Munetaka Higuchi
Encyclopedia
was the original drummer of the Japanese heavy metal
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
. Lazy was formed by very young musicians and started playing easy-listening pop-rock
, that slowly progressed to more complex music. Higuchi was identified in the band by the moniker "Davy".
When he and Akira shifted their musical interests to hard rock
and heavy metal
, they founded Loudness
in 1981. During his time with Loudness
, he released his first solo album, Destruction, in 1983. In the same year he produced and played drums in Mari Hamada
's studio albums Lunatic Doll and Romantic Night. He left Loudness in 1992, and resumed his solo career in the late-1990s, working also on side projects, including Sly (with former Loudness
' singer Minoru Niihara
), 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
and others. The album was released on February 21, 1997 in Japan. In 1998, he produced Cozy Powell Forever ~ Tribute to Cozy Powell
, 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. A tour in support of the album was made with musicians from Loudness
and Sly.
He definitely returned to Loudness
in 2001, maintaining his high profile in the metal genre.
Higuchi endorsed Pearl Drums
, Sabian
Cymbals, Remo
drumheads and Vic Firth
drumsticks.
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. On November 30, 2008, Munetaka died at the age of 49. His death had a vast echo in Japanese media and in the entertainment biz.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
.
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
Akira Takasaki
is the lead guitarist and founding member of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.-Career:He started his career as a guitarist, winning a TV contest for young music talents at the age of 14. He was rapidly put under contract to be part of the pop-rock band Lazy, of which drummer Munetaka Higuchi...
came along and they formed Lazy
LAZY (band)
is a Japanese rock band founded in 1977 by the young classmates Hironobu Kageyama, Hiroyuki Tanaka and Akira Takasaki. The three founders soon found in their own school the drummer Munetaka Higuchi and the keyboard player Shunji Inoue to complete the line-up...
. Lazy was formed by very young musicians and started playing easy-listening pop-rock
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
, that slowly progressed to more complex music. Higuchi was identified in the band by the moniker "Davy".
When he and Akira shifted their musical interests to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, they founded Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
in 1981. During his time with Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
, he released his first solo album, Destruction, in 1983. In the same year he produced and played drums in Mari Hamada
Mari Hamada
is a Japanese female rock singer, songwriter and producer.- Biography :Mari Hamada started her professional singing career in 1983 as a heavy metal idol, produced by the late Munetaka Higuchi . Her records were successful in the Japanese rock market...
's studio albums Lunatic Doll and Romantic Night. He left Loudness in 1992, and resumed his solo career in the late-1990s, working also on side projects, including Sly (with former Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
' singer Minoru Niihara
Minoru Niihara
is the original and current lead singer of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.His first band was Earthshaker, in which he played bass and sang. His vocal style was influenced by blues singers, but he adapted quickly his voice to the high pitch tones requested in a heavy metal act...
), 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
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, Billy Sheehan
Billy Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
, Ty Tabor
Ty Tabor
Ty Tabor is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X....
, Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
, T. M. Stevens
T. M. Stevens
TM Stevens is an American bass guitarist born in the 1950s. He lives in the USA.-Life:Stevens records with his band Shocka Zooloo, a power trio that features Michael Barnes "Master Blaster" on guitar and Garry "G-Man" Sullivan on drums...
, Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
, Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
and others. The album was released on February 21, 1997 in Japan. In 1998, he produced Cozy Powell Forever ~ Tribute to Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell Forever
Cozy Powell Forever is a tribute album dedicated to the British rock drummer Cozy Powell, deceased a few months before the album release. The album was produced by Japanese drummer Munetaka Higuchi, with the contribution of many prominent Japanese rock and metal musicians coming from bands such as...
, a tribute album to the recently deceased drummer Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, 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. A tour in support of the album was made with musicians from Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
and Sly.
He definitely returned to Loudness
Loudness (band)
is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
in 2001, maintaining his high profile in the metal genre.
Higuchi endorsed Pearl Drums
Pearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
, Sabian
Sabian (company)
Sabian is a Canadian cymbal designer and manufacturer. It is a leading manufacturer of cymbals along with other top companies such as Zildjian, Paiste, and Meinl.-History:...
Cymbals, Remo
Remo
Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
drumheads and Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
drumsticks.
On April 14, 2008, just two months after Loudness released the album, Metal Mad
Metal Mad
Metal Mad is the twenty-first studio album by Japanese band Loudness. It was released in 2008 only in Japan. It would be the last album before Munetaka Higuchi's death in November 2008.-Track listing:#"Fire of Spirit" - 2:58...
, it was announced that he was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
, a type of liver cancer. On November 30, 2008, Munetaka died at the age of 49. His death had a vast echo in Japanese media and in the entertainment biz.
Discography
- Destruction ~破壊凱旋録~（12/10/1983）
- Munetaka Higuchi with Dream Castle - Free World （02/21/1997）
- Cozy Powell ForeverCozy Powell ForeverCozy Powell Forever is a tribute album dedicated to the British rock drummer Cozy Powell, deceased a few months before the album release. The album was produced by Japanese drummer Munetaka Higuchi, with the contribution of many prominent Japanese rock and metal musicians coming from bands such as...
(09/1998) - Super Rock Summit - Cozy Powell Forever Tour (01/1999)
- Super Rock Summit - Stairway to Heaven (03/1999)
- Super Rock Summit - Rainbow Eyes (06/1999)
- Munetaka Higuchi Drum Collection（08/23/2006）