Although Ayumi lived with her mother, she was primarily raised by her grandmother. She has vague recollections of her father as he left the family at around the time she was two, and she has not seen him since. She grew up in a very liberal household where she was expected to do what was right for her without her mother intervening in her affairs, since her mother was always out working to support the family.
In her youth, Hamasaki started her modeling career as a model for a local bank. During high school, she was considered a delinquent because of her dyed hair and short shirts which were considered extremely unconventional in Japan at that time. Eventually she dropped out of high school and moved to Tokyo to pursue a fulltime modeling career, supported by her grandmother.
Idol career
Hamasaki used the pseudonym Kurumi Hamazaki, acting in low budget dramas like Miseinen and b-movies like Sumo momo momo; however, she did not find success. She was too short to become a professional model. As a result, she spent her days wandering the streets of Tokyo, shopping, and dancing at clubs in the Shibuya district.
As an artist
The first steps Ayumi gave on music was in the rap scene. On December 1, 1995 Hamasaki's first album along side with Dohzi-T, DJ Bass NOTHING FROM NOTHING was released. There's poor information about this era in Ayu's life but it is known that there was virtually no promotion for the album. After failing to chart in Oricon, her talent agency and record label, Nippon Columbia, dropped her. After this, Hamasaki supposedly met her future producer, Masato Matsuura in a karaoke bar (She met Matsuura in a music club/bar "Velfarre" owned by Avex Traxbig independent label that Matsuura worked for. He was impressed by Hamasaki's vocals, and when he asked her if she wanted to pursue a singing career, she said she agreed, "only because I had nothing to do". (She didn't say that at first. She first said "No way!" and was pretty suspicious of Matsuura, because of the age difference. She finally agreed to do vocal training because he kept pressing her and she indeed had "nothing better to do") Hamasaki was contracted to take vocal training in Tokyo but she stopped attending as she found it too rigid. She kept skipping the classes but didn't tell Matsuura about it. When he started calling her, she would switch off the phone, knowing that she'd be asked about the trainings. When he finally found out, for a more relaxed atmosphere Matsuura sent Hamasaki to New York, an event she would later say was exactly what she needed. Impressed by the writing style in her letters to him, Matsuura suggested that she try her hand at writing her own lyrics for her songs.
Hamasaki has never had any formal instruction in lyric writing, but is able to draw on her emotions to write her lyrics. Her producer, Max Matsuura has stated repeatedly that she has a gift which only develops with practice and that it is highly unusual for such a young artist to be so articulate and mature in her writings. Also, Hamasaki's song writing abilities have been repeatedly compared to those of Utada Hikaru, although their styles are in fact markedly different.
In 1998, Ayumi's debut single, "poker face", was released. The single debuted #22 on the Oricon charts and sold 43,000 copies, and started to gain more fame since then. At the release of her 4th single, "Depend on you", she got into the Top 10 of the charts for the first time. "Depend on you" was the main theme of videogame Thousand Arms. She got her first #1 spot on the charts with her debut album "A Song for ΧΧ", released on January 1, 1999. The album quickly became certified platinum.
Her first #1 single also came in 1999 with the release of "LOVE ~Destiny~", song produced by Tsunku. Since the release of the 9th single, "Boys & Girls", her singles changed format from 8 cm to 12 cm discs (which could hold more data), following the trend of the music industry. As a result her singles began to feature more tracks, namely, remix tracks. "Boys & Girls" its first week didn't get the 1st spot on the charts (Mainly because of known rival Ami Suzuki and her single "BE TOGETHER"), but in the second week she reached the 1st place; the single is her first certified platinum. "BE TOGETHER" ended up selling around 800,000 copies total. However, "Boys & Girls" sold over one million copies.
In November 1999, she released her second album, "LOVEppears", less than a year after her first. The album sold over two million copies. However, a controversy arose due to the front cover of the album which feautured her topless with only her hair covering her breasts. The single "appears" was released the same day. Following the release of "LOVEppears", were two recut singles from the album because of her big success. Those singles were "kanariya", released in December, and "Fly high", released in March of the following year. The song Trauma was also a popular hit.
Hamasaki's thirty-ninth single "Startin' / Born To Be..." was released on March 8. The single debuted at #1 on the Oricon chart with sales of 116,000, and thus broke the record of most #1 singles in Japan for a solo (female) artist previously held by Seiko Matsuda. This was her 26th #1 single. The song Startin' was used as the opening theme song for the PS2 video game, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams while the song rainy day (which was featured on her "(miss)understood" album) was the ending theme. The song Born To Be... was used for Nittele's coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
She then embarked on the "ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2006 ~(miss)understood~" which spanned for 3 months with its first date in Saitama on March 11, 2006 and its last stop at Yoyogi on June 11, 2006. With 30 concerts, it's her largest tour to date.
