The Checkers

Biography

The Checkers (Japanese: チェッカーズ) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1981. They were a pop icon of their time as kids copied hair styles and fashion of the band members.
The band was formed in Kurume-city, Fukuoka Pref. by Toru Takeuchi, the leader and the guitarist, who asked Fumiya Fujii to start a band with him in 1980. They won the Yamaha Light Music Contest in Junior category soon after forming the band. Due to some of the members being high school students at the time they were approached with a record deal they waited until those members finished high school.
They made a debut on 21 September 1983 and split up on 31 December 1992. All of their single releases entered top 10 in Japanese charts, many of them making it to No 1. Fumiya Fujii, who was the lead singer and the main lyricist, went on to pursue a successful solo career.
Although it was a band that, along with Hiroaki Serizawa, produced their own songs, they were frequently regarded as just male aidoru by Japanese rock fans because of their early marketing promotion.

Past members

Fumiya Fujii - vocals, chorus (1962-)
Naoyuki Fujii - sax, flute, back-vocals, chorus (1964-)
Masaharu Tsuruku - vocals, chorus (1964-)
Yoshihiko Takamoku - vocals, chorus (1962-)
Tohru Takeuchi - guitars, chorus (1962-)
Yuji Ohdoi - bass, contrabass, chorus (1962-)
Yoshiya Tokunaga - drums, percussion, chorus (1962-2004; his death)