Name: Namie Amuro
Real (married) name: Maruyama Namie
Date of birth: 20th September 1977 (Showa 52)
Birthplace: Naha City, Okinawa, Japan
Education: Joto Elementary School, Ishimine Junior Highschool, Okinawa Actors' School
Approximate measurements (not verified):
Height: 5 feet 2 inches (158cm)
Weight: was 7 stone (45kg) - now 6.5 stone (40kg)
Vital Statistics: 29.5-23-33 inches (75-58.5-84.5 cm)
Blood Type: O
SUMMARY
Namie Amuro is the most famous pop singer in Japan. She is regarded by many as very pretty,
but being from Okinawa where heredity is Polynesian and being a quarter Italian,
her un-Japanese face gives rise to her sometimes being described as having a face like a monkey!
She is the best selling solo singer of all time in the Japanese album chart. Her second album
"Sweet 19 Blues" sold over 3 million copies. She started as a singer with teenage girl group
the Supermonkeys, but moved on to become a solo star. It became the fashion in Japan for girls
to dress up in Amuro style (short dresses, platform boots) and to copy her make up and hair styles.
Thus the term "Amura" or "Amurrer" came into being to describe such girls. Through television and
advertising she was often in the public's view and through the brilliant writing, producing and
playing of Tetsuya Komuro, most of her singles have sold over a million copies. She caused controversy
by becoming pregnant a few months before her marriage to SAM of group TRF; consequently she was away
from the scene for much of 1998, but came back with songs that were possibly even better than before.
Her music became more modern and more American in the 21st Century and she still turns out the hits.
HISTORY
1992
After four years in actor's school she became part of teenage girl group the Super Monkey's at the young age of 15. Their first single was "Koi no Cute Beat" and "Mr. USA".
1993
As the Super Monkey's 4, two singles were released feturing Namie solo balads as the second track.
1994
The song "Paradise Train" was released as by Namie Amuro and the Super Monkey's giving another clue of the solo career to come.
1995
The single "Try Me" (the last with the Super Monkey's) is a big hit, selling about 750000 copies. Namie starts appearing on children's television, as well as pop music shows, such as the annual NHK TV end of year show, and in adverts. She starts playing her first live concerts and during this year the Amuro fashion is copied by many high school girls, as Namie becomes an idol. She left record label Toshiba-EMI to join Avex Trax, so that her producer becomes Tetsuya Komuro instead of Jonny Taira and Masato Max Matsuura. The first Avex Trax single, "Body Feels Exit", becomes the first of five singles to clock a million sales.
1996
Her live tour was a big success, and she played to 10000 fans in a single concert in Tokyo. She became the youngest singer to play at the Chiba Marine Stadium. She released her first album with Komuro production, "Sweet 19 Blues", which goes on to sell an all time record of more than 3 million copies. The single of the same name and Namie are featured in a movie "That's Cunning - Shijo Saidai no Sakusen". Namie continues advertising beauty products, hosting variety programmes on television and won music awards, at IMA and the year end (best solo artist). Her first video was released and the book of photographs "#19970920" was published, featuring the tattoo of the barcode on her forearm on the cover.
1997
Her single release "Can You Celebrate?" hits the number one spot and sells 800000 copies in a day and totalling 2.3 million sales, a new record. It is featured on TV drama Virgin Road in which Namie appears and on the album "Concentration 20". Her total sales passed 20 million, and she won a Japanese Gold Disc award, the top sales for a second year. She played to 300000 fans at a four dome tour and launched the baseball league. On October 22nd she married SAM of group TRF, who is about ten years her elder, Namie being still only 20. They announced that she was already expecting a baby, and it was hoped the teenage girls would not follow this bit of the Amuro style! After a honeymoon in New York, she visited China playing in Shanghai and Beijing, featuring in a concert to celebrate 25 years of Sino-Japanese relations. In the NHK end of year poll "Can You Celebrate?" won best song with 59.1%; a special wedding mix version of it was issued.
1998
The album "181920" was released covering her best singles to date and sold over 2 million copies. She rested for most of 1998 and on 19th May gave birth to a six pound boy (2.69 kg) named Haruto. Her first song release afterwards was the excellent "I Have Never Seen" at the end of December.
1999
In January she started singing engagements again. A tragedy occurred on 17th March when her mother, Emiko Tairo (aged 48), was killed by the brother of her second husband of six years. Namie released "Something About the Kiss", the first song produced by American producer Dallas Austin of Atlanta Georgia.
2000
To mark the millennium year her new album is called "Genius 2000" (the numbers in previous three albums had referred to her age) and the song "Love 2000" is released from it. The album contains her Komuro and Austin hits since her rest. She appeared on the cover of English language Nipponia magazine. She continued to release hit singles. The beautiful song "Never End" was the theme of the G8 Summit in Okinawa. "Please Smile Again" was issued with a very modern feel. The album "Break the Rules" was released at the end of the year on December 20th. Of course it immediately took number 1 position on the Oricon album chart.
2001
Namie continued to release singles (with "Think of Me" / "No More Tears") and toured Japan in the spring. The single "Say the Word" saw a break from Komuro involvement with Namie writing the lyrics for the first time. At the end of the year she was involved with the charity album "Mitei" (undecided) and the single "Lovin' It" featured rapper Verbal.
2002
"Love Enhanced Single Collection" was released featuring remixed and reworked recent records. In July it was reported she had divorced her husband Masuharu Maruyama, who is 15 years her elder. On 2nd August the Guardian newspaper quoted Namie as a Japanese slimmers' icon, now down to 6.5 stone (40kg). Two more singles were slow songs "I Will" and "Wishing on the Same Star" (her 21st solo single). She turned 25 in on 20th September. She is reported to have been under going voice training in New York.
2003
Her first release of 2003 ("Shine More") had a song, "Drive", with lyrics written by herself. In March the third compilation of singles was released called "Love Enhanced" and new material was included in the December album "Style". This included several rap tracks and some great upbeat dance tracks, the best of which ("As Good As") was not a single.
2004
A new single ("Alarm") and a big tour of Japan and south-east Asia featured in the first half of 2004. Then in July another single ("All for You") almost 10 years to the day since release of the first song naming her as soloist ("Paradise Train").
2005
The new Album "Queen of Hip-Pop" was released in the summer and a concert tour was made in the autumn.
2006
The DVD from the autumn 2005 concert tour was released and the video for "WoWa" earned the Female Best Video award at MVA 2006. She toured again in autumn 2006 but only released one single.
2007
2007 was the year she turned 30. The Play album featured several dance tracks and a good ballad that were also singles. The autumn Play tour was again successful.
2008
In 2008 she teamed up with hair products company Vidal Sassoon for an ad campaign "Fashion, Music" that featured her latest songs released together - reworks of a hit from each of the 60s, 70s and 80s. She performed a duet called "Black Diamond" with DOUBLE (Takako Hirasawa) on that artist's collaboration album released 27th May. A new compilation album "Best Fiction" was issued in July and sold nearly 700000 copies in its first week and the same number since.
2009
A new single "WILD/Dr." is released on 18th March.