Koshi Inaba

Quick Facts: Who was Koshi Inaba?

Subject:

Koshi Inaba

Known for:

Iconic Japanese vocalist and lyricist, best known for his work with the rock duo B'z.

Born:

1964-09-23

Century / Era:

1964s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Koshi Inaba (Japanese: 稲葉浩志, Hepburn: Inaba Kōshi; born September 23, 1964) is a Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He also has a successful solo career, with six studio albums and five singles topping the Japanese music charts. Inaba collaborated with Slash on the latter's 2009 single "Sahara", and with Stevie Salas on the albums Chubby Groove (2017) and Maximum Huavo (2020). Koshi Inaba was born and raised in Tsuyama, Okayama, and enrolled in Yokohama National University's Faculty for Education in 1983 to become a qualified mathematics teacher.

Career & Major Achievements

Inaba made his musical debut in 1985 whilst still a student, contributing vocals to Toshiya "Ran" Matsukawa's album Burning ~Dedication to Randy Rhoads~ under the stage name Mr. Crazy Tiger. He graduated in 1987 when he also formed a short-lived band. Beginning with B'z in 1988, Inaba has, together with guitarist Tak Matsumoto, continued to release new material and tour as part of B'z almost every year since. He has also periodically released solo material, starting in 1997 with the album Magma, produced whilst B'z were on a brief hiatus. It was one of the albums to receive the "Best Rock Album of the Year" award at the 12th Japan Gold Disc Awards.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Unlike in B'z, where he contributes only lyrics, Inaba has composed the music for his solo releases. All his studio albums and singles until now have topped the Oricon music charts. Additionally, the first studio album with 1,001,160 sold copies was the 21st best-selling album of the year, second Shian with 438,930 copies was the 39th in 2002, third Peace of Mind with 297,103 copies was 48th in 2004, fourth Hadou with 177,984 was 38th in 2010, and Singing Bird with 107,551 was certified Gold by RIAJ. As for singles, "Tooku Made" with 663,660 sold copies was the 28th best-selling single of the year 1999, "Ki" with 275,957 copies was 25th in 2003, "Wonderland" with 225,229 copies was 36th in 2004, "Okay" with 134,381 copies was 45th in 2010, and "Hane" was certified Gold and was 51st in 2016. His live video recordings also topped the charts, hence cumulatively, according to reported yearly sales and certifications he sold over 3.4 million records.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1964 (1964-09-23): Birth of Koshi Inaba — Iconic Japanese vocalist and lyricist, best known for his work with the rock duo B'z.
2. 1983: 1983 Milestone — Koshi Inaba was born and raised in Tsuyama, Okayama, and enrolled in Yokohama National University's Faculty for Education in 1983 to become a qualified mathematics teacher.
3. 1985: 1985 Milestone — Inaba made his musical debut in 1985 whilst still a student, contributing vocals to Toshiya "Ran" Matsukawa's album Burning ~Dedication to Randy Rhoads~ under the stage name Mr.
4. 1987: 1987 Milestone — He graduated in 1987 when he also formed a short-lived band.
5. 1988: 1988 Milestone — Beginning with B'z in 1988, Inaba has, together with guitarist Tak Matsumoto, continued to release new material and tour as part of B'z almost every year since.
6. 1997: 1997 Milestone — He has also periodically released solo material, starting in 1997 with the album Magma, produced whilst B'z were on a brief hiatus.
7. 1999: 1999 Milestone — As for singles, "Tooku Made" with 663,660 sold copies was the 28th best-selling single of the year 1999, "Ki" with 275,957 copies was 25th in 2003, "Wonderland" with 225,229 copies was 36th in 2004, "Okay" with 134,381 copies was 45th in 2010, and "Hane" was certified Gold and was 51st in 2016.
8. 2002: 2002 Milestone — Additionally, the first studio album with 1,001,160 sold copies was the 21st best-selling album of the year, second Shian with 438,930 copies was the 39th in 2002, third Peace of Mind with 297,103 copies was 48th in 2004, fourth Hadou with 177,984 was 38th in 2010, and Singing Bird with 107,551 was certified Gold by RIAJ.
9. 2009: 2009 Milestone — Inaba collaborated with Slash on the latter's 2009 single "Sahara", and with Stevie Salas on the albums Chubby Groove (2017) and Maximum Huavo (2020).

Notable Quotes by Koshi Inaba

“Marty Friedman once listed Hiroshi Inaba as the best vocalist in the whole world.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Koshi Inaba

True or False: “Koshi Inaba initially planned to pursue a career solely focused on composing music for his band B'z.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While he is known for writing lyrics for B'z, the text notes that in his solo work, unlike B'z where he contributes only lyrics, he has composed the music himself.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Koshi Inaba