| Keiko Fuji 藤 圭子 |
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | Junko Abe 阿部 純子 (now Junko Utada 宇多田 純子) |
| Born | July 5, 1951 |
| Origin | Ichinoseki, Iwate, Japan |
| Genres | Enka |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1969–1979 |
| Labels | Victor Entertainment RCA Records BMG Japan |
| Associated acts | Hikaru Utada |
Keiko Fuji (藤 圭子 Fuji Keiko), real name Junko Utada (宇多田 純子 Utada Junko) (born Junko Abe (阿部 純子 Abe Junko) on July 5, 1951 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan), is a Japanese enka singer and actress. She had success in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s with her ballad-type songs. Her parents were itinerant musical performers. Her father was a rōkyoku singer. Her mother was a blind shamisen player or goze. As a child, Fuji sometimes accompanied her parents and sang with them when they were on tour. Her song "Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku" (Keiko's version of "Yume wa Yoru Hiraku") won the "mass popularity award" at the Japan Record Award in 1970. By this song, she took part in the 21st Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
She married the Enka singer kiyoshi maekawa || (Kiyoshi Maekawa) and retired from singing in 1979, announcing her retirement during a TV show on 30 December of that year. The marriage ended in divorce, after which she emigrated to the USA.
Her debut album, Shinjuku no Onna/'Enka no Hoshi' Fuji Keiko no Subete (新宿の女/「演歌の星」藤圭子のすべて Woman in Shinjuku/'Star of Enka' All of Keiko Fuji), released March 5, 1970, topped the Oricon album chart for 20 consecutive weeks, and her next album Onna no Blues (女のブルース Woman's Blues), released July 5, 1970, continued topping that chart for 17 consecutive weeks. She topped the Oricon album chart for a 37 consecutive weeks, an incredible record in Japan's music history. Her debut album's number-one record of 20 consecutive weeks remains the longest consecutive number-one record in Oricon history.[1]
She was married to Teruzane Utada, a record producer. Their only child, Utada Hikaru, was born in 1983. The couple have been married and divorced seven times.[2]
On March 3, 2006, U.S. DEA officials confiscated more than $400,000 in U.S., Canadian, and Australian currencies from Junko Utada's carry-on luggage at JFK Airport, New York, as she waited to board a flight to Las Vegas. Utada denied any wrongdoing, and was not charged with any crime. However, the government initiated forfeiture proceedings, seeking to seize the money, which it alleged represented proceeds of drug sales or was intended to be used to buy drugs. Utada disputed the government's claim. In August, 2008, the matter remained pending in Federal District Court in New York.[3] On January 27, 2009, the Federal District Court in New York ordered the confiscated money to be returned to her, citing lack of supporting evidence.[4]