Masayuki Suzuki

Masayuki Suzuki is a Japanese pop vocalist who began releasing platinum-selling records during the early 1980s as a member of Rats & Star, then launched a popular solo career during the latter half of the decade. He was born on September 22, 1956, in Ōta City, Tokyo. Suzuki formed the band Chanels with musicians Masashi Tashiro and Nobuyoshi Kuwano in 1975, and the group released its first single, "Runaway," in 1980. Chanels changed its name to Rats & Star three years later and continued releasing music until 1996. Meanwhile, Suzuki also enjoyed a long run of hits as a solo artist, beginning with his debut single "Glass Goshi ni Kieta Natsu" in 1986. The song reached Number 15 on the Oricon Singles Charts and appeared on Suzuki's first full-length album, Mother of Pearl, which reached Number 20 in Japan. After releasing several additional records, he climbed to Number 1 on the Oricon Albums Chart with 1992's platinum-certified Fair Affair and remained in the Top 10 with 1993's Perfume, 1994's She See Sea, 1995's chart-topping Martini II, 1997's Carnival, 2000's Medium Slow, and 2001's Tokyo Junction. As the 2000s progressed, he also released a series of tribute albums, with 2011's Discover Japan, 2014's Discover Japan II, and 2017's Discover Japan III all becoming Top 20 successes in his homeland. He then returned to the Top 10 with another solo album, Funky Flag, in 2019.