Chris Hart (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Hart
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| Background information | |
| Born | 25 August 1984 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Japan |
| Genres | J-pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Labels | Universal Sigma (Universal Music Group) (2013-present) |
| Associated acts | A.P.E., Seiko Matsuda, May J., Gospellers |
Chris Hart (born August 25, 1984) is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He was born in America but is now a Japanese citizen. Chris became very popular in Japan as a J-pop artist.
Contents
Early Life and His Love for Japan
Chris Hart was born on August 25, 1984, in California. His parents were musicians. When he was 12, Chris started learning Japanese at school. He quickly became very interested in Japanese music, language, and culture.
In college, he studied music and Japanese. He even worked at an airport and for a Japanese makeup company to stay connected to Japan. Later, he moved to Japan and worked with vending machines.
Chris Hart's Music Journey
Chris Hart started his music career in 2003. He was the singer for a band called NIKITA w/Metallic Beasts. They played cover songs by Japanese "visual kei" artists. Visual kei is a unique Japanese music style.
In 2007, Chris started his own solo project called LYV. He wrote all the songs and lyrics in Japanese. He released a digital album called Voyager.
Becoming Popular in Japan
After moving to Japan, Chris performed everywhere. He sang at small music clubs called "live houses." He also performed at events, festivals, and even weddings. He appeared on TV shows too.
In 2011, Chris was part of a singing group called "Triple Trip." They had their own radio show. They also released a song called "NEW WORLD." Chris also wrote English lyrics for a university theme song.
In 2012, a video Chris made on YouTube got noticed. It was seen by people from a TV show called Nodojiman The World. This show is a singing contest for non-Japanese people who sing Japanese songs. Chris was invited to compete and appeared on the show three times. A music producer named Jeff Miyahara saw Chris sing and wanted to work with him.
Big Hits and Albums
In 2013, Chris released a cover song called "Home." It became a big hit, reaching number 8 on the Japanese music charts. Soon after, he released an album of cover songs. This album reached number 3 and sold over 300,000 copies!
Chris then worked with a famous J-pop singer, Seiko Matsuda. They released a song together called "Yume Ga Samete." They even sang this song at the 64th annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This is a very famous music show in Japan that happens every New Year's Eve.
On February 26, 2014, Chris released his first original song, "I LOVE YOU." His first original album, Song for You, came out in March 2014. It ranked number 7 on the music charts.
He released another cover album, "Heart Song II," in June 2014. It reached number 2 on the charts. Later that year, he released a Christmas album called Christmas Hearts. This album also made it into the top 10. Chris was invited to sing at the 65th Kōhaku Uta Gassen, where he sang a cover of "Ito."
Tours and Milestones
In 2015, Chris announced a new song with the group Gospellers. It was called "Tsuzuku Michi with Gospellers." He also started his third nationwide tour. This tour visited all 47 prefectures (regions) of Japan. It was the first time a non-Japanese artist had done such a tour.
By June 2015, Chris Hart had sold over 1 million albums in total! He also sang the theme song for a TV drama called Saikyo no Futari. His new original song, "Anata e," was released in August 2015.
In 2016, Chris helped write a song called "Boku wa kokode ikiteiku." This song was featured on a popular TV show. He also had a big concert at Nippon Budokan, a famous concert hall. After that, he started another tour visiting all 47 prefectures again. In total, Chris held 98 concerts during these two tours!
New Projects and Hiatus
On April 6, 2017, Chris Hart announced that he had become a Japanese citizen.
On December 5, 2017, he shared that he would take a break from music. He wanted to study music more and spend time with his family. During this time, he released a collection of his best songs called "Kokoro no Uta~Chris Hart BEST~." It included a new cover song and a new original song called "Dreams."
Chris performed his last show before his break on April 13, 2018. He sang a duet called "Fanfare" with singer Murakami Keisuke.
In 2018, Chris Hart's song "I LOVE YOU" became very popular again. It reached number 13 on the karaoke charts. Many other artists started covering his song.
In 2019, Chris started a new music project called A.P.E. with songwriter Paul Ballard. They wrote music for other artists, like Ai Kawashima and May J.. A.P.E. also created music for a Canadian film called "Viaticum."
In 2021, Chris released three new digital songs: "monochromatic," "chanto~mother's blues~," and "flashback." These were followed by his third original album, COMPLEX. Chris produced and wrote these songs himself.
In September 2022, Chris was featured on a remix of a song by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut.
Chris Hart's Personal Life
Chris Hart grew up in Palo Alto, California. He went to Gunn High School. In 2012, he got married and now has three children. In 2017, Chris became a Japanese citizen. To do this, he gave up his American citizenship, as required by Japanese law.
Discography
Albums
- Heart Song (2013)
- Heart Song -Special Edition- (2013)
- Song for You (2014)
- Heart Song II (2014)
- Christmas Hearts (2014)
- Heart Song III (2015)
- Kokorono Uta -Chris Hart Best (2017)
- COMPLEX(2017)
Singles
- "home" (2013)
- "Yume ga Samete" (夢がさめて, "Waking From a Dream") (2013)
- "I LOVE YOU" (2014)
- Mamoritai ~magic of a touch~
- Tsuzuku Michi with Gospellers (2015)
- "I LOVE YOU" (2020)
Awards and Certifications
- 28th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards
- New Artist of the Year (Japanese Domestic): Chris Hart
- 5 Best New Artists (Japanese Domestic)
