Hibari Misora
Hibari Misora was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress, born as Kazue Kato on 29 May 1937 in Yokohama. She sang many theme songs for movies about the period of postwar recovery, and all of them became hits. She received the Japanese medal of honour in 1965.
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, she gave her last concert, 'the phoenix', in April 1988 at the Tokyo Dome - the biggest domed stadium in Tokyo. The concert had a very powerful effect on the audience, who all knew that she was singing for more than two hours whilst suffering. She passed away on 24 June 1989, and a DVD of the concert was made by her fans.
A selection of articles about Hibari Misora
Ensemble. True Artistry - Howard Smith attends New Zealand's Music Fair of Japan 2009