Junko Yagami
Junko Yagami | |
|---|---|
| File:八神純子さん1.jpeg Junko Yagami in 1981 | |
| Born | Yagami Junko (八神 純子) 5 January 1958[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, singer-songwriter |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Website | junkoyagami |
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (November 2019) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Junko Yagami (八神 純子, Yagami Junko, born 5 January 1958), is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Aichi Prefecture.[2] She has released 25 albums, including 6 live concert albums, and is a notable figure in Japanese music of the 1970s and 1980s.[3][4]
Early life and career
Yagami was born in 1958 in Nagoya, Chūbu, Japan as the eldest daughter of Ryozo Yagami, the founder and fourth chairman of Yagami Mfg. Co. Ltd.[5] Yagami learned the piano at the age of 3 and Japanese dancing from the first grade. Yagami recalled, "I've loved singing ever since I was a little girl, and sang the songs of The Peanuts (ザ・ピーナッツ) and Shirley Bassey songs towards the wall at home."[6] She attended Aichi Shukuto Senior High School. After graduating from high school, she went on to do music from 1976 onward. Her professional debut began in 1980. After her debut, she appeared on a program named “Dede and Junko's Music Trip”.
At age 16 she took part in the 8th (1974) Yamaha Popular Song Contest with the song Alone on a Rainy Day (雨の日のひとりごと) that was then released on 10 December 1974 as a single by Canyon Records/AARD-VARK.[2][1] Her other entry into the contest The Time of Happiness (幸せの時) was also released as a single on 10 February 1975.[1] Her 1978 single みずいろの雨 (Mizuiro no ame) was a large hit.[1] She took part in the 31st (1980) Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Throughout the 80s she continued releasing numerous popular albums such as 1985's COMMUNICATION.[7][3] In 1986, Yagami married singer J.J. Stanley and took on the married name Stanley.[2] She has also worked under the name June Stanley.[1]
Later career
As of 2019, she lives in the United States and remains active as both a recording and concert artist in the US and Japan.[2]
She released her 19th album "There you are" in 2016[8] and in 2019 held a concert tour titled Live キミの街へ～Here We Go！ across Japan.[2][9][10]
Discography
Studio Albums
| Year | Album name | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 思い出は美しすぎて | Discomate | |
| 1979 | 素顔の私 | ||
| 1980 | Mr. メトロポリス | ||
| 1982 | 夢見る頃を過ぎても | ||
| 1983 | Lonely Girl | ||
| 1983 | I Wanna Make A Hit Wit-Choo | ||
| 1983 | Full Moon | ||
| 1985 | Communication | Moon Records | |
| 1985 | 純 | ||
| 1986 | Yagamania | ||
| 1987 | Truth Hurts | NEC Avenue | |
| 1989 | Love is Gold | ||
| 1990 | My Invitation | ||
| 1991 | State of Amber | ||
| 1993 | Mellow Cafe | NEC Avenue | |
| 1994 | Renaissance | ||
| 1997 | So Amazing | Id Net Inc. | As June Stanley |
| 2013 | Here I Am 〜Head To Toe〜 | GT Music | |
| 2016 | There You Are | Listen J Label |
Live Albums
| Year | Album name | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Junko The Live | Discomate | |
| 2014 | The Night Flight | GT Music | With Tsugutoshi Goto, Masaki Matsubara, Jun Sato & Syuichi Murakami |
| 2016 | The Night Flight 2 | Listen J Label | |
| 2017 | Premium Symphonic Concert | ||
| 2017 | The Night Flight 3 | ||
| 2018 | This Is The ヤガ祭り | GT Music |
Cover Albums
| Year | Album name | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Christmas at Junko's | Bandai Music | |
| 1996 | Inside Myself | Id Net Inc. | As June Stanley |
| 2012 | Vreath 〜My Favorite Cocky Pop〜 | GT Music |
Soundtracks
| Year | Album name | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Yamato Final - Synthesizer Fantasy | Columbia | With Jun Fukamachi, Hiroshi Miyagawa and Kentarō Haneda |
Compilations
| Year | Album name | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Junko the Best | Discomate |
| 1982 | Summer In Summer | |
| 1984 | 軌跡I | |
| 1984 | 軌跡II | |
| 1984 | Best 15 | |
| 1987 | Chapter II Best Selection | Moon Records |
| 1990 | ベスト・オブ・ミー | NEC Avenue |
| 1996 | The Best Selection | Continental |
| 2006 | ポプコン・マイ・リコメンド 八神純子 ポップヒッツ | King Records |
| 2009 | 1974~1986 Singles Plus | Victor |
| 2013 | 2CD Best 1978-1983 | Yamaha Music Communications |
References
- ^ a b c d e f "八神純子". tower.jp. Tower. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "61歳八神純子「継続は力なり」３オクターブ健在". Nikkan Sports. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ a b Di Trapani, Stefano (29 December 2019). "Capodanno al City Pop". Vice. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ Beseven, Saeptem (11 July 2018). "La City Pop, bande-son de vos apéros estivaux". Slate. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ "元八神製作所社長で歌手八神純子さんの父、八神良三氏死去". Jiji. 25 June 2019. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ 八神純子『探しものは心の中に』p.100（角川書店、1997年）
- ^ Guzman, Richard (26 February 2019). "Record collectors alert: Find rare Japanese vinyl at this 2-week-only pop-up". Daily News. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Hisakatsu, Tanaka (8 August 2017). ""日本のAORの女王"・八神純子 これからも歌い続けていくために必要な事、大切にしたい想い". Yahoo News JP. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "八神純子の新曲配信へ「さらなる挑戦を聞いて」". Nikkan Sports. 17 August 2019. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "再評価される八神純子ら「シティー・ポップ」お宝探しに来日するＤＪも". Tokyo Sports. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
External links
- Junko Yagami discography at Discogs
- Official website
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