I wonder that nobody of you mentioned one of the most best drummer of all times:
Hayashi Yoshiki (Japan)Birthday: 11.20.1965
Birthplace: Teteyama, Chiba
Yoshiki was the founder of X Japan. He plays piano, keyboard and drums, he also can play guitar and bass - a real multitalent.
He loves opposites and likes to play the mysterious, so he used to tell his birtday is the day X and that he has amethyst-colored blood.
He always makes the impression of a shy and sensitive person but this changes when he is behind his drums when he makes the impression that he is pure engery.
On the stage he gave everything and he often fell from the higher part of the stage where the drums were located. In 1996 during the Dahlia Tour he couldn't play to the end of the show and had to go to a hospital because of his backbone. The docter warned him that he should be more carefull and that he had eventually to stop playing drums. Yoshiki continued to play but he wears a special neck-support.
September, 22nd in 1997 was the day Yoshiki announced the disbanding of X Japan. He had secret plans (with "Hide") to form a new band with a new singer. His plans died with hide in 1998 with "Hides" death.
After this tragedy he spent most of the time in his house in Los Angeles where he has 2 recording studios and produces some new American and Japanese band for his record company Extasy International and Extasy Japan.
Some "X" and "X-Japan" albums which are MUST have ones:Vanishing Vision (1988)
Blue Blood (1989)
Jelousy (1991)
Art of Life (1993)
Dahlia (1996)
I also can highly recommend all the original DVD's
short summery of the band's history:X Japan were one of the first visual bands in Japan and also one of the most popular. They started in teh mid-80's with the union of school friends Yoshiki (drums and piano) and Toshi (lead vocals). After that the joined with a couple other guys and formed the band X.
They released the two singles 'I'll kill you' and 'Orgasm' and made it on two compilations albums with other Japanese newcomer bands. At that time Pata (guitar) and Taiji (bass) joined the band.
In 1988 they made their first album 'Vanishing Vision' and hired a second guitarist, hide. The album was released on Yoshikis new record label Extasy. It was a great success and they changed to Sony records. More albums ('Blue Blood' and 'Jealousy') and more touring.
With "Jealousy" they tried to come out in America, but no one there wanted visual bands. They renamed the band in X Japan because in America there was already a band called X. The band had great success in Japan and the members also made solo projects.
At this time Taiji (bass) left the band and was replace with Heath. Yoshiki wrote the 23 minutes long song 'Art of life' which was the first record on their new label Atlantic Records.
In 1996 finally came their last album 'Dahlia'. In the spring of 1997 Toshi (vocals) decided to quit the band for 'artistic and religous reasons', so they announced their disbanding in September 1997. They made a final Goodbye concert in December.
The members made different solo projects. In 1998 a tragedy happened, hide commited suicide for unknown reasons. The fans were shocked. Yoshiki draw back from public.
In 2000 he started a comeback with his project Violet UK...
If you need more infos about him and the band "X-Japan" (former bandname "X"), feel free to contact me or visit an informative forum which is in English language:
http://www.xjapan.de/main.htmHayashi Yoshiki ... you will put him on your list of favourites
