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Masaki Ueda, born 上田 正樹 on July 7, 1949 in Kyoto, Japan, is a singer and composer known for his contributions to contemporary R&B and soul music. After spending part of his childhood with his grandparents in Himeji due to his parents' tuberculosis, he moved to Takayama City following his father's death. Ueda's musical journey began in 1966 after attending a concert by The Animals, leading him to form his first student band. In 1972, while studying at Gifu University, he released his debut single "Kin'iro no taiyō ga moeru asa ni" ("In the morning when the golden sun burns"). Ueda formed the band Masaki Ueda & South To South in 1974, recording an album before disbanding in 1976 and resuming his solo career. His breakthrough came with the 1983 hit "Kanashii iro ya ne" ("Sad Colors"), which inspired a film of the same name directed by Yoshimitsu Morita in 1988, featuring Ueda as an actor. In 1999, his single "Hands of Time" became a significant success in South Korea, selling over Two Hundred Thousand copies. Collaborations include a duet with Indonesian singer Reza Artamevia on the song "Forever Peace" (also known as "Biar Menjadi Kenangan") which topped the Indonesian singles chart in 2001. Ueda's song "Somewhere Sometime" was chosen as the theme for the 2007 NHK drama series Shin Machiben. In 2022, he celebrated his 50 years of career with a national tour.
