Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ Hamasaki Ayumi, born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese pop singer and Japanese idol originally from Fukuoka. In Japan, she is commonly called by her nickname Ayu. To date, she has released seven full-length studio albums, one mini-album, two compilation albums, and 38 singles. She officially debuted in 1998 with her single poker face. She is the first Japanese artist to have her first original seven studio albums top the charts.
Artist Name: 浜崎 あゆみ (Hamasaki Ayumi, 浜崎 あゆみ ?) Real Name: 濱崎 歩 (Hamasaki Ayumi, 濱崎 歩 ?) Birthdate : October 2, 1978 Birthplace : Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Bloodtype : A Type Height : 5' 1" (156 cm ) Weight : 40kg
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.
Hamasaki used the pseudonym Kurumi Hamazaki, acting in low budget dramas like Miseinen and b-movies like Sumomomomomo; 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. She was "discovered" by her producer Max Matsuura, an avex trax producer when she was singing karaoke. When he asked her if she wanted to pursue a singing career, she said she agreed, "only because I had nothing to do." Hamasaki was contracted to take vocal training in Tokyo but she stopped attending as she found it too rigid. 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.