Honda Minako
| Minako Honda | |
|---|---|
Minako Honda on the cover of her album Cancel (1998).
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| Background information | |
| Native name | 本田 美奈子 |
| Birth name | Minako Kudō (工藤 美奈子?) |
| Born |
July 31, 1967 Itabashi, Japan |
| Origin | Katsushika, Japan |
| Died | November 6, 2005 (aged 38) Minato, Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Pop, operatic pop, classical crossover |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1985 – 2005 |
| Labels | Toshiba-EMI, Columbia Music Entertainment |
| Associated acts | Mao Daichi, Queen, Michael Jackson, Hiromi Iwasaki, Latoya Jackson, Hayley Westenra, Michihiko Ohta, Tokiko Iwatani |
| Website | www |
Minako Honda (本田 美奈子 Honda Minako,?) July 31, 1967 – November 6, 2005; formerly known as Minako Kudō (工藤 美奈子 Kudō Minako?) was a Japanese singer, dancer, and stage performer. She achieved popularity in the mid-1980s as a pop-singer and "teen idol," known for her risqué fashion choices and elaborate live performances. A pioneer of the modern J-Pop genre popularized in the early 1980s, Honda was one of the first female Japanese artists to successfully reinvent herself when her core audience began to wane, experimenting in multiple genres and music styles. Honda also became one of the first major Japanese artists to collaborate with artists and music producers outside of Japan, most notably in the United States. Known for her resilience and versatility, Honda has been credited with establishing a blueprint for future Japanese female artists, such as Namie Amuro, Tomomi Kahara and Ayumi Hamasaki, to thrive in the industry well after reaching their prime.
Born in Itabashi, but raised in a small suburb near Saitama, Kudo Minako was discovered on the streets of Harajuku by the Bond talent agency, which subsequently signed her to Toshiba/EMI. Marketing her as "The Japanese Madonna," executives convinced her to change her name from "Kudo" to "Honda," to increase her chances for international appeal. Honda first gained national attention with her singles "Satsui No Bakansu" and later "Marilyn of the Year 1986" ("1986 Nen No Maririn"). Eight months following her debut, Honda performed at the prestigious Nippon Budokan arena, usually the pinnacle of a Japanese entertainer's career marking longevity. Further into 1986, other hits followed, including "Help" and "So Sotte." Four more singles, in 1987, "One Way Generation," "Kodoku na Hurricane," "Heartbreak," and "Kanashimi Swing" all reached the Top Three position on the Oricon charts.
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