Char

, known professionally as Char, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of Japan's greatest guitar players.

In 2003, Char was ranked by HMV at number 38 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. Rolling Stone Japan ranked his album Psyche number 36 on their 2007 list of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time. Char came in third in a 2011 goo poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent the country. Char was named the greatest Japanese guitarist in a 2017 list by Guitar Magazine, as voted on by professional musicians, and in a 2019 public poll held by goo. His song "A Fair Wind" was named the 34th best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019. Char endorses Fender, with whom he has signature model guitars. He also has signature models with ESP.

Career Char started learning piano in elementary school, and playing guitar at age eight. Although he listened to various guitarists, it was Eric Clapton who got him hooked on the instrument. At 17, Char formed the band Smoky Medicine in 1973 with Mari Kaneko.

In 1976, Char made his solo debut on Canyon Records with the single "Navy Blue" in June and the album Char in September. The following year they played a free concert at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, which was recorded and released as their first album Free Spirit. After two studio albums, they changed their name to Pink Cloud in 1982 upon changing record labels. Originally disbanded in 1994, the members played together in various combinations several times until Yoshinaga's death in 2012.

Char's 1981 album U.S.J was co-produced by Steve Lukather and also features Jeff Porcaro and David Foster.

Char co-composed and played on the 1986 song "Last Wish Onajiirono Christmas" with Katsuhiko Nakagawa. He reprised his guitar part on a 2014 cover of the song by Nakagawa's daughter, Shoko. The following year, he teamed up with Osamu Ishida to form the acoustic duo Baho.

Char collaborated with Tomoyasu Hotei for the 2006 single "Stereocaster". The following year he joined Hotei and Brian Setzer for a short joint tour.

In 2009, Char established the record label Zicca Records. That year he also held a free concert at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on July 15, just like he had done in 1979 as part of Johnny, Louis & Char.

Char was one of many guitar guests on Kazumi Watanabe's 2016 album Guitar is Beautiful KW45, featured on two songs. In 2017, Char played guitar on Exile Atsushi's cover of Joe Yamanaka's 1977 hit song "Proof of the Man".

Personal life Char is married to former fashion model Kanna S. McFaddin, who has written the lyrics to several of his songs. They have one American son; Jesse McFaddin (born 1980), guitarist and vocalist of the Japanese rock band Rize. Jesse's two bandmates, brothers Nobuaki Kaneko and KenKen, are the sons of Char's former bandmates Mari Kaneko and Johnny Yoshinaga. Rock+ (2015) 14 "Osampo" (2006) 69

Live albums Char Electric Guitar Concert (1997) Char Psyche 1988 (2000) Char Played With and Without (2000) Tradrock Char by Char (2011) Zig Zag Zone (2012) 207 414 -Live at Hibiya Open Air ConcertHall 2013- (2013) 247 (DVD), Rock+ Eve Live at Nippon Budokan (2015) 61 (DVD), 60 (Blu-ray) Rock Free Concert (2015) Tradrock Blu-ray and Archive Box (2015) 185 Old News (2019) 228 (Blu-ray) Char 2013 Live at EX-Theater Roppongi "Tomorrow is Coming for Me" (2020) 118 (Blu-ray) Char in Concert 2020 "First and Last" (2021) 72 (Blu-ray) Shinin' You Shinin' Day (2021) 230 (Blu-ray) Char 45th Anniversary Concert Special at Nippon Budokan (2022) 63 (DVD), 37 (Blu-ray) Char Live 1976 (2022)