Hamasaki Ayumi

 (浜崎あゆみ) is a singer, lyricist, actress, and model. She is the best selling Japanese solo artist of all time.

She began her entertainment career after being scouted as a model in elementary school, and began modelling under the name Hamasaki Kurumi (浜崎くるみ). She made her acting debut at age 14, and changed her stage name to Hamasaki Ayumi shortly after. At age 16, she transitioned into an idol career and began gravure modeling, as well as releasing her first single: Nothing From Nothing.

In 1995, she met Max Matsuura and signed a contract with avex the next year when her contract with her previous agency expired. She was given vocal training in New York and prepared for her re-debut as a non-idol singer. She was initially planned to be a member of a group, but refused.

She made her re-debut in 1998 with poker face, and was pushed intensely by avex, with very frequent releases and product tie-ins throughout her first year of activity. She had her first chart-topper with A Song for ×× in 1999.

On January 1, 2011, she married Austrian model Manuel Schwarz in Las Vegas. The couple was never legally married in Japan. They divorced on January 17, 2012.

She married again, this time both in America and Japan, to an anonymous man on December 12, 2013. She announced her plans to divorce on September 11, 2016.

In November 2019, she gave birth to her first son. She did not announce his birth to the public until January 2020. She announced the birth of her second child on May 1, 2021.

Albums

 * 1) [1999.01.01] A Song for ××
 * 2) [1999.11.10] LOVEppears
 * 3) [2000.09.27] Duty
 * 4) [2002.01.01] I am...
 * 5) [2002.12.18] RAINBOW
 * 6) [2004.12.15] MY STORY
 * 7) [2006.01.01] (miss)understood
 * 8) [2006.11.29] Secret
 * 9) [2008.01.01] GUILTY
 * 10) [2009.03.25] NEXT LEVEL
 * 11) [2010.04.14] Rock'n'Roll Circus
 * 12) [2010.12.22] Love songs
 * 13) [2012.03.21] Party Queen
 * 14) [2013.02.08] LOVE again
 * 15) [2014.07.02] Colours
 * 16) [2015.04.08] A ONE
 * 17) [2016.06.29] M(A)DE IN JAPAN

Best Albums

 * 1) [2001.03.28] A BEST
 * 2) [2003.03.12] A BALLADS
 * 3) [2007.02.28] A BEST 2 -BLACK-
 * 4) [2007.02.28] A BEST 2 -WHITE-
 * 5) [2008.09.10] A COMPLETE ~ALL SINGLES~
 * 6) [2012.08.08] A SUMMER BEST
 * 7) [2016.03.28] A BEST -15th Anniversary Edition-
 * 8) [2021.04.08] A BALLADS 2

Mini Albums

 * [1995.12.01] NOTHING FROM NOTHING
 * 1) [2003.12.17] Memorial address
 * 2) [2011.08.31] FIVE
 * 3) [2012.11.08] LOVE
 * 4) [2012.12.08] again
 * 5) [2015.08.05] sixxxxxx
 * 6) [2018.08.15] TROUBLE

Remix Albums

 * 1) [1999.03.17] ayu-mi-x
 * 2) [2000.02.16] SUPER EUROBEAT presents ayu-ro mix
 * 3) [2000.03.08] ayu-mi-x II version US+EU
 * 4) [2000.03.08] ayu-mi-x II version Acoustic Orchestra
 * 5) [2000.03.08] ayu-mi-x II version JPN
 * 6) [2000.03.29] ayu-mi-x II version Non-Stop Mega Mix
 * 7) [2001.02.28] ayu-mi-x III Acoustic Orchestra Version
 * 8) [2001.02.28] ayu-mi-x III Non-Stop Mega Mix Version
 * 9) [2001.09.27] SUPER EUROBEAT presents ayu-ro mix 2
 * 10) [2001.09.27] Cyber TRANCE presents ayu trance
 * 11) [2002.03.20] ayu-mi-x 4 + selection Acoustic Orchestra Version
 * 12) [2002.03.20] ayu-mi-x 4 + selection Non-Stop Mega Mix Version
 * 13) [2002.09.26] Cyber TRANCE presents ayu trance 2
 * 14) [2003.09.25] ayumi hamasaki RMX WORKS from SUPER EUROBEAT presents ayu-ro mix 3
 * 15) [2003.09.25] ayumi hamasaki RMX WORKS from ayu-mi-x 5 non stop mega mix
 * 16) [2003.09.25] ayumi hamasaki RMX WORKS from Cyber TRANCE presents ayu trance 3
 * 17) [2005.03.24] MY STORY Classical
 * 18) [2008.03.26] ayu-mi-x 6 -GOLD-
 * 19) [2008.03.26] ayu-mi-x 6 -SILVER-
 * 20) [2011.04.20] ayu-mi-x 7 -version HOUSE-
 * 21) [2011.04.20] ayu-mi-x 7 -version Acoustic Orchestra-
 * 22) [2011.04.20] ayu-mi-x 7 presents ayu trance 4
 * 23) [2011.04.20] ayu-mi-x 7 presents ayu-ro mix 4
 * 24) [2011.04.20] ayu-mi-x 7 -LIMITED COMPLETE BOX SET-
 * 25) [2013.01.08] A Classical
 * 26) [2015.01.28] LOVE CLASSICS
 * 27) [2015.12.23] Winter diary ~A7 Classical~

Singles

 * [1995.09.21] Nothing From Nothing
 * 1) [1998.04.08] poker face
 * 2) [1998.06.10] YOU
 * 3) [1998.08.05] Trust
 * 4) [1998.10.07] For My Dear...
 * 5) [1998.12.09] Depend on you
 * 6) [1999.02.10] WHATEVER
 * 7) [1999.04.14] LOVE ~Destiny~ / LOVE ~since 1999~
 * 8) [1999.05.12] TO BE
 * 9) [1999.07.14] Boys &amp; Girls
 * 10) [1999.08.11] A
 * 11) [1999.11.10] appears
 * 12) [1999.12.08] kanariya
 * 13) [2000.02.09] Fly high
 * 14) [2000.04.26] vogue
 * 15) [2000.05.17] Far away
 * 16) [2000.06.07] SEASONS
 * 17) [2000.09.27] SURREAL
 * 18) [2000.11.01] AUDIENCE
 * 19) [2000.12.13] M
 * 20) [2001.01.31] evolution
 * 21) [2001.03.07] NEVER EVER
 * 22) [2001.05.16] Endless sorrow
 * 23) [2001.07.11] UNITE!
 * 24) [2001.09.27] Dearest
 * 25) [2002.03.06] Daybreak
 * 26) [2002.04.24] Free & Easy
 * 27) [2002.07.24] H
 * 28) [2002.09.26] Voyage
 * 29) [2003.07.09] &amp;
 * 30) [2003.08.20] forgiveness
 * 31) [2003.11.06] No way to say
 * 32) [2004.03.31] Moments
 * 33) [2004.07.28] INSPIRE
 * 34) [2004.09.29] CAROLS
 * 35) [2005.04.20] STEP you / is this LOVE?
 * 36) [2005.08.03] fairyland
 * 37) [2005.09.14] HEAVEN
 * 38) [2005.11.30] Bold & Delicious / Pride
 * 39) [2006.03.08] Startin' / Born To Be...
 * 40) [2006.06.21] BLUE BIRD
 * 41) [2007.07.18] glitter / fated
 * 42) [2007.09.19] talkin' 2 myself
 * 43) [2008.04.08] Mirrorcle World
 * 44) [2008.12.17] Days / GREEN
 * 45) [2009.02.25] Rule / Sparkle
 * 46) [2009.08.12] Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~
 * 47) [2009.12.29] You were... / BALLAD
 * 48) [2010.07.14] MOON / blossom
 * 49) [2010.09.22] crossroad
 * 50) [2010.09.29] L
 * 51) [2013.12.25] Feel the love / Merry-go-round
 * 52) [2014.10.01] Terminal
 * 53) [2014.12.24] Zutto... / Last minute / Walk

Collaboration Singles

 * 1) [2001.12.12] a song is born (with KEIKO)

Digital Singles

 * 1) [2007.12.05] Together When...
 * 2) [2012.02.08] how beautiful you are
 * 3) [2014.01.27] Pray
 * 4) [2014.05.14] Hello new me
 * 5) [2015.07.01] Step by step
 * 6) [2016.09.30] We are the QUEENS
 * 7) [2020.07.05] Ohia no Ki (オヒアの木)
 * 8) [2020.07.31] Dreamed a Dream
 * 9) [2021.04.08] 23rd Monster

Compilations / Other

 * [2020.07.29] REPLAY ~Futatabi Omou, Kirameki no Story~ (REPLAY ～再び想う、きらめきのストーリー～) (#35 "TO BE")

Trivia

 * She attended Horikoshi High School, known for being attended by many celebrities. However, she dropped out before graduating.
 * Her actual height is a subject of debate. An official profile once listed her as 157cm, but many people claim she is around 151 or 152cm.