Japanese singer-songwriter Kiyotaka Sugiyama was born on July 17, 1959, in the
city of Yokohama. The son of a police officer and a shamisen teacher, he dreamed
of becoming a manga artist but ultimately decided to devote himself to music
after becoming obsessed with The Beatles’ Let It Be. In 1980, his band
Kyutipanchosu won the 19th edition of the Yamaha Popular Song Contest (commonly
known as Popcon) with the song “Gospel No Yoru,” catching the attention of
producer Koichi Fujita. After changing their name to Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega
Tribe, the group went on to become one of th...