Ayu recently released her 40th single "BLUE BIRD" on June 21, 2006. It contains the title song BLUE BIRD (featured on a ZESPRI Gold Kiwi beverage commercial), a second a B-side entitled Beautiful Fighters (featured on her Panasonic D-snap and D-dock commercial). A trance remix of BLUE BIRD and a rock version of the "(miss)understood" album track "Ladies Night", called "Ladies Night ~another night~" (which was featured in an earlier Panasonic Lumix commercial), are also on this maxi single. "BLUE BIRD" scored the #1 position on the daily Oricon chart. Just a single day after going on sale, Oricon confirmed the single had outsold its competition already, securing the weekly #1 for Ayu's 15th consecutive number one single and 27th total number one single, selling over 160,572 copies in its first five days.
Ayu has confirmed to have recorded upcoming material already. Her 41st single is expected to be released in late September. A new ballad called "JEWEL" and a new rock song called "1LOVE" are featured in the latest Panasonic Lumix, D-snap and D-dock commercials. It remains to be seen whether either or both of these new songs will be included in the upcoming single.
Video clips
* A Film for XX (September 15, 1999)
* A clips (February 23, 2000)
* HAMASAKI AYUMI (March 29, 2000)
* vogue Far away SEASONS (September 20, 2000)
* SURREAL (December 13, 2000)
* M (February 7, 2001)
* evolution (June 13, 2001)
* A clips vol.2 (March 13, 2002)
* ayumi hamasaki COMPLETE CLIP BOX A (February 25, 2004)
* Moments (March 31, 2004)
* INSPIRE (July 28, 2004)
* CAROLS (September 29, 2004)
* STEP you/is this LOVE? (April 20, 2005)
* fairyland (August 3, 2005)
* HEAVEN (September 14, 2005)
* Bold & Delicious/Pride (November 30, 2005)
* (miss)understood (January 1, 2006)
* Startin' / Born To Be... (March 8, 2006)
* BLUE BIRD (June 21, 2006)
Ayumi Hamasaki's songs are used very often as theme-songs in order to promote products. Here is a list:
* JEWEL - Panasonic Lumix
* 1LOVE - Panasonic D-Snap Audio
* 1LOVE - Panasonic D-Dock
* Startin' - Capcom Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams opening theme (video game)
* Startin' - Mu-mo.net
* Bold & Delicious - Panasonic D-Snap Audio
* Bold & Delicious - Panasonic D-Dock
* BLUE BIRD - Dwango
* BLUE BIRD - Zespri gold
* BLUE BIRD - Mu-mo.net
* rainy day - Capcom Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams ending theme (video game)
* Born to Be... - Nittele: 2006 Winter Olympics
* Born to Be... - Mu-mo.net
* Ladies Night~another night - Panasonic Lumix
* I am... - Kose Visee
* About You - Morinaga Bake
* appears - Aube Crush Pearl
* appears - Lawson Ticket Service
* ourselves - Kose Visee
* And Then - JT Peach Water
* And Then - Aube Crush Pearl
* is this LOVE? - Morinaga Bake
* INSPIRE - New York Guggenheim Museum Exhibition
* INSPIRE - Avex Audition 2004
* Independent - THE BASEBALL 2002 (TV-Show)
* Immature - JT Peach Water
* WE WISH - Kose Visee
* Will - Panasonic Lumix
* walking proud - Panasonic MJ59
* Voyage - ドラママイリトルシェフ主題歌 (Drama)
* Voyage - ayu ready? Ending Theme (TV-Show)
* Voyage - Tsuki ni shizumu Theme (Movie)
* everywhere nowhere - Panasonic MJ55
* ever free "Acoustic Orchestra" - ドラマ天気予報の恋人挿入歌 (Drama)
* evolution - Kose Visee
* M - Tu-Ka mobile phones
* ANGEL'S SONG - Panasonic D-Snap
* End of the World - Tu-Ka mobile phones
* Endless sorrow - ドラマ昔の男主題歌 (Drama)
* End roll "HAL's mix"- Morinaga
* everlasting dream "Rainbow Drew Drop Remix" - Panasonic 77MD
* alterna - Panasonic Lumix
* kanariya "radio edit" - CDTV Opening theme (TV-Show)
* CAROLS - Panasonic Lumix
* CAROLS "Classical Version" - Panasonic Lumix
* Greatful days - ayuready Ending theme
* GAME - Panasonic PM700MD
* SEASONS - ドラマ天気予報の恋人主題歌 (Drama)
* SEASONS "Acoustic Orchestra" - ドラマ天気予報の恋人挿入歌 (Drama)
* SEASONS "D-Z BLUE SUNBEAM MIX" - Kose Visee
* July 1st - Kose Visee
* still alone - Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic
* STEP you - Panasonic D-Snap Audio
* STEP you - Panasonic SD mini-compo
* Dearest - Sunrise (company) InuYasha Ending theme (anime)
* Dearest - Tu-Ka mobile phones
* Daybreak - Panasonic
* Daybreak "H/\L's Mix 2002" - Panasonic Lumix
* Depend on you - CDTV ending theme (TV-Show)
* Depend on you - Sony PlayStation software サウザンドアームズ
* Duty - Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic
* Two of Us - Sony PlayStation software サウザンドアームズ Ending theme
* TO BE - JT Peach Water
* TO BE "Acoustic Orchestra" - ドラマ天気予報の恋人挿入歌 (Drama)
* too late - Honda Giorno Crea
* too late "Soul Solution Remix" - Honda Giorno Crea
* Trauma - JT Peach Water
* Trust - 花王ソフィーナ オーブ ルージュフィーリア (movie)
* Naturally - Kose Visee
* Naturally "Dolly remix" - Kose Visee
* NEVER EVER - Kirin Supli
* NEVER EVER - Lawson Ticket Service
* No way to say - テレビ恋するハニカミ (TV-Show)
* No way to say - Panasonic MJ57
* no more words - Sunrise (company) InuYasha Ending theme (anime)
* Heartplace - Panasonic Lumix
* HANABI - Tu-Ka mobile phones
* Because of You - Panasonic Lumix
* Far away - Tu-Ka mobile phones
* Who... - Tsuki (movie)
* fairyland - Camellia Diamonds
* fairyland - SPORTS Urugusu (TV-Show)
* fairyland - Music Fighter opening theme (TV-Show)
* fairyland - Nissan X-TRAIL CUP
* fairyland - Mu-mo.net
* forgiveness - ドラマ高原へいらっしゃい主題歌 (Drama)
* + - ayuready? Ending theme (TV-Show)
* Free & Easy - Panasonic 57MD
* For My Dear - Morinaga Monburan
* Fly high - Lycos
* Fly high - Fifth Seasons
* Fly high - Lawson Ticket Service
* HEAVEN - SHINOBI Heart Under Blade (movie)
* Boys & Girls - AUBE'99
* poker face - CDTV opening theme (TV-Show)
* vogue - Kose Visee
* vogue "Kirari Natsu Ayu Mix" - Kose Visee
* WHATEVER - [7-Eleven] Valentine
* WHATEVER - ASAYAN Ending theme (TV-Show)
* my name's WOMEN - Panasonic D-snap
* Moments - Kose Visee
* Moments - Ayuready? Ending theme (TV-Show)
* monochrome - JT Peach Water
* YOU - ASAYAN Ending theme (TV-Show)
* YOU - Forecast 2-weekly Lens
* UNITE! - Kirin Supli
* Love~since 1999~ - Semi-Double (Drama)
* Love~destiny~ - Semi-Double (Drama)
* Real me - Panasonic D-snap
* Real me - Fifth Seasons
* RAINBOW - ayu ready? ending theme (TV-Show)
* RAINBOW - Panasonic Lumix
* Someday my prince will come - Walt Disney Snow White
DVDs
* Ayumi Hamasaki Concert Tour 2000 A 第1幕 (September 13, 2000)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Concert Tour 2000 A 第2幕 (September 27, 2000)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2000-2001 A (June 20, 2001)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Dome Tour 2001 A (December 12, 2001)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2001-2002 A (January 29, 2003) 1
* Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2002 A (January 29, 2003)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Stadium Tour 2002 A (January 29, 2003)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2002-2003 A (January 29, 2003) 1
* Ayumi Hamasaki Complete Live Box A (January 29, 2003)
* Ayumi Hamasaki A Museum ~30th single collection live~ (February 25, 2004)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2003-2004 A (September 29, 2004)
* Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2004-2005 A (March 2, 2005) # 66,674 copies sold
* Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2005 A ~My Story~ (August 24, 2005) # 79,979 copies sold
* Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2005-2006 A (March 23, 2006) #2 54,567 copies sold
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Subject: All about ayu! 
Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:09 pm
but I'm sure that it should be very interesting 
.. but wow.. great.. didnt realize some of the stuff in there, they're new to me .. thx
