Yū Aku

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.

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
Associated acts
Websitewww.aqqq.co.jp

Career

Yū Aku was famous for contributing lyrics to many recording artists since 1967. 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]

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]

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. "Yu Aku , aged 70, died of ureter cancer". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
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