- Sakamoto, Kyu "Kyu-chan" - b. November
10, 1941. d. August 12, 1985.
Internationally acclaimed singer. Sakamoto made his show business
debut in 1960. His biggest hit, Ue o Muite Aruko (I Look Up When
I Walk; "Sukiyaki" in the West), was released in Japan
in 1961. After its release in the U.S. in 1963, the song's earnestness
and melodic beauty proved irresistible despite its incomprehensible
lyrics. Against all odds, on June 15, 1963, the song ousted Leslie
Gore's "It's My Party" to become the No. 1 popular
song in the U.S. "Sukiyaki" remains the biggest international
hit by a Japanese popular singer. Credit for the song's popularity
also is due to the music by Hachidai Nakamura and the lyrics
by Rokusuke Ei, who is said to have written this touching evocation
of loneliness after his heart was broken by the actress Meiko
Nakamura. Sakamoto also recorded such popular songs as "Shiawase
Nara Te o Tatako" and "Miagete Goran Sora no Hoshi
o." Tragically, he was killed when JAL Flight 123, a 747
bound from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Osaka, lost pieces of its
tail sections and spiraled downward nightmarishly for 30 minutes
(long enough for some passengers to scribble shaky farewells
to their families). The plane crashed and burned on a thickly
wooded mountain about 60 miles northwest of Tokyo, killing 520
and injuring four, in the worst single airplane disaster in aviation
history. Sakamoto's songs remain popular in Japan and overseas.
"A Taste of Honey" and "4PM" are among the
performers who have subsequently released their own renditions
of "Sukiyaki."
Chokoku Temple, Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan.
Cause of Death: plane crash.
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