hiː fˈɜːst ɡˈeɪnd fˈeɪm ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z æz vˈoʊkəlˌɪst ʌvðə hˈɛvi mˈɛɾəl bˈænd sˈeɪkɪmɚɹˌoʊmən tˈuː, bᵻfˌoːɹ stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ ɐ sˈoʊloʊ kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ænd bɹˈæntʃɪŋ ˈaʊt ˌɪntʊ ˈʌðɚ fˈɔːɹmz ʌv ˌɛntɚtˈeɪnmənt.
He first gained fame in the 1980s as vocalist of the heavy metal band Seikima-II, before starting a solo career in 1990 and branching out into other forms of entertainment.