Southern All Stars

Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ) is a Japanese rock group.

Band Members

The band consists of five members. Kuwata Keisuke (born 26 February 1956 in Chigasaki) is the lead vocalist and plays the guitar. He writes most of the lyrics and the music for the band. Hara Yuko (born 11 December 1956 in Yokohama, nickname "Harabo") plays the keyboard. She is the wife of Kuwata Keisuke and the mother of two boys. Her parents' home is a tempura restaurant in Yokohama. Sekiguchi Kazuyuki (born 21 December 1955 in Niigata) plays the bass. During his solo activity, he had played ukulele; he is a fan of Hawaii. Matsuda Hiroshi (born 4 April 1956 in Miyazaki) plays the drums. Nozawa Hideyuki (born 19 October 1954 in Tokyo, nickname: "Kegani(Hairy Crab)") plays the percussion, and is the mood maker for the band. In addition, Omori Takashi played the guitar until August 2001, when he left the band.

History

When Kuwata Keisuke was a student at Aoyama Gakuin University, he was in a band called "Better Days." There, he met Hara Yuko and Sekiguchi Kazuyuki. This is the start of the Southern All Stars.

Southern All Stars released "勝手にシンドバッド(Katte ni Shinndobaddo)" as their debut single on June 25, 1978. With stylish lyrics and characteristic vocals, the name "Southern All Stars" spread throughout Japan. Because of their unique performance, they were criticized as a comic band at first. However, since the third single "いとしのエリー(Itoshi no Eri)" became a big success in 1979, Southern All Stars became a rock band that represents Japan. Their 44th single "TSUNAMI" was sold 3 million CD's and won the 42nd Japan Record　Grand Prize in 2000. In 2003, the band celebrated their 25th anniversary. It is a band that catches fans of many age groups of both male and female.

Characteristics of Southern All Stars

The band's songs cover many genres: love songs, ballads, social songs, and hilarious songs. Every song has a unique melody with lyrics everyone can sympathize with. Southern All Stars' live concerts are hot and filled with excitement. Kuwata Keisuke shouts to the fans, "STANDOOH! AREEENA!! C'MOOOON!!" and when their excitement reaches its peak, he shouts, "Ichi, ni, san, DAAAH!!" He also wears a wig when he sings "Mannpie no G-Spot."