch.[22]

Personal life

Kazuya Yoshii married his first wife in 1992. They had three daughters and one son before getting divorced in 2008.[1] On June 26, 2015, it was announced that Yoshii married tarento Kaori Manabe who was pregnant with his child and due to give birth in the fall. Their marriage certificate was submitted in September and Kaori gave birth on October 20, 2015.[23] He first met Manabe, who is fourteen years his junior and has been a fan of Yellow Monkey since middle school, in autumn 2011.[1]

At the end of December 2021, Yoshii visited a specialist after feeling something strange in his throat and was diagnosed with a polyp caused by inflammation.[24] After canceling all scheduled performances, he underwent surgery to remove it in February 2022.[24] However, another polyp was discovered and removed six months later, followed by a third that was removed in October.[24] After testing at a university in November, Yoshii was diagnosed with early stage laryngeal cancer.[24] He was treated and deemed cancer free by the beginning of 2023.[24]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Other albums

Other work

With Urgh Police

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 吉井和哉はバツ1 4人の子の父、新しい命授かり再婚決意. Sponichi. Japanese. 2015-06-26. 2015-09-20.
  2. Web site: アーグポリス. OK Music. Japanese. 2023-12-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20231219035221/https://okmusic.jp/アーグポリス. 2023-12-19.
  3. Web site: ムック逹瑯対談連載「RING」第5回/音楽. So-net. Japanese. 2023-12-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20090603162048/http://www.so-net.ne.jp/music/ring/round/. 2009-06-03.
  4. Web site: ムック逹瑯対談連載「RING」第5回/音楽. So-net. Japanese. 2023-12-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20110627234810/http://www.so-net.ne.jp/music/ring/round/02.html. 2011-06-27.
  5. Web site: Top 100 Japanese pops Artists - No.81. HMV Group. Japanese. 2015-09-20.
  6. Web site: THE YELLOW MONKEY、15年ぶりに集結。5月から全国アリーナツアー開催. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2016-01-08. 2016-03-06.
  7. Web site: THE YELLOW MONKEY、解散以来初の4人のコメントを公開. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2007-12-18. 2015-09-20.
  8. Web site: THE YELLOW MONKEYの解散発表でファンの反応は?. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2004-08-03. 2015-09-20.
  9. Web site: YOSHII LOVINSON、デビュー・シングルの先行試聴日、迫る!. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2003-08-08. 2015-09-20.
  10. Web site: 吉井和哉「18」インタビュー. Natalie. Japanese. 2015-09-20.
  11. Web site: 吉井和哉、アルバムに先駆け最新PVを公開!. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2009-09-29. 2015-09-20.
  12. Web site: 吉井和哉、iTunes Storeのみのスペシャル特典. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2008-04-30. 2015-09-20.
  13. Web site: 吉井和哉、感電注意!のニュー・アルバム. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2009-01-13. 2015-09-20.
  14. Web site: 吉井和哉、3/30にアルバム発売&ソロ最長ツアー発表. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2011-01-12. 2015-09-20.
  15. Web site: 吉井和哉、初のミニ・アルバム『After The Apples』11/16発売決定. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2011-09-08. 2015-09-20.
  16. Web site: 忌野清志郎カヴァー集、参加全アーティストと曲順発表. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2012-03-29. 2015-09-20.
  17. Web site: 吉井和哉、8/19発売新曲が映画『鍵泥棒のメソッド』主題歌に. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2012-06-13. 2015-09-20.
  18. Web site: 吉井和哉、日本コロムビアへ移籍で18年ぶりTRIADレーベルに復帰&シングル発売決定も. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2014-11-18. 2015-09-20.
  19. Web site: 『宇多田ヒカルのうた』全貌明らかに。井上陽水、椎名林檎、浜崎あゆみ、吉井和哉ら参加アーティストコメント. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2014-12-03. 2015-09-20.
  20. Web site: 吉井和哉、元イエモンEMMAがギターを弾く「ロマンティックあげるよ」カヴァーがback numberのANNで初解禁. Barks.jp. Japanese. 2015-09-18. 2015-09-20.
  21. News: イエモン、"サル年"に15年ぶり復活 5月からアリーナツアー20公演. Oricon. Japanese. 2016-01-08. 2016-03-06.
  22. Web site: 吉井和哉、新曲「〇か×」配信リリース 「どっちも選べず△の人生を送っている男の歌なのかも」. Billboard Japan. Japanese. 2021-11-19. 2022-09-26.
  23. Web site: "真打ち"眞鍋かをり出産 おめでたラッシュでママタレ枠争奪戦. Sponichi. Japanese. 2015-10-21. 2016-02-07.
  24. Web site: イエモン吉井和哉、早期の喉頭がん公表 3度のポリープ切除手術を経て発覚…既に根治も年末の武道館は中止. Sponichi. Japanese. 2023-10-11. 2023-10-29.
  25. Web site: YOSHII LOVINSONが改名!? 全国ツアーも決定. Oricon. Japanese. 2005-10-11. 2015-09-20.
  26. Web site: 吉井和哉のアルバム売り上げランキング. Oricon. Japanese. 2015-09-20.
  27. Web site: 吉井和哉のシングル売り上げランキング. Oricon. Japanese. 2015-09-20.