Alternative rock singer-songwriter Atsushi Sakurai - born in Fujioka, Japan on March 7, 1966 – was best-known as the front man and singer of Buck-Tick, one of Japan's foremost rock bands. His tenure with the band began in 1983 when he joined the group as their drummer, but he became their lead vocalist in 1985. With Atsushi Sakura fronting the band, their fortunes changed, and they went on to become one of the country's best known rock bands. The band’s albums regularly appeared in the Top 10 with three of them – Taboo (1989), Aku no Hana (1990), and Six/Nine (1995) – reaching number 1. In 2004, Atsushi Sakurai launched a parallel solo career with the release of his debut album Ai No Wakusei. The album featured covers of songs by The Sisters of Mercy, Foetus, and Raymond Watts. In fact, 2004 was a busy year for him: as well as launching his solo career, he also made his acting debut in the film Longinus and published a book of poetry and lyrics. In 2015, he began another musical project when he formed The Mortal with guitarists Jake Cloudchair, and Yukio Murata along with drummer Takahito Akiyama and bassist Ken Miyo. Atsushi Sakurai continued a successful career with his main band, Buck-Tick, who released a total of 23 studio albums, several live albums and compilations, and over 40 singles. In 2023, six months after the release of their album Izora, Atsushi Sakurai suffered a brainstem hemorrhage during a live Buck-Tick performance and died on October 19, 2023, at the age of 57.
