ZARD

Zard Members:

Izumi Sakai (Vocal)

- Artist name: Izumi Sakai
- Real name: Sachiko Kamachi
- Birthdate: 6 February 1969
- Birthplace: Kurume (Kyushu, Japan)
- Bloodtype: A
- Height: 165 cm
- Year of debut: 1991
- Former occupation: Model
- Family members: Parents, 1 younger brother, 1 younger sister

- Likes: Nattou, reading, singing, observing people, sports,
drawing, being photographed, T-Shirts, late nights, white.
- Dislikes: Sashimi, high heels, western style houses, shoe wax, insensitive people, swimming, guys who show off, waking up early, red

Other Zard members:

- Fumito Machida (Guitar)
- Hiroyasu Hoshi (Bass)
- Kimitaka Ikezawa (Keyboard)
- Michikara Kohsuke (Percussion)

About Zard:

During the year of 1991, Zard released three single CDs and two album CDs. All these five recordings reached at about the 30th place on the Oricon Chart. Then in August of the following year, she released her fourth single CD Nemurenai Yoruwo Daite, which obtained a 8th place on the Oricon Chart. Following this release was her third album CD release, Hold Me, and she did even better this time as this album reached the 2nd place on the Oricon Chart. In January 1993, the release of her sixth single Makenaide reached the 1st place on the Oricon Chart. So for the next 4 singles released in the following April, May, September, and November, all reached either the 1st or the 2nd place on the Oricon Chart. Next, their fourth album CD Yureru Omoi, released in July, reached a sales figure of over 2,000,000 units. During 1999 year Zard came up with the new idea of releasing CDs with past songs rather than original new songs. So she did, and she put all these great past songs into two CDs of what are called the Best albums. The sales figure of the two "Best" albums reached almost 5,000,000 units.

About 15 days prior to the release of the Request Memorial album, Zard finally made their first public appearance in the Cruising & Live concert. The concert took place on August 31, 1999, on the Japanese deluxe cruise ship known as the Pacific Venus.

In addition to releasing albums and singles of her own, Zard also participated, either as guest vocal or as lyrics writer, in songs like Ameni Nurete, Hateshinai Yumewo, Christmas Time, Teenage Dream, Totsuzen, Tsubasawo Hirogete, Last Good-bye, etc., by other popular Japanese singers and music groups like Barbier, Zyyg, REV and #006291. She also re-performed, in English, three English songs, This Masquerade, Black Velvet, and Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, from Western singers.

Most of Zard songs were selected as TV programs (TV commercials, dramas, cartoons) opening and ending them songs. Like Get U're Dream, which was selected by NHK as their opening TV theme song for the Sydney 2000 Olympics Games, was a song that is filled with couraging lyrics and Izumi's beautiful voice.