Ryuichi Kawamura 河村 隆一 | |
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![]() Ryuichi (center) performing with Luna Sea in Singapore, 2013 | |
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Also known as | ЯK, Rayla |
Born | Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan | May 20, 1970
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Years active | 1985–present |
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Website | www |
Ryuichi Kawamura (Japanese: 河村 隆一, Hepburn: Kawamura Ryūichi, born May 20, 1970) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known as lead singer of the rock band Luna Sea since 1989. They are regarded as one of the most influential bands in the visual kei scene.[1] After they disbanded in 2000, he focused on his solo career as a pop singer, which began in 1997. In 2005, Kawamura formed Tourbillon with fellow Luna Sea member Inoran and Hiroaki Hayama. He rejoined Luna Sea when they reunited in August 2010.
Kawamura's first full-length album Love topped the Oricon Albums Chart with sales of 1,021,000 copies, making him the only male solo artist to have an album sell over one million copies within its initial week in the chart's history.[2] It went on to sell 3.2 million copies, making it the best-selling male solo album in Japan. In 1997 alone, with his mini and full-length albums and four singles (of which "Glass" sold over one million itself), he sold over six million records.