Miki Matsubara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miki Matsubara
松原 みき
Matsubara in 1980
Born	(1959-11-28)November 28, 1959 Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan
Died	October 7, 2004(2004-10-07) (aged 44) Sakai, Osaka, Japan
Other names	Suzie Matsubara (スージー・松原)
Occupation	Singer, composer, lyricist, TV personality
Height	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Spouse(s)	Masaki Honjo
Musical career
Genres	J-pop city pop jazz
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards
Years active	1979–2001
Labels	Pony Canyon

Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki) (November 28, 1959 – October 7, 2004) was a talented Japanese singer, songwriter, and composer. She was born in Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka, Japan. Many people knew her for singing the opening and ending songs for the TV anime "Gu-Gu Gummo." For this, she used the name "Susie Matsubara."

Her first song, "Mayonaka no Door" (also known as "Stay with Me"), came out in 1979. It quickly became a big hit! The song sold over 100,000 copies in Japan. Around 2020, this song became popular again, not just in Japan but all over the world.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Miki Matsubara was born on November 28, 1959, in Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan. She grew up in a family of four, including her parents and a younger sister. Her mother was a jazz singer. This meant Miki was around music from a very young age.

Miki started learning to play the piano when she was just three years old. She loved jazz music, just like her mother. When she was in junior high school, she became interested in rock music. She even joined a rock band called "Kurei."

Later, in high school, Miki played keyboards in a band called "Yoshinoya Band." They performed at a live music venue in Kyoto. Miki was a great student, and many expected her to go to college. However, she had a different dream: she wanted to become a singer.

In 1977, when she was only 17 and still in high school, Miki moved to Tokyo. She wanted to start her music career there. A famous Japanese pianist, Yuzuru Sera [ja], discovered her singing and playing music in different places around Tokyo.

Music Career and Popular Songs

Miki Matsubara officially started her music career in 1979. Her first song, "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)," was a huge success. Many other artists have covered this song, meaning they have sung their own versions of it.

After her debut, Miki became a very well-known singer. She released other popular songs like "Neat na gogo san-ji" and "The Winner." Her song "Neat na gogo san-ji" was even used in a commercial for the famous Japanese company Shiseido.

Miki Matsubara received several awards for her music. She also formed her own band called Dr. Woo. Miki even worked with an American jazz fusion group called Dr. Strut in Los Angeles. She released a jazz cover album called "BLUE EYES." On this album, she sang famous jazz songs and even a soft rock song by Carole King.

Miki had a strong singing voice, known as a mezzo-soprano. During her career, she released 8 singles and 12 albums.

Anime and Commercial Music

Besides her own songs, Miki Matsubara was also known for her work in anime. She sang opening and ending songs for shows like Dirty Pair: Project Eden. When she sang for the anime Gu Gu Ganmo, she used the name Suzie Matsubara. Her song "THE WINNER" was used as the opening for the Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.

From the 1990s, Miki focused more on creating music for anime and commercials. She composed songs for several singers, including Hitomi Mieno and Mariko Kouda. One of her most famous compositions for Mariko Kouda, "Ame no chi special", was featured on a popular Japanese TV show called Minna no Uta. This song became very popular and was played many times until 2004.

Personal Life

Miki Matsubara was married to Masaki Honjo. He was a drummer in her band. Later, he became a dentist.

When Miki was a student, her eyesight became poor because she worked a lot. Luckily, surgery fixed her vision.

Illness and Passing

In late 2000, Miki Matsubara decided to stop her music career. She sent an email to her company and band members, saying she could no longer continue. She then disappeared from the public eye. In 2001, it was shared that she had been diagnosed with a serious illness. She spent her last years fighting this illness.

Miki Matsubara passed away on October 7, 2004, at the age of 44. Her death was due to complications from uterine cervix cancer. The public learned about her passing two months later.

Lasting Impact

In the 21st century, especially around the 2010s, there was a growing interest in a music style called city pop. This helped Miki Matsubara's music become famous worldwide. Her song "Stay with Me" became a huge hit again in 2020, especially in Western countries and across Asia.

Billboard Japan says that an Indonesian YouTuber named Rainych helped the song become popular again. She shared a cover version of "Stay with Me" with her many followers in October 2020. After this, the song became very popular in Indonesia and then spread to other countries. It became a "visible hit" on many music streaming charts, even reaching number one on Spotify's viral charts.

The song also became very well-known on the app TikTok. In December 2020, it started a trend where users of Japanese descent played the song for their mothers and filmed their reactions. One of these videos got over 23 million views! By February 2021, the song had been used in over 200,000 videos on TikTok.

Because of this new wave of popularity, Miki Matsubara's first album, Pocket Park, was re-released on vinyl records in late 2020.

Discography

Here are some of Miki Matsubara's studio albums, compilation albums, and singles.

Studio Albums

Compilations

Singles

Some Notable Compositions

Miki Matsubara also composed songs for other artists. Here are a few examples:

See also

In Spanish: Miki Matsubara para niños

• Gu Gu Ganmo
• Victor Entertainment
  • Dirty Pair: Project Eden
  • Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
• Ojamajo Doremi
  • Ojamajo Doremi discography
• Mariko Kouda
• Mayumi Gojo
• J-pop