Yōko Nagayama

Yōko Nagayama (長山 洋子) is a Japanese enka singer, former J-pop singer, and actress.

Early life
Nagayama was born in Tokyo. At the age of four, she began attending min'yo group singing lessons with her father. Although she originally went because she enjoyed the attention from her father's classmates, she soon began studying and performing min'yo together with her father. When she was ten, she started playing shamisen. Her father gave her a shamisen that she still uses today.

She is married to American entrepreneur Mark Smith, president of IT staffing firm Skillhouse Staffing Solutions.

J-pop era
Nagayama continued singing and performing through her junior high school years. Her plan was to become a professional enka singer after finishing junior high school. However, when she was sixteen, her handlers told her and her parents that she was too young to sing enka. Despite her father's wishes, she then decided to become a J-pop idol singer.

Her debut song was Haru wa SA-RA SA-RA (春はSA-RA SA-RA), released in 1984. It was not well received, nor were her releases over the next two years. However, in 1986, Nagayama had her first big hit with a cover version of British girl group Bananarama's dance-pop take on Shocking Blue's Venus. Her next song, You're My Love, was also popular. Five of her songs (Venus, You're My Love, Kanashiki Koibitotachi, Heart ni Hi o Tsukete, and Hangyaku no Hero) were all Oricon top 10 hits.

During this time, Nagayama also performed in various dramas, such as the jidaigeki Sanbiki ga Kiru!, Minipato yori Ai o Komete, and Yūwaku.

Enka era
In 1993, she started a second career as an enka singer. She received three prizes for her first enka song Higurashi (蜩). Suterarete (捨てられて) also became famous.

Nagayama continues to play the shamisen in many of her songs. Notable songs with shamisen parts are Jonkara Onnabushi (じょんから女節) and Usoda to Itte (噓だといって), the latter having been posted on YouTube under the title "DEATH BY SHAMISEN".

She regularly presents enka programmes on Japanese TV. Nagayama has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. In 1993, she made her first appearance on the NHK New Year's Eve spectacular Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Since 1995, she has performed at "Kōhaku" for 13 consecutive years, making a total of 14 appearances to date.

On April 6, 2009 she announced on her blog that she has married American entrepreneur Mark Smith. They have one daughter, born in 2010.

Enka Singles

 * 蜩 (Higurashi) c/w 心だけでも．．．(Kokoro Dake Demo...) January 21, 1993
 * 海に降る雪 (Umi ni Furu Yuki) c/w 道しるべ (Michishirube) February 6, 1993
 * なみだ酒 (Namidazake) c/w 艶花 (Tsuyabana) September 22, 1993
 * 蒼月 (Tsuki) c/w あんただけ (Anta Dake) September 3, 1994
 * めおと酒 (Meotozake) c/w 綾の女 (Aya no Onna) May 10, 1994
 * 私が生まれて育ったところ (Watashi ga Umarete Sodatta Tokoro) c/w 硝子坂 (Garasu Saka) January 21, 1995
 * 捨てられて (Suterarete) c/w ふたたびの恋 (Futatabi no Koi) March 24, 1995
 * 倖せにしてね (Shiawase ni Shite ne) c/w いけない女 (Ikenai Onna) February 21, 1996
 * ヨコハマ・シルエット (Yokohama Silhouette) c/w 嘘だといって (Uso Da to Itte) June 21, 1996
 * たてがみ (Tategami) c/w ふられ酒 (Furarezake) July 11, 1996
 * たてがみ「劇場版」 (Tategami – Gekijōban) c/w 紅い雪 (Akai Yuki) January 22, 1997
 * お江戸の色女 (Oedo no Iroonna) c/w 夏ひとり (Natsu Hitori) April 23, 1997
 * あの頃のなみだは (Ano Koro no Namida wa) c/w 地図のない旅 (Chizu no Nai Tabi) April 23, 1997
 * ムーンライトジェラシー (Moonlight Jealousy) June 11, 1997
 * 浪花夢情話（新編桂春団治） (Naniwa Yume Jōwa) June 11, 1997
 * 恋のプラットホーム (Koi no Platform) c/w 洋子のズンドコ節 (Yōko no Zundokobushi) January 13, 1998
 * 父さんの詩 (Tōsan no Uta) c/w 港町メルヘン (Minatomachi Märchen) March 21, 1998
 * 桶屋の八つぁん (Okeya no Yatsan) c/w 新宿たずね人 (Shinjuku Tazune Hito) February 5, 1998
 * 花園しぐれ (Hanazono Shigure) c/w 恋酒場 (Koi Sakaba) November 13, 1998
 * 傘 (Kasa) c/w 深川恋キツネ (Fukagawagoi Kitsune) March 24, 1999
 * さだめ雪 (Sadame Yuki) c/w 女の花詞 (Onna no Hanakotoba) April 8, 1999
 * なみだ酒 (Namidazake) / めおと酒 (Meotozake) December 16, 1999
 * 蜩 (Higurashi) / 蒼月 (Tsuki) December 16, 1999
 * むすばれたいの (Musubaretai no) c/w 遠い街 (Tōi Machi) January 1, 2000
 * 恋酒場 (Koi Sakaba) c/w あずさ川 (Azusagawa) April 21, 2000
 * 紅い雪 (Akai Yuki) c/w 縁むすび (Enishi Musubi) January 11, 2000
 * 遠野物語 (Tōno Monogatari) c/w 幾春別川 (Kishun Wakaregawa) May 17, 2001
 * めぐり逢い (Meguriai) c/w やどり木夫婦 (Yadorigi Fūfu) March 21, 2002
 * 艶姿女花吹雪 (Adesugata Onna no Hanafubuki) c/w 妻という名じゃなくっても (Tsuma to Iu Na Ja Naku 'tte mo) July 24, 2002
 * 愛ありがとう (Ai Arigatō) c/w 色づく旅路 (Irozuku Tabiji) October 23, 2002
 * 嵐峡 (Arashihazama) c/w 冬のタンゴ (Fuyu no Tango) January 22, 2003
 * ありんことひまわり (Arinko to Himawari) c/w ありんこのクリスマス (Arinko no Christmas) June 25, 2003
 * じょんから女節 (Jonkara Onnabushi) c/w たまゆら (Tamayura) June 25, 2003
 * おんな炭坑節 (Onna Tankōbushi) May 26, 2004
 * 嘘だといって (Uso Da to Itte) c/w 芭蕉布 (Bashōfu) January 26, 2005
 * 洋子の・・・海 (Yōko no...Umi) c/w 洋子の・・・ふるさと (Yōko no Furusato) June 16, 2005
 * 洋子の・・・名残月 (Yōko no Meizangetsu) c/w 洋子の・・・冬景色 (Yōko no Fuyukeshiki) October 19, 2005
 * 今さらねぇ (Imasaranee) September 7, 2022
 * 美味しいお酒　飲めりゃいい (Oishii Osake Nomeryaii) June 21, 2023

Cover Songs

 * In 1988, she covered Johnny Hates Jazz's song "I Don't Want to be a Hero, "反逆のヒーロー".
 * In 1990, she covered Diana Ross's song: "If We Hold On Together", "イフ・ウィ・ホールド・オン・トウゲザー" from the 1988 animated film, The Land Before Time.