1. Kiyotaka Sugiyama has been described as one of the artists who shaped city pop's image, utilizing newer synths and his vocals.
15 Facts About Kiyotaka Sugiyama
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama was born on July 17,1959, in Isogo-ku, Yokohama; his father was a police officer and his mother was a shamisen and dance teacher.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama started listening to music at an early age after being inspired by western rock music like The Beatles, saving up money in order to buy their albums.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama's first instrument was an electric guitar, later buying an acoustic guitar after listening to Japanese folk music.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama formed a band with his classmates in junior high and started writing songs, performing at a school festival in his third year.
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On May 30,1990, Kiyotaka Sugiyama was transferred from VAP to Warner Music Japan and released his fifth album Sprinkle, reaching 1st place on the Oricon charts.
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In 2016, Kiyotaka Sugiyama celebrated his 30th anniversary of his solo debut with a concert at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall and released the album Ocean.
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In 2020, Kiyotaka Sugiyama released the album Rainbow Planet, his first album in three years, but had to postpone a tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama was inspired by The Beatles and other western rock music after listening to them at a friend's house as a child, switching his instrument from a shamisen to guitar after being inspired by Beatles member George Harrison and his Fender Stratocaster.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama was interested by Japanese folk rock, including artists Takuro Yoshida and Yosui Inoue.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama was a smoker and drinker in an attempt to get his voice deeper like Otis Redding, quitting both in 2011 in order to help his voice.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama met former singer Yuko Yanagisawa, the sister of comedian Shingo Yanagisawa, in 1980, with the two marrying in 1985 and having a daughter, Maho, the next year.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama is known for his use of sunglasses during performances and for his public image.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama is a fan of anime, his early aspirations as a child was to become a manga artist prior to becoming a musician.
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama has written multiple songs based on being inspired from anime; he created the song "Boys of Eternity" for the 1988 OVA Shounan Bakusouzoku and 2022 single "Nightmare" was inspired by the anime Call of the Night, writing the song as if it was its theme song.