Pink Lady (duo)

Pink Lady
ピンク・レディー
Mie (left) and Kei (right) in 1979
Mie (left) and Kei (right) in 1979
Background information
OriginAoi-ku, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Genres
Years active
  • 1976–1981
  • 1984
  • 1989
  • 1996–1997
  • 2003–2005
  • 2010–present
Labels
Members
WebsiteOfficial site

Pink Lady (ピンク・レディー, Pinku Redī) are a Japanese female pop music duo of the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Mie (Mitsuyo Nemoto, born March 9, 1958) and Keiko Masuda (formerly Kei, born September 2, 1957). In Japan, they are remembered for a run of pop-chart hits from roughly 1976 to 1979, but in the United States, they are best known for their short-lived 1980 NBC TV variety show Pink Lady and Jeff, later released on DVD under the same title.[1]

Pink Lady is one of only two Japanese artists to have reached the Billboard Top 40, hitting No. 37 with the single "Kiss in the Dark";[2][3][4] the other was Kyu Sakamoto with the original Japanese-language version of "Sukiyaki". They are also the first Japanese act ever to have performed in Seoul, South Korea, in November 1980.[5]

In June 1979, Billboard stated the duo had sales of over US$72 million in Japan,[2] and stated in September 1980 that Pink Lady's singles had grossed over US$40 million, their album releases over US$25 million, and their TV appearances, such as commercials and product sponsorship, near US$35 million—a combined total exceeding US$100 million.[5]

  1. ^ Campion, Chris (2007-09-21). "Unsung Heroes No.2 - Pink Lady". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  2. ^ a b "Billboard Magazine, June 16, 1979. "Pink Lady Invited"". Billboard. 16 June 1979. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  3. ^ "Billboard Magazine, June 23, 1979. "Pink Lady Ends Drouth"". Billboard. 23 June 1979. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  4. ^ "Billboard Magazine, March 2011. "Billboard Japan Music Awards Name Exile Artist of the Year"". Billboard. 8 January – 26 March 2011. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  5. ^ a b "Billboard Magazine, September 20, 1980. "Pink Lady Pair Set to Dissolve, Go Solo"". Billboard. 20 September 1980. Retrieved 2020-02-26.