| X JAPAN |
| MEMBER PROFILES: Deyama Toshimitsu aka Toshi (Vocalist)- Born 10/10/65 in Chiba Hideto Matsumoto aka 'Hide' (Guitar)- Born 12/13/64 in Yokosuka Yoshiki Hayashi (Drums/Piano)- Born 11/20/65 in Chiba Morie Hiroshi aka 'Heath' (Bass)- Born 01/22/68 in Hyogo Ishizuka Tomoaki aka 'Pata' (Guitar)- Born 11/4/65 in Chiba HISTORY X Japan started out with Yoshiki and Toshi. They both lived in Chiba, and I think they even went to the same high school. Toshi had excellent grades and was going to medical school...Yoshiki got so so grades and wanted to start a rock band. Before he left for med school, Yoshiki asked him not to go and to instead join his rock band. Surprisingly, Toshi agreed, and thus a band named 'X' began. Later, for legal reasons, they had to change their name to X Japan. The original band composed of Yoshiki, Hide, Toshi, and Taiji (the original bassist)...I'm not sure if Pata was in the original lineup...I think he was. Taiji left the band fairly early on in it's career, and was replaced with Heath. X Japan, after establishing widespread popularity with their breakout single 'Kurenai', slowly changed their style to incorporate more orchestral influences and wrote some ballads. The band broke up around 1997 or so, but some said they wold have a reunion tour in the year 2000. Unfortunately, that was not to be... WHERE ARE THEY NOW? For the most part, where X Japan is now is a sad story. TOSHI- I'm not completely sure if this is right, but I think it is. Toshi and his wife joined an obscure cult that is designed to destroy self esteem and steal all of it's members' money. Under the cult's influence, Toshi released a press statement saying that everything X Japan did they just did for money. Later, Toshi's brother refuted Toshi's statement, saying that X Japan was very important to Toshi and what Toshi said he did under the influence of the cult. Then Toshi sued his brother for libel. A big mess. HIDE- Hide, once leaving X Japan, did some solo projects. Then he also joined a band called Spread Beaver, after opening a few retail stores. But around the time Spread Beaver was supposed to make it's big debut, Hide was found dead in his bathroom, a towel tied around is neck, apparently a suicide or an accident. It was really strange, because everything was looking good for him when he died, so it was probably an accident. A tragic one...he was one of the best guitarists and a very popular person. YOSHIKI- From his wild drumming days in X Japan, Yoshiki developed a bad spinal injury that makes it very difficult for him to play the drums. He owns his own record label, though. I think he spends most of his time in his Los Angeles home or studio. TAIJI- I think Taiji died of a drug overdose, but I'm not sure about that. HEATH AND PATA- Finally, something happy! Both Heath and Pata went on to form solo careers...I think they even did an album together! |
| GLAY MEMBERS Takuro- Plays guitar, writes songs. Hisashi- Plays guitar Teru- Vocals Jiro- Plays bass Glay basically began with Takuro. He joined a rock band in high school, but was kind of unsatisfied with it, because he wanted to write some pop songs too, not just rock. So he quit that band and formed Glay. His first recruit was Teru, who was originally going to be a drummer, but Takuro saw potential in his voice and encouraged him to develop it. Next came Hisashi, who was actually the member of a 'rival band', but when he quit that band Takuro had him join Glay. Then Glay ran into problems. After high school graduation, their drummer and bassist went off to do other things. Everyone else got jobs too, but they kept the band together, playing at a lot of crappy clubs. They lived kind of far away from each other, and they weren't making much, so it was tough. Eventually they met Jiro, who became their bassist. Jiro had some connections, and got them some gigs at some better clubs. At one performance, Yoshiki from X Japan saw them play, and signed them on his record label. He also played piano on their breakout single, 'Rain'. From then on, Glay's popularity skyrocketed. INTERESTING GLAY FACTS: -The name 'Glay' comes from Takuro...he wanted to play a cross between rock music, which he equated to the color black, and pop music, which he related to the color white. Mix black and white and you get 'Gray', or 'Glay'. -Glay dosen't have an official drummer or pianist, but they usually play with Toshi Nagai (drummer) and Shigeo Komori (keyboard). -Takuro and Teru went to the same high school as the pop group Judy and Mary's vocalist, Yuki something. Quite a talented musical school!!! -The band formed in 1988 in Hokkaido, where they went to high school. -As of 1999, Glay was still together and performing. I'm not completely sure, but I think they continue to do so today. - |