Yuya Uchida (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuya Uchida
Yuya Uchida in 1963
Background information
Birth name	Yuya Uchida (内田 雄也)
Born	(1939-11-17)November 17, 1939 Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Died	March 17, 2019(2019-03-17) (aged 79) Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1959–2019
Associated acts	Flower Travellin' Band/The Flowers
Japanese name
Kanji	内田 裕也
Hiragana	うちだ ゆうや
Transcriptions Romanization Uchida Yūya

Yuya Uchida (Japanese: 内田 裕也, Hepburn: Uchida Yūya, November 17, 1939 – March 17, 2019) was a Japanese singer, record producer, and actor. With a career spanning six decades, he was a major figure in Japanese popular music.

He appeared in numerous films, such as Nagisa Ōshima's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and won two best acting awards. He also starred in the American film Black Rain.

Career

Uchida was born in Nishinomiya. He dropped out of high school at age 17 and began his music career in 1957. He became friends with John Lennon after opening for The Beatles on their 1966 tour of Japan.

Shocked after seeing Jimi Hendrix perform in London in 1967, Uchida returned home and wanted to introduce a similar sound to Japan. He formed Yuya Uchida & The Flowers who released the album Challenge! in 1969, which is composed almost entirely of covers of Western psychedelic rock acts. After replacing all but one member and reverting to a producer/manager role himself, the group changed their name to Flower Travellin' Band and released another cover album, 1970's Anywhere, before relocating to Canada. Before the move they recorded an album of original material in just two days; Satori was released in North America in 1971 by GRT Records. The band produced two more albums, Made in Japan (1972) and Make Up (1973), before separating for 34 years.

In addition to his solo career and Flower Travellin' Band, he worked with a large variety of musicians both domestic and international, and recorded with The Ventures and Frank Zappa in the mid-1970s. In 1975 he produced an international music festival titled "World Rock Festival" which featured artists from around the world performing together. That same year, Uchida also produced the self-titled album by Creation.

He unsuccessfully ran for the 1991 Tokyo gubernatorial election.

Uchida collaborated with pop idol Rino Sashihara for the 2014 duet single "Shekina Baby".

Death

Yuya Uchida died from pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on March 17, 2019, aged 79. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 61st Japan Record Awards on December 30, 2019.

Discography

Singles

• "Lonely Johnny/Young One" (ひとりぼっちのジョニー／ヤング ワン, 1963)
• "Young Heart o Urimono ni/Medal no Jōi" (破れたハートを売り物に／メダルのジョーイ, 1963)
• "Kanashiki Akuma/Cutie Pie" (悲しき悪魔／キューティー・パイ, 1963)
• "Blue Jean to Kawa Jumper/Gypsy Caravan" (ブルージーンと皮ジャンパー／ジプシー・キャラヴァン, 1964)
• "Viva Las Vegas/Roll Over Beethoven" (ラスベガス万才／ロール・オーバー・ベートーベン, 1964)
• "Swim de Ikou/Run Run Run" (スイムで行こう／ラン ラン ラン, 1965)
• "Last Chance/Flower Boy" (ラスト・チャンス／フラワー・ボーイ, 1969, Yuya Uchida & The Flowers)
• "Fantastic Girl/Yogiri no Trumpet" (ファンタジック・ガール／夜霧のトランペッ, 1969, Yuya Uchida & The Flowers)
• "Manjoki Rock n Roll/Joki-yasu Boogie" (マンジョキロックンロール／ジョキ安ブギ, 1974, Yuya Uchida and the 1815 Super Rock 'n' Roll Band)
• "Gonna Make It Tonight/Let's Twist No. 1" (1977)
• "What's Happening, Mr. Dylan?/Annie Get Your Guns" (1978)
• "Sake, Women & My Life/One Night Lullabye" (1979)
• "The Long Goodbye/Farewell My Lovely" (1982)
• "Killer in the Rain/Rolling on the Road" (1982)
• "Annie for a Cheek Time/No More Comics" (1985)
• "Shekina Baby" (シェキナベイベー, 2014, with Rino Sashihara)

Albums

• Rock Surfing Hot Rod (ロック・サーフィン・ホット・ロッド, 1964, with Isao Bitoh)
• Let's Go Monkey (レッツ・ゴー・モンキー, 1965, with Isao Bitoh)
• Challenge! (1969, Yuya Uchida & The Flowers)
• Y.U.Y.A 1815KC Rock'n Roll Broadcasting Station (1973)
• Exciting! Rock 'n' Roll Party (1973, Yuya Uchida and the 1815 Super Rock 'n' Roll Band)
• Hollywood (1975, Yuya Uchida and The Ventures)
• A Dog Runs (ア・ドッグ・ランズ, 1978)
• Farewell, My Lovely (さらば愛しき女よ, 1981)
• No More Comics (1985)

Filmography