Yū Aku
阿久 悠
Birth nameHiroyuki Fukada (深田 公之)
Also known asSeijin Tamu (多夢 星人)
Born(1937-02-07)7 February 1937
Awaji Island, Hyogo, Japan
Died1 August 2007(2007-08-01) (aged 70)
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
GenresJ-pop (kayōkyoku, enka, rock, folk, novelty)
Occupation(s)lyricist, poet, novelist
Websitewww.aqqq.co.jp

Yū Aku (阿久 悠, Aku Yū), occasionally credited as You Aku (February 7, 1937 – August 1, 2007), was a Japanese lyricist, poet, and novelist.

Early life

Yū Aku was born as Hiroyuki Fukada (深田公之, Fukada Hiroyuki) in Awaji Island, Hyogo, Japan. His parents both originated from the town of Kawaminami in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. His father worked as a police constable in Hyogo prefecture. His father's career necessitated moving every few years, resulting in Aku attending three separate junior high schools. Yū Aku graduated from Meiji University.

Career

Originally, Yū Aku desired to screenwrite for movies, specifically the then up-and-coming Moonlight Mask series. Aku started his career in advertisement production, which provided the foundation for his work as a lyricist. Aku worked on commercial production from 1959 to 1966. In 1964, he also took up broadcast writing. After his 1966 retirement from advertising, he continued to work as a broadcast writer and also as a lyricist. His first published work as a lyricist was the 1965 song 'Monkey Dance.'

Yū Aku was famous for contributing lyrics to many recording artists since 1967. He was a prolific lyricist, writing more than 5,000 songs. Mainly during the 1970s, more than 20 of them reached #1 on the Japanese Oricon chart, and seven singles sold more than a million copies. Over 500 of his compositions which were released as singles have entered the Japanese record chart, and they sold in excess of 68 million copies from 1968 to 2007, making him the most commercially successful Japanese lyricist up to that point.[1] As of 2015, total sales of the singles he has written exceed 68.3 million copies, making him the second best-selling lyricist in Japan behind only Yasushi Akimoto.[2] In 1977, he wrote the lyrics to The TV Asahi Song for the occasion of the television channel's most recent name change.

Throughout his 40-year career as a lyricist, Aku won the Japan Record Award five times. He was also acclaimed as a novelist, and produced several award-winning works. In 1999, Aku received the Purple Ribboned Medal of Honor from the Government of Japan, in honor of his long-term contributions to the Japanese entertainment industry.[3]

On September 12, 2001, Aku underwent surgery to remove his kidney cancer. He continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy until he died of ureteral cancer on August 1, 2007.[3]

Awards

Year Award Song Category Singer
1970 (Shōwa 45)12th Japan Record AwardsManatsu No ArashiComposer AwardTeruhiko Saigō
Waratte YurushiteArranger AwardAkiko Wada
1971 (Shōwa 46)13th Japan Record AwardsMata Au Hi MadeJapan Record AwardKiyohiko Ozaki
Moeru KoibitoNew Artist AwardNaoki Hongou
1972 (Shōwa 47)14th Japan Record AwardsAno Kane Wo Narasunowa AnataBest VocalistAkiko Wada
SenseiNew Artist AwardMasako Mori
Dounimo TomaranaiComposer AwardLinda Yamamoto
NamidaJun Inoue
Pin Pon Pan TaisouChildren's Song AwardSuginami Junior Chorus & Zei Kanamori
1973 (Shōwa 48)15th Japan Record AwardsWatashi No Aoi ToriBest New ArtistJunko Sakurada
Coffee Shop DeNew Artist AwardShizue Abe
Johnny He No DengonLyricist AwardPedro & Capricious
Jinjin SaseteLinda Yamamoto
Machi No AkariComposer AwardMasaaki Sakai
1974 (Shōwa 49)16th Japan Record AwardsKoi No American FootballYoung Idol AwardFinger 5
1975 (Shōwa 50)17th Japan Record AwardsRomanceNew Artist AwardHiromi Iwasaki
Juushichi No NatsuGeneral Public AwardSakurada Junko
GeshukuyaComposer AwardKouichi Morita & Topgalant
Uba GurumaLyricist AwardSugawara Yoichi
1976 (Shōwa 51)18th Japan Record AwardsKita No Yado KaraJapan Record AwardHarumi Miyako
Wakaki Shishi TachiVocalist AwardHideki Saijo
Yome Ni KonaikaNew Artist AwardKenji Niinuma
Pepper KeibuPink Lady
1977 (Shōwa 52)19th Japan Record AwardsKatte Ni ShiyagareJapan Record AwardKenji Sawada
Arranger Award
ShishukiVocalist Award/Shinpei Nakayama Award (Composer Award)Hiromi Iwasaki
Tsugarukaikyou FuyugeshikiSayuri Ishikawa
WantedGeneral Public AwardPink Lady
1978 (Shōwa 53)20th Japan Record AwardsUFOJapan Record Award/Gold AwardPink Lady
LOVE (Dakishimetai)Best Vocalist/Gold AwardKenji Sawada
Cinderella HoneymoonGold Award (Vocalist Award)Hiromi Iwasaki
Tasogare My LoveJunko Oohashi
Blue Sky BlueHideki Saijo
Shitsuren KinenbiNew Artist AwardMako Ishino
1979 (Shōwa 54)21st Japan Record AwardsCasa Blanca DandyGold AwardKenji Sawada
Funa UtaAki Yashiro
1980 (Shōwa 55)22nd Japan Record AwardsAme No BojouJapan Record Award/Gold AwardAki Yashiro
Ginga DensetsuGold AwardHiromi Iwasaki
Sakaba De DABADAKenji Sawada
1981 (Shōwa 56)23rd Japan Record AwardsMoshimo Piano Ga HiketanaraGold AwardToshiyuki Nishida
1982 (Shōwa 57)24th Japan Record AwardsChigiriGold AwardHiroshi Itsuki
Answer Song Wa AishuuNew Artist AwardYū Hayami
1983 (Shōwa 58)25th Japan Record AwardsNihon KaiSpecial Gold AwardAki Yashiro
1984 (Shōwa 59)26th Japan Record AwardsKita No HotaruGold AwardShinichi Mori
Natsu Zakari Hono JigumiLyricist AwardToshihiko Tahara & Naoko Ken

References

  1. "Yu Aku, one of the most notable lyricists in the 20th century died". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Original Confidence. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  2. "【オリコン】秋元康氏、作詞シングル総売上が1億枚突破「34年間の積み重ね」". Oricon (in Japanese). 2015-12-09. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  3. 1 2 "Yu Aku , aged 70, died of ureter cancer". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
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