Yoko Blaqstone
| Yoko Blaqstone | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Yoko Ishiguro, Yoko Black. Stone, Yoko B. Stone |
| Origin | Osaka, Japan |
| Genres | J-Pop, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer, lecturer |
| Years active | 1999 - present |
| Associated acts | Mai Kuraki, Yumi Shizukusa, Zard, Garnet Crow |
Yoko Ishiguro , known professionally as Yoko Blaqstone, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, composer and lecturer. Based in Osaka, Japan, she has worked with a lot of popular Japanese artists, including Mai Kuraki, Zard and Garnet Crow. As a singer, she debuted in 1997 and has released two full-length albums ever.
Biography
1997 - 1999: Debut as a solo singer
Ishiguro released her first extended play "'s All Right" as YOKO Black.Stone. In Osaka, she caught a big attention and this album was sold 15,000 copies ever. Due to its big sales, this EP was released as 12-inch single in January, 1998. On 1 April 1998, her first single "No Need 2 Worry" was released.[1]
On 16 June 1999, she released second single "'s All Right" from Giza Studio. This song charted at No. 72 on the Oricon weekly singles chart.[2]
On 4 August 1999, her first full-length album "The One About Me" was released.[3]
On 16 October, Japanese female singer Mai Kuraki released Yoko's cover song "Baby I Like" as her first single.[4]
2000 - 2004: As a songwriter
Debuting with "Baby I Like", Kuraki became one of the most popular singers in Japan. Ishiguro wrote some songs for her first album "Delicious Way", which was released on 28 June 2000 and sold over 3,500,000 in Japan.
After the success as a songwriter, Ishiguro started to write songs for many singers like Mai Kuraki, Zard, Yumi Shizukusa and Garnet Crow.
She has written a lot of popular songs, including "Kiss" by Mai Kuraki and "Kokoro wa Itsumo Rainbow Color" by Yumi Shizukusa.
2005: Comeback as a solo singer
On 16 March 2005, Ishiguro released her second full-length album "Back to My Base"[5] as "Yoko Blaqstone". This album charted at No. 270 on the Oricon weekly albums chart.[6]
In 2014, she founded the record label "PiZA Studio".[7]
Discography
Albums
- The One About Me (1999)
- Back to My Base (2005)
EP
- 's All Right (1997)
- Long Fore-Play (1998)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon | |||
| 1998 | "Calling U" | - | 's All Right Long Fore Play The One About Me |
| "No Need 2 Worry" | - | ||
| 1999 | "'s All Right" | 73 |
Selected songwriting and production credits
- Baby I Like (Mai Kuraki) - songwriting, backing vocals
- Kiss (Mai Kuraki) - songwriting, backing vocals
- Get U're Dream (Zard) - arrange
- JUDY -English version- (Garnet Crow) - English lyrics
- Tasting (Jam Flavor) - Album producer[8]