Toshi

In 1977, Toshi and his childhood friend Yoshiki formed a band called Dynamite in their hometown of Tateyama, Chiba, when they were just 11 years old.

The group changed its name to Noise in 1978, while they were still in high school.

At this time Toshi was a guitar player, but following the departure of their vocalist, Toshi was selected for the position after being deemed the best singer remaining in the group.

Toshimitsu Deyama (出山 利三), known exclusively by his stage name Toshi, is a Japanese singer and songwriter who is the lead vocalist and a co-founder of the rock band X Japan, who rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s and is credited as founders of the visual kei movement.

In 1982, Noise disbanded and Yoshiki and Toshi formed a new band, naming it X while they tried to think of another name, but the name stuck.

X began to actively perform in the Tokyo area in 1985 with a frequently changing lineup.

They released their first album, Vanishing Vision, in 1988 through Yoshiki's own Extasy Records and toured extensively in support of the record.

They would become one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, and were later widely credited as one of the pioneers of visual kei.

X's major label debut album, Blue Blood, was released in April 1989 and debuted at number six on the Oricon chart.

Its success earned the band the "Grand Prix New Artist of the Year" award at the 4th annual Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1990.

During the early 1990s, he started working with renowned American vocal coach Roger Love, who has been his coach ever since.

Their third album, Jealousy, was released in 1991 and debuted at number one, selling over 600,000 copies.

It was later certified at one million by the RIAJ.

Toshi began an extensive solo career in 1992 before leaving X Japan at the end of 1997.

Toshi laments he was "brainwashed" by a group called Home of Heart, whose leader would control his musical output for the next 12 years.

Toshi started his solo career in 1992 on BMG Victor with Made in Heaven, which reached number three on the Oricon chart.

His eldest brother was given the job of his manager.

However, after several incidents, Toshi gave him a sum of money to quit.

His new manager, who also became connected with the management of X Japan, was fired after large sums of money went missing from both offices.

Shortly after the release of 1993's Art of Life, which also topped the Oricon chart, the members of X Japan took a break to start solo projects.

In 1993, Toshi starred in a musical adaptation of Hamlet as the title character.

His next two albums, Mission (1994) and Grace (1995), also reached the top five on the Oricon chart.

His wife, connection with Masaya, and participation in Home of Heart all became the source of many disagreements with his other older brother, who had become his manager in March 1995.

Dahlia, which would become X Japan's last album, was released in November 1996 and once again reached the number one spot.

Toshi would later confirm these claims in his autobiography, but at the time refuted them and explained that his decision to leave X Japan dated back as far as April 1996, more than a year before he met Masaya, and that the glamorous, success-oriented life of a rock star failed to satisfy him emotionally, as opposed to a simpler life and career.

Other media picked up the story, forcing Toshi and Masaya to give interviews where they blamed Toshi's brother and management for fabricating the stories.

When transcripts of a telephone conversation were published, a search found wiretaps at Toshi's house and Home of Heart's office.

The role of Ophelia was performed by Kaori Moritani, whom he would marry four years later on February 17, 1997.

She played a large part in Toshi becoming disenchanted with performing in a rock band.

In August 1997 Toshi first saw a concert of Tōru Kurabuchi (倉渕透), better known as Masaya, a musician and the leader of an organization called Home of Heart (formerly known as Lemuria Island, and later as Healing World).

Toshi was emotionally touched by Masaya's "healing music" or new-age music, which Kaori introduced him to, and the two became friends.

On September 22, 1997, it was announced that Toshi had decided to leave X Japan.

They performed their farewell show at the Tokyo Dome on December 31.

In September 1998, the magazine Shūkan Gendai published several stories claiming Toshi was brainwashed by Home of Heart, selling their music and other products, and being used as a spokesman.

In October 1998, Toshi's management company underwent changes and came to be run by Masaya and Kaori.

This was a violation of his recording contract, resulting in him being let go from BMG and having to pay a large fee.

In 2007, X Japan reunited and began a world tour.

Toshi severed ties with Home of Heart in January 2010 and renewed his solo career.

His distinctive, impassioned tenor vocals have been compared to those of Steve Perry.

In January 2018, he began to use the stage name Ryugen Toshi (龍玄とし).