Origins & Early Life

Exile (stylized in all caps as EXILE) is a 17-member Japanese boy band. Hiro is the group's leader, who debuted as a member of Zoo under For Life Music, but Exile have released their singles and albums under Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex's president Max Matsuura came from the same high school. In 2003, the six original members of Exile founded the management and entertainment company LDH which has debuted many successful groups and soloists ever since.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Exile is the representative group of the company. In total, they have sold over 15,600,000 albums. The current leader, Hiro, was originally in the pop group Zoo before they split up in 1995. In 1999, he started a new group called J Soul Brothers, which later changed its name to Exile in 2001. (But the name of J Soul Brothers was later revived by Hiro again in 2007 when he helped to form another 7-member group under the new J Soul Brothers moniker.) Atsushi and Shun became the lead vocalists of the group.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Atsushi is a fan of American R&B group Boyz II Men. In November 2003, Exile remade Zoo's hit single "Choo Choo Train", which became a strong promotional single...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Althea Gibson — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pioneering American tennis and golf star who broke racial barriers in sports.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Alexander Knox — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Esteemed Canadian actor and writer, known for dramatic roles and literary contributions.
• Akhtar Hameed Khan — Historical peer (Died in 1999) (1999): Pioneering Pakistani social scientist and development practitioner.
• Akio Morita — Historical peer (Died in 1999) (1999): Visionary Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.
• Aaliyah — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Ahmad Shah Massoud — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Afghan military leader, known as the "Lion of Panjshir", fought against foreign occupations.
• Al Oerter — Historical peer (Died in 2007) (2007): Four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw, pioneering athletic consistency.
• Albert Ellis — Historical peer (Died in 2007) (2007): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)