Yosui Inoue

Hailed as Japan’s Bob Dylan, Yosui Inoue is a singer-songwriter and producer who has sold more than 10 million albums over his 40-year career. ∙ Inoue scored his big break in 1973, when two of his songs made Japan’s Oricon Singles chart: “Yumeno Nakae” reached the Top 20, and “Kokoro Moyou” was a Top 10 hit. ∙ His third studio LP, 1973’s Koorino Sekai, was the first album to sell a million copies in Japan. ∙ Nishokuno Koma, his chart-topping 1974 album, featured guest spots from such heavyweight musicians as Ray Parker, Jr., Joe Sample, and Jack Nitzsche. ∙ In 1976, he cofounded For Life Music, Japan’s first artist-owned record label, which gave him complete control over his work. ∙ In the mid-’90s, Inoue began making music with singer-songwriter Tamio Okuda, including J-pop band PUFFY’s million-selling debut single, “Asia no Junshin (True Asia).” ∙ Working under the name InoueYōsuiOkudaTamio, Inoue and Okuda reached the Top 10 on the Oricon Singles chart with 2006’s “Parallel Love.”