Kei Yasuda
Kei Yasuda | |
---|---|
Born | Futtsu, Japan | December 6, 1980
Occupation(s) | |
Musical career | |
Genres | Pop |
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | Zetima |
Formerly of | Morning Musume, Dream Morning Musume |
Website | Hello! Project.com |
Kei Yasuda (保田 圭, Yasuda Kei, born on December 6, 1980) is a Japanese singer, musician and actress under the Hello! Project. She was a member and co-leader of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. Yasuda, along with Mari Yaguchi and Sayaka Ichii, were the second generation of singers to be recruited into Morning Musume. Morning Musume had only released one official single, Morning Coffee, prior to their joining. Yasuda was also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yasuda was born in
She was chosen to be in the second generation of Morning Musume. After they joined, Morning Musume went on to produce one album and three more singles until Asuka Fukuda decided to leave to pursue her studies. Yasuda was given almost all of Fukuda's lines in future performances of these early songs. She had also collaborated with other Morning Musume members in special projects during these early days. One of the more notable ones was when she co-wrote and co-sang with Natsumi Abe the song "Sanpo" for a radio contest. It became wildly popular and a petition was circulated to make it an official single, though that never happened.
Yasuda and Ichii sang a particularly catchy duet known as "Otome no Shinrigaku" (Girl's Psychology) on Morning Musume's second album. In response to the popularity,
After Ichii left Morning Musume and Petitmoni, fourth generation member Hitomi Yoshizawa joined the subgroup. Yasuda had taken on the role of leader for Petitmoni and the group continued to produce three singles and an album.
After Morning Musume's then-leader Yuko Nakazawa left in 2001, Yasuda (who was the oldest member of the group at the time) became a co-leader along with Kaori Iida.
Yasuda left in mid-2003 at the same time when Morning Musume's 6th generation became full-fledged members. Tsunku commented that this one-time sixteen-member formation will be the largest Morning Musume. During her good-bye concert, Yasuda sang a remixed rock version of "Never Forget," which was also Fukuda's good-bye song. Additionally, as a special gift, Tsunku gave Yasuda a CD of her own solo version of "As for One Day," her last single with Morning Musume.
Following Yasuda's leaving, Iida became the leader of Morning Musume and Yaguchi became sub-leader. The Petitmoni leadership was handed over to Yoshizawa, and two members were added (fifth generation Morning Musume member
Yasuda was still in the
During a promotional appearance on Utaban in 2004, Yasuda revealed that she has been learning how to play the flute.
Yasuda graduated from Hello! Project on March 31, 2009, along with the rest of the H!P Elder Club.[2]
In 2010, it was announced that Kei Yasuda would be joining other former-Morning Musume members for the new group "Dream Morning Musume."
Personal life
On May 29, 2013, Yasuda announced that she had married chef Kozaki Yoichi.[3] On July 27, 2017, she has announced that she is pregnant with her first baby.[4] Their little boy was born in January 2018.
Musical groups
- Morning Musume (1998–2003)
- Petitmoni
- Kiiro 5
- 10-nin Matsuri
- Odoru 11
- H.P. All Stars
- Puripuri Pink
- Dream Morning Musume (2011–)
References
- ^ "Asayan". May 3, 1998. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008.
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(help) - ^ "Elder Club members to graduate from Hello! Project". Hello!Online. October 19, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
- ^ ご報告 (in Japanese). Ameba.
- ^ 元モー娘。保田圭、妊活実った!年明け第1子出産へ (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
External links
- Official blog (in Japanese)
- Kei Yasuda official funclub page (in Japanese)