Munetaka Higuchi: Difference between revisions

| image = MUNETAKAHIGUCHI1.JPG

| birth_namebirth_date = {{birth date|1958|12|24}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|11|30|1958|12|24}}

| origin death_place = [[Nara, NaraOsaka]], [[Japan]]

| instrumentorigin = [[DrumOsaka]], kit|drums[[Japan]]

| associated_acts = [[Lazy (band)|Lazy]], [[Loudness (band)|Loudness]], [[Sly (band)|Sly]]

{{nihongo|'''Munetaka Higuchi'''|樋口 宗孝|Higuchi Munetaka}} (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer, best known for being the original drummer of the Japanese [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band, [[Loudness (band)|Loudness]].

Since very young, he was considered a talented drummer. During his high school years, Higuchi played in seven bands. But he was not happy with this situation, wanting to focus his time on only one band. That's when schoolmate and future bandmate [[Akira Takasaki]] came along and they formed [[Lazy (band)|Lazy]].<ref name="Pecere" > {{cite web | url = http://it.netlog.com/groups/Loudness/forum/messageid=146596 | title = Storia in breve! | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | last = Pecere | first = Antonio | date = 9 February 2008 | publisher = [[Netlog]] | language = Italian | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20110714165737/http://it.netlog.com/groups/Loudness/forum/messageid=146596 | archivedate = 2011-07-14}}</ref> Lazy was formed by very young musicians and started playing easy-listening [[J-pop|pop-rock]], that slowly progressed to more complex music. Higuchi was identified in the band by the moniker "Davy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://j-metal.freevar.com/lazy.htm |title=Lazy Biografia |accessdate=2010-03-31 |year=2004 |publisher=J-Metal |language=Portuguese }}</ref>

When he and AkiraTakasaki shifted their musical interests to [[hard rock]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], they founded [[Loudness (band)|Loudness]] in 1981.<ref name="Pecere" /> During his time with [[Loudness (band)|Loudness]], heHiguchi released his first solo album, ''Destruction'', in 1983.<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/destruction-mw0000365296 | title = Munetaka Higuchi Destruction review | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | last = Eder | first = Bruce | work = [[Allmusic]] | publisher = [[Rovi Corporation]]}}</ref> In the same year he produced and played drums in [[Mari Hamada]]'s studio albums ''Lunatic Doll'' and ''Romantic Night''.<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/romantic-night-mw0001215604/credits | title = Mari Hamada Romantic Night credits | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | work = [[Allmusic]] | publisher = [[Rovi Corporation]]}}</ref> He left Loudness in 1992, and resumed his solo career in the late-1990s, working also on side projects, including [[Sly (band)|Sly]] (with former [[Loudness (band)|Loudness]]' singer [[Minoru Niihara]]),<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Sly/54156 | title = SLY | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | publisher = [[Encyclopaedia Metallum]]}}</ref> [[Bloodcircus]], Rose of Rose, and the Rock 'n' Roll Standard Club Band, besides collaborating with dozens of Japanese artists, both as producer and as drummer.

In 1997, as "Munetaka Higuchi & Dream Castle", he released the album ''Free World''. The band featured many famous musicians from the jazz and rock/metal spheres, like [[Steve Vai]], [[Stanley Clarke]], [[Billy Sheehan]], [[Ty Tabor]], [[Terry Bozzio]], [[T. M. Stevens]], [[Ronnie James Dio]], [[Richie Kotzen]], [[Paulinho Da Costa]] and others.<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/p55EEhqWLqM/search/terry-bozzio-and-billy-sheehan | title = Munetaka Higuchi with Dream Castle - Bell video | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | work = NME.com | publisher = ''[[New Musical Express]]''}}</ref> The album was released on February 21, 1997 in Japan.<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Munetaka_Higuchi/Free_World/107240 | title = Munetaka Higuchi - Free World | accessdate = 2012-06-02 | publisher = [[Encyclopaedia Metallum]]}}</ref> In 1998, he produced ''[[Cozy Powell Forever|Cozy Powell Forever ~ Tribute to Cozy Powell]]'',<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.cozypowell.com/news.html | title = Cozy Powell Tribute Albums | accessdate = 2010-11-21 | last = Siegler | first = Joe | date = 1999-01-27 | publisher = The Official Cozy Powell Site | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20000304143516/http://www.cozypowell.com/news.html | archivedate = 2000-03-04}}</ref> a tribute album to the recently deceased drummer [[Cozy Powell]], very popular in Japan. For the album, Higuchi had the collaboration of the best Japanese heavy metal musicians and was able to reunite his former bandmates of Loudness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/tributes.htm |title=Tribute Disks |accessdate=2010-03-24 |last=Waters |first=Scott |publisher=Nolifetilmetal.com }}</ref> A tour in support of the album was made with musicians from [[Loudness (band)and Sly.<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Powell-Forever-Live-Loudness]]/dp/B00000HYD9 and| [[Slytitle = Cozy Powell Forever Live (band)|Sly accessdate = 2010-11-21 | publisher = [[Amazon.com]].}}</ref>

On April 14, 2008, just two months after Loudness released the album, ''[[Metal Mad]]'', it was announced that he was diagnosed with [[hepatocellular carcinoma]], a type of liver cancer.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=ＬＯＵＤＮＥＳＳリーダーが肝細胞がん | date=2008-04-15 | publisher=Sports Nippon Newspapers | url =http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/special/2008sainan/KFullNormal20080415051.html | work =Sponichi Annex | pages = | accessdate = 2010-03-24 | language = Japanese }}</ref> On November 30, 2008, Munetaka died at the age of 49.<ref>{{Cite document|title=in Blabbermouth.neta |year=2008hospital |publisher=in [[RoadrunnerOsaka, Records]]Japan.<ref> |location={{cite Losweb Angeles| url = http://wwwlegacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=109888 | title = LOUDNESS Drummer MUNETAKA HIGUCHI Dead At 49 | accessdate = 20082012-1006-02 | date = 30 November 2008 |postscript work = <!--None-->[[Blabbermouth.net]] | publisher = [[Roadrunner Records]]}}</ref> His death had a vast echo in Japanese media and in the entertainment biz.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.werockcity.com/2008/12/213.html |title=LOUDNESS、樋口宗孝、海外でも惜しまれる |accessdate=2010-03-24 |date=2008-12-05 |publisher=WeRockCity.com |language=Japanese }}</ref>

| PLACE OF BIRTH =Nara, Japan

| PLACE OF DEATH =Osaka, Japan