Yasuyuki Okamura is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Yamaguchi Prefecture, born in 1970. He started writing songs and playing guitar as a teenager, influenced by folk and rock artists like Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. His debut single "Tsubasa no aru hito" came out in 1996.
In 1997, Okamura released "Viva Namida," which became a chart-topping ballad and remains his most recognized song. The track helped establish him as a popular singer-songwriter in Japan during the late 1990s.
In 2000, Okamura was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a vocal disorder that permanently altered his voice. He adapted his singing style after surgery and rehabilitation. He released an album called "Hana no kage" in 2015, which featured a more acoustic sound.
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