At 69 years old TOMI FUJIYAMA is Japan’s first lady of Country music.
In 1951 “Tomoko Kameii” switched from performing traditional Japanese songs for small Japanese audiences to singing Country music for the American soldiers. She was twelve years old and couldn’t speak a word of English.
Having a dad that invented the wireless guitar amp, playing the U.S.O. circuit in Japan for American soldiers, recording 21 singles and 5 albums with “Columbia Records” before the age of 23, and being brought to Las Vegas to play a backbreaking 7-days- a-week-4-shows-a-night contract at “the Mint Hotel” at age 21 are just some of the things that happened to her before that magical night: November the 9th 1964.
It was on this night that she sang at the 39th Birthday of America’s number one Country music institution “The Grand Ole Opry” in Nashville Tennessee, an event that would stay with her forever. She went on right after “Johnny Cash” and got the only standing ovation of the 5-hour show. Write ups in all the papers, a single recorded in Nashville with Country legend Bill Anderson that sold 50,000 plus copies and performances on American television (“The Les Crane Show” and “The Danny Thomas”) all followed immediately. Unfortunately she was cheated out of all her royalties.
After returning home to Japan in 1965, Tomi continued to play the U.S.O. circuit until the 80’s which included going on U.S.O tours of Vietnam and South East Asia during the Vietnam War.
Still going strong in the 90’s “Columbia Records” put out a “Best Of” album in 1992 and in 1996 she recorded “Lonely Together” in Nashville, her first new work in 30 years. She returned to Nashville again in 2003 to record her latest album “Gold”.
Today Tomi continues to perform in clubs and venues all over Japan where her passion for music and lust for life continues to move and inspire... hopefully she will make it back to the Opry again one day. That is after all her 1 goal in life!
The show at the Rodeo Bar was GREAT. We are looking forward to seeing you tonight at Shayni Rae's Truckstop around 11:30pm tonight. It is such an honor!
yaaaaay tokyo. can we live there!!??? welcome to our garage glam gang. all you gotta do is listen, dance, and write to us every fuckin day! rough&roll tomi. love spw
