Tsunku

Tsunku

Tsunku (つんく♂) is a record producer, songwriter and composer, singer and vocalist of the band Sharam Q. He is best known for producing the idol group Morning Musume.

Profile

• Real Name: Terada Mitsuo (寺田光男)
• Birthday: October 29, 1968
• Birthplace: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
• Height: 170 cm
• Blood type: B
• Band: Sharam Q (vocalist)

Information

Tsunku is the producer of and mastermind behind Hello! Project, TNX, and NICE GIRL Project, as well as producer of some non-Hello! Project acts such as Deka Moni and EE JUMP. He got his start in his music career when he helped formed the band Sharam Q in 1988. He writes nearly all of the songs for his artists. He also releases his own records occasionally, his most recent being "V3~Seishun Cover~". He released two solo photobooks, Tsunku Photo gift in Las Vegas and Hawaii~COOL~ and Tsunku Photo gift in Las Vegas and Hawaii~Natural~, on September 6, 2005. He has co-hosted the TV show Pop Jam and he has his own Web-TV show called Tsunku tv!!! (つんく♂tv!!!).

In June 2006 Tsunku married Idemitsu Kanako (出光加奈子), a 25-year old former model from Fukuoka. His wife gave birth to fraternal twins, one male and one female, in 2008 and another daughter in 2011. Several years later in March of 2014 Tsunku announced that he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He underwent treatment for the condition, and later revealed in April 2015 that his vocal cords had been removed as part of the treatments. His resignation as the General Manager of Hello! Project was made known through the September 2015 release of his memoir Dakara, Ikiru, though he has remained as acting sound producer for Morning Musume and continues to work with the collective in a smaller capacity.

Discography

Albums

• [2000.12.06] A Hard Day's Night
• [2004.02.18] TAKE 1
• [2005.07.13] Type2 (タイプ２)
• [2006.06.28] V3~Seishun Cover~ (V3～青春カバー～)

Singles

• [1999.11.03] Touch me
• [2010.06.02] Tsubasa (翼)
• [2011.12.29] To You
• [2012.09.26] Shoppai ne (しょっぱいね)

Collaborations

• [1999.04.24] LOVE ~Dakiatte~ (LOVE～抱き合って～; with 7HOUSE and Hamasaki Ayumi)
• [2002.02.27] Suggoine! (すっごいね！) (as The Tsunku Bi♂To (ＴＨＥつんくビ♂ト))
• [2012.08.29] AKOGI TAKUI -Kyoumei Shindou- (アコギタクイ-共鳴新動-; #5 Nakajima Takui x Tsunku - To You)

Compilations

• [2007.09.26] Tsunku Best Sakuhin Shuu Ue 'Sharam Q ~ Morning Musume' ~Tsunku♂ Geinou Seikatsu 15 Shuunen Kinen Album (つんく♂ベスト作品集 上 「シャ乱Q~モーニング娘。」~つんく♂芸能生活15周年記念アルバム~)
• [2007.12.05] Tsunku Best Sakuhin Shuu Shita 'Sharam Q ~ Morning Musume' ~Tsunku♂ Geinou Seikatsu 15 Shuunen Kinen Album (つんく♂ベスト作品集 下 「シャ乱Q~モーニング娘。」~つんく♂芸能生活15周年記念アルバム~)

Filmography

Movies

• [2012] Atsuhime Number 1 (篤姫ナンバー1) (Producer)

Lyrics Credits

• Berryz Koubou - All songs by Berryz Koubou (except Dschinghis Khan, Yatto Aeta ne, Thank You Very Berry, and Warera Jeanne have lyrics written by Tsunku.
• C-ute - All songs by C-ute (except Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu and Edo no Temari Uta II) have lyrics written by Tsunku.
• Morning Musume - All songs by Morning Musume (except 17th single's side A, 30th single's side B, 32nd single's side B and both sides of the 37th single, as well as the album Cover You) have lyrics written by Tsunku.
• S/mileage - All songs by S/mileage have lyrics written by Tsunku.

Accolades

• [2015] The 57th Japan Record Awards 2015 "Composer Award"

External Links

• Official Website, Official Blog
• Official Facebook, Official Twitter
• Tsunku tv on the streaming video site "Kokuchi-ch!!"
• Wikipedia: English, Japanese