Double (singer)
| Double | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | 平澤貴子 |
| Also known as | DJ Lilly |
| Born | March 14, 1975 |
| Origin | Niigata, Japan |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | For Life Music Entertainment |
| Website | ArtImage |
| Past members | Sachiko Hirasawa (平澤幸子 Hirasawa Sachiko?) |
Double (stylized as DOUBLE) is the stage name for Japanese R&B singer Takako Hirasawa (平澤貴子 Hirasawa Takako?) (born March 14, 1975). Double used to be the name for the two member R&B group consisting of Takako and her sister Sachiko. After the death of her sister in May 1999, Takako started her solo career adopting Double as her stage name. Double has been titled as the "Queen of R&B" and is considered to be a pioneer for being the first artist to bring American-style R&B to Japan.
Double was born in Niigata, Japan. After her older sister came back from a trip to America, she introduced Takako to the music of Mary J. Blige. Inspired by the 1992 video to Real Love Double and her older sister, Sachiko Hirasawa (平澤幸子 Hirasawa Sachiko?) decided to enter the music business as R&B artists. The duo began by performing at the US Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo.
On February 4, 1998, Double made her debut as a duo, with sister Sachiko Hirasawa. They released the single, "For Me", which debuted on the Oricon chart at #89. They released three more singles, "Desire", "Bed" (both 1998) and "Shake" (1999). "Shake" was the duo's highest charting single, peaking at #21.
Before the release of their debut album Crystal, Sachiko died suddenly from a blood disease affecting the brain. In June, Crystal was released and made its debut at #2. One of the first major successes for modern R&B in Japan it is considered a major influence paving the way for later acts such as Crystal Kay, Ai and a re-styled Namie Amuro.
...
Wikipedia