Ayumi Hamasaki Biography
Ayumi Hamasaki is one of Japan's most popular J-pop singers. When she was a small child, her father left their family, and
to this day, she doesn't know the whereabouts of her father. Her family struggled when she was a child, which caused her to
start modeling at the age of 14. As a teenager, she was already considered very beautiful, and received some small acting
and modeling jobs. However, due to her short stature, many modeling agencies deemed that she had no future in the business,
and Ayumi quit.
Ayumi Hamasaki liked to dance at a nightclub called Velfarre. This is where she got her big break. One night, an Avex employee, Max Matsuura, met her and asked her if she wanted to become a singer and promised her a future of stardom. Skeptical at first, but Ayumi eventually relented and began vocal training. At the age of 17, Max Matsuura sent Ayumi to New York in order to obtain true vocal training. After this vocal training, Ayumi began to write her own song lyrics. Max saw the potential in Ayumi, and did not ever stop trying to promote her. After some failed singles, Ayumi Hamasaki gained the number 1 spot on Oricon in April of 1999. Afterwards, she has been one of the most popular singers in Japan, reaching the top three on the Oricon charts for every single that she made.
Among Japanese artists, Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru have one of the biggest rivalries in Japan, often competing for the number one spot among the charts. They came into direct competition in 2000, when her album "A BEST"'s release date was changed to put her in direct competition with Utada Hikaru's second album Distance. Though Distance topped the charts first week, A BEST topped the following week. Although there is a perceived "rivalry" between these two artists, they have reported that this is just a media-based rivalry, and there is no personal rife between Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru.
To date, Ayumi Hamasaki has released numerous singles (around 40), and several albums. She recently released her single, Blue Bird on June 21, 2006.
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