Yoshiki Hayashi
| Yoshiki | |
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_10-25-2016_-29_(30312929190).jpg)
Yoshiki in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Yoshiki Hayashi |
| Also known as | |
| Born |
November 20, 1965 Tateyama, Chiba, Japan |
| Genres | Rock, heavy metal, classical |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Drums, piano, guitar |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Agent | William Morris Endeavor |
| Website | yoshiki |
| Notable instruments | |
Yoshiki Hayashi (林 佳樹? Hayashi Yoshiki, born November 20, 1965), better known by his stage name Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He achieved international fame as the leader and a co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan, for which he is the drummer, pianist and main songwriter. The band achieved breakthrough success in the late 1980s, besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, Extasy Records which he founded. The group is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the visual kei movement. Though the band disbanded in 1997, they reunited in 2007. In 2000 and 2007, Yoshiki formed his solo musical project Violet UK and the Japanese rock supergroup S.K.I.N. respectively.
Yoshiki's solo career includes two classical studio albums—Eternal Melody (1993), produced by George Martin and Eternal Melody II (2005)—and the classical compilation Yoshiki Classical (2013). He has collaborated and played with Tetsuya Komuro and Roger Taylor.
In 1999, at the request of the Japanese government, he composed and performed a classical song at a celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement. For the 69th Golden Globe Awards, the show's original musical theme was composed by Yoshiki and became available for digital download on iTunes, with all proceeds going to charity.
Yoshiki was born on November 20, 1965 in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, as the elder of two brothers in a musically oriented family. His father was a tap dancer and jazz pianist, his mother played the shamisen, while his aunt played the koto. He began taking piano lessons and music theory at age four. He then became interested in classical works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. In elementary school, he played the trumpet in the brass band, and around age ten started composing songs for piano. This period was a decisive point in his life. He was 11 years old when his father committed suicide; he found relief in rock music. After discovering the music of American hard rock band Kiss, he started learning to play drums and guitar. Yoshiki was also influenced by works from Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Queen, The Beatles, Charged GBH and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Soon with his childhood friend Toshi formed a band called Dynamite in 1977. Dynamite changed its name to Noise a year later.
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