Tatsuo Kamon

Tatsuo Kamon 嘉門 達夫
Birth name	Tatsuo Torikai 鳥飼 達夫
Born	March 25, 1959
Origin	Japan
Genres	Kayōkyoku, novelty song
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocal, guitar
Years active	1975–1980 (rakugoka) 1983–present
Labels	Nippon Columbia Victor Music Daipro-X
Website	Official site

Tatsuo Kamon (嘉門 達夫 Kamon Tatsuo), real name Tatsuo Torikai (鳥飼 達夫 Torikai Tatsuo),^[1] is a Japanese singer-songwriter born 25 March 1959 in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.^[1][2][3] He is represented by the talent management firm Daikan'yama Production, and releases works through Daipro-X, a record company which is a subsidiary of Daikan'yama.

He made his professional singer-songwriter debut in 1983 by winning two major awards and being named the "Rookie of the Year" for his single Yankee no Niichan no Uta (ヤンキーの兄ちゃんのうた Yankī no Niichan no Uta).^[1]

Biography

Kamon was born as Tatsuo Torikai on 25 March 1959 in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Chūjō Elementary School and Yōsei Junior High, both part of the Ibaraki municipal school system. While attending Osaka Prefectural Kasugaoka High School, he began studying as an apprentice to rakugo master Tsuruko Shōfukutei beginning in 1975.^[1][3] After graduating, he became a regular guest on the MBS Young Town radio program from April 1978 until September 1980. He also co-hosted the show with Naoko Kawai from July 1984 to September 1992.^[1]

In 1981, after meeting Keisuke Kuwata of the Southern All Stars, he changed his name to "Kamon" from "Torikai" in honor of Kuwata's pseudonym of Yūzō Kamon.^[1][3] Kamon made his professional debut as a recording artist on 21 July 1983 with the release of his single Yankee no Niichan no Uta. He won both the Yomiuri TV Cable Broadcast First Prize and the TBS Cable Broadcast First Prize and was named Rookie of the Year for this release.^[1][3]

Kaeuta Medley, a single released in 1991, sold over 820,000 copies and was Kamon's first big hit.^[4] In 2000, Kamon changed to his current "trademark" look by bleaching his hair.

Kamon married for the first time on 15 January 2009.^[5]

Discography

Singles

	Single title	Japanese	Release date	Lyrics	Composition	Arrangement	Notes
1	"Kekkon Shiyō yo"	結婚しようよ	September 21, 1989	Tatsuo Kamon Takuro Yoshida	Takuro Yoshida Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō	VDRS-10004 (CD), VST-10559 (cassette)
2	"Tarirarirān Rock 'n' Roll"	タリラリラーンロックンロール	February 1, 1990	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10001 (CD), VISL-2 (cassette)
3	"Futamata"		March 21, 1990	Tatsuo Kamon Zenjirō	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10018 (CD), VISL-20 (cassette)
4	"Katte ni Sinbad"	勝手にシンドバッド	July 4, 1990	Keisuke Kuwata Tatsuo Kamon	Keisuke Kuwata Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10041 (CD), VISL-46 (cassette) Reached #89 on Oricon chart, on the chart for one week[6]
5	"Yatte Miso!"	やってミソ！	October 21, 1990	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Ryō Yonemitsu Mother Goose	VIDL-36 (CD), VISL-74 (cassette) used in a commercial for Calbee Spicy Miso Sauce flavored Potato Chips used in a commercial for JFE Shoji Trade Corporation
6	"Karaoke No.1"	カラオケNo.1	February 21, 1991	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10098 (CD), VISL-104 (cassette) with Satomi Harada
7	"Kaeuta Medley"	替え唄メドレー	May 21, 1991	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Ichirō Nitta Yukihiro Matsubara	VIDL-10130 (CD), VISL-137 (cassette) Reached #9 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 32 weeks[7]
8	"Kaeuta Medley 2"	替え唄メドレー2	September 21, 1991	Tatsuo Kamon Yukihiro Masuno	Tatsuo Kamon	Ichirō Nitta Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10158 (CD), VISL-165 (cassette) Reached #4 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 22 weeks[8]
9	"Kaeuta Medley 3"	替え唄メドレー3	September 21, 1991	Tatsuo Kamon Radio Comedy Allstars	Tatsuo Kamon Takashi Kudō	Ichirō Nitta Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10197 (CD), VISL-189 (cassette) Reached #3 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 13 weeks[9]
10	"Hana kara Gyūnyū"	鼻から牛乳	April 21, 1992	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō Ichirō Nitta	VIDL-10228 (CD), VISL-215 (cassette) Reached #8 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 10 weeks[10]
11	"Hana kara Gyūnyū Dai-2-shō"	鼻から牛乳－第２章－	July 22, 1992	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō Ichirō Nitta	VIDL-10264 (CD), VISL-243 (cassette) Reached #12 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 9 weeks[11]
12	"Duet Kaeuta Medley"	デュエット替え唄メドレー	December 5, 1992	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Takashi Kudō Hiroshi Takada	VIDL-10295 (CD), VISL-260 (cassette), with Miyoko Asada Reached #28 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 8 weeks[12]
13	"Go! Go! Schoolmates"	Go! Go! スクールメイツ	March 24, 1993	Yoshii Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon Ichirō Nitta	Ichirō Nitta Jun'ichi Kanazaki	VIDL-10318 (CD), VISL-264 (cassette) used in commercial for "Shinken Seminar Junior High Course" Reached #24 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 4 weeks[13]
14	"Nippon no Sazae-san"	NIPPONのサザエさん	July 21, 1993	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon Daimyō Gyōretsu	VIDL-10368 (CD), VISL-10089 (cassette) used in commercial for UHA Mikakutō "Nagai Kajitsu" Reached #48 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 5 weeks[14]
15	"Smokin' Boogie Ladies"	スモーキン・ブギ　レディース	January 1, 1994	Takeshi Arai Tatsuo Kamon	Ryudo Uzaki	Takashi Kudō	VIDL-10458 (CD) Reached #86 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 3 weeks[15]
16	"Murphy's Law"	マーフィーの法則	February 2, 1994	Price Sterm Sloan, In Tatsuo Kamon	Tatsuo Kamon	Hayato Kanbayashi	VIDL-10487 (CD) Reached #69 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 3 weeks[16]
17	"Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu"	君がいた季節	March 2, 1994	Tomoyuki Michiyama	Kazuo Zaitsu	Mitsuo Hagita	VIDL-10489 (CD) Reached #64 on Oricon chart, on the chart for 2 weeks[15]

References

1. 嘉門達夫のプロフィール (in Japanese). Daipro-X. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
2. "嘉門達夫 PROFILE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
3. "アメリカで輝いている人 Vol.19: 嘉門達夫 Tatsuo Kamon" (in Japanese). Odekake.US. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
4. ［長寿のヒミツ］音楽と笑い融合嘉門達夫バカソング一筋２５年 (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2007-09-25. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
5. 嘉門達夫夫妻が2ショットで結婚報告会見 (in Japanese). Eltha: Oricon Beauty & Healthy. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
6. 勝手にシンドバッド/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
7. 替え唄メドレー/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
8. 替え唄メドレー2/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
9. 替え唄メドレー3/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
10. 鼻から牛乳/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
11. 鼻から牛乳－第２章－/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
12. デュエット替え唄メドレー/嘉門達夫，浅田美代子 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
13. "Go! Go! スクールメイツ/嘉門達夫" (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
14. "NIPPONのサザエさん/嘉門達夫" (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
15. スモーキン・ブギ　レディース/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
16. マーフィーの法則/嘉門達夫 (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 2009-07-09.