Masahiko Kondō
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| Masahiko Kondō | |
 In 2008, as director of Kondo Racing. |
|
| Nationality |  Japan |
|---|---|
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Participating years | 1994-1996, 2000- 2003 |
| Teams | A.D.A. Engineering Ltd./Team Nippon, Team Kunimitsu Honda, NISMO, TV Asahi Team Dragon, Oreca, Kondo Racing |
| Best finish | 8th (2000) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Masahiko Kondō (近藤真彦 Kondō Masahiko?, born July 19, 1964 in Yokohama) is a Japanese singer, an actor and is a member of Johnny & Associates. He is also a racing driver and a racing team owner. He is known as Matchy. It is from his name Masahiko for short.
He founded a racing team Kondo Racing in 2000, and now he is the owner and the racing director of the team that competes in Formula Nippon and the Super GT.
[edit] History
Kondō became a top idol when he was 15. His first single set records for sales for a debut single by a male solo artist. The song debuted at number one. No other solo male artist has ever done this.[citation needed] He won the top Japanese singer award Japan Record Award when he was 23. Nevertheless, his voice tends to be strained and somewhat off key.
The Japanese age for getting a driver's license is 18. There is a rumour that Matchy got his driver's license when he was 18! However, by that time he was one of the most popular stars in Japan. Because of his popularity, he couldn't drive on the public roads. So his manager took him to a racing track and Matchy practiced his driving skills there. Matchy had always had an interest in cars from an early age. Driving on the race track gave him the desire to drive race cars. So he practiced and was accepted into a racing team when he was 19. He went on to have a moderately successful career on Japan's race circuit.
His relationship with Akina Nakamori was big news in Japan. She was also one of the top idols of the 80s. From stress and overwork, she attempted suicide in Matchy's apartment in 1989. Matchy called an ambulance and her life was saved. They held a joint press conference on the last day of 1989 to show that she was healthy and that he had forgiven her. They soon went their separate ways.
Matchy was in several plays and movies at the beginning of the '90s. He married in 1994. He keeps his private life very, well, private.
His latest big hit was "Midnight Shuffle," released in 1996. He appeared on Kōhaku Uta Gassen. To appear on this program is a big honor for a singer. It seems that this was his final appearance in such a big event. From 1998, he went full-time into his racing career. He rarely appeared on TV and did not put out any new songs. He occasionally appeared on TV but as a racer or racing commentator.
In 2001 he released a song, but it is his self cover. This time he appeared only on a few music programs. In 2005, he decided to come back for the 25th anniversary of his debut. He released a song named “Chosensya”which means challenger. He truly is a challenger. He appeared in many TV programs, held dinner shows and went on a limited concert tour. He joined many of his successors like SMAP, Kinki Kids, V6, and Arashi on their TV shows.
Since then, Match has