| Kyoji Yamamoto | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kyoji Yamamoto |
| Born | March 23, 1956 Matsue, Shimane, Japan |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal |
| Occupations | Musician, record producer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Associated acts | Bow Wow, Wild Flag, Phenomena, Mari Hamada, Munetaka Higuchi |
| Notable instruments | |
| Yamaha HR | |
Kyoji Yamamoto (山本 恭司 Yamamoto Kyōji, born March 23, 1956 in Matsue, Shimane, Japan) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer who is the leader of the hard rock/metal bands Bow Wow (known as Vow Wow for a period of time) and Wild Flag. He is known for his skillful guitar playing, and was the first hard rock guitarist to use the tapping technique.
After entering Yamaha Music Shcool, Kyoji formed Bow Wow in 1975 and they released their debut album a year later .[1] The following year they opened for Aerosmith and Kiss. In 1984, with the addition of two new members, the group renamed themselves Vow Wow and moved to England in 1987 before disbanding in 1990.[1]
Kyoji began a solo career in 1980, and has appeared as a special guest performer for numerous musicians. In 1986 he was asked by producer Wilfried F. Rimensberger to participate in the supergroup Phenomena, playing on their second album.[2]
Kyoji was to perform his first solo show in the United States on September 24, 2011, with Karl Wilcox from Diamond Head supporting him on drums.[3] However, the show was cancelled.
Kyoji has been married for 26 years and has a son, Maoki, who is also a musician.[1]
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