Ayumi Hamasaki [ 浜崎 あゆみ]

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ Hamasaki Ayumi also 浜崎 歩; born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former actress. Also called Ayu by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop'' because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to pursue a career in entertainment. In 1998, under the tutelage of Avex CEO Max Matsuura, she released a string of modestly selling singles that concluded with her 1999 debut album A Song for xx. The album debuted atop the Oricon charts and stayed there for four weeks, establishing her popularity in Japan.

Her constantly changing image and tight control over her artistry has meant that Hamasaki's popularity extends across Asia; music and fashion trends she has started have spread to countries such as China, Singapore, and Taiwan. She has appeared in or lent her songs to many advertisements and television commercials. Though she originally supported the exploitation of her popularity for commercial purposes, she later reconsidered and eventually opposed her status as an Avex "product".

Since her 1998 debut with the single ''Poker Face'' Hamasaki has sold over 50 million records in Japan, ranking her among the best-selling singers in the country. As a female singer, Hamasaki holds several domestic records for her singles, such as the most number-one hits overall by a female artist, the most consecutive number-one hits (also by a female artist), the highest sales, and the most million-sellers. Since 1999, Hamasaki has had at least one single each year top the charts. Hamasaki is the first female singer to have eight studio albums since her debut to top the Oricon and the first artist to have a number-one album for 12 consecutive years since her debut.

Personal Life:

Hamasaki dated singer-actor Tomoya Nagase since her brief acting career, and they publicly announced their relationship in 2001. Six years later, the media circulated rumors that the couple were about to get married; however, on July 13, 2007 Hamasaki announced that they had broken up. Though Hamasaki did not explain the reason for the split, she stated that they had parted amicably and the two remained friends.

In a January 8, 2008 entry on her TeamAyu blog, Hamasaki announced that an inoperable condition, possibly tinnitus or Meniere's disease, had caused complete deafness in her left ear. She disclosed that she had been diagnosed with the condition in 2006 and that the problem dated back to 2000. Despite the setback, Hamasaki stated that she wished to continue singing, and that she would "not give up" on her fans and that "as a professional", she wanted to "deliver the best performance for everyone".

On January 1, 2011, Hamasaki announced her upcoming marriage to Austrian actor and model Manuel Schwarz, whom Hamasaki met in August 2010 on the set of her music video ''Virgin Road''. On January 2, her office announced that she and Schwarz had gotten married in the United States the day before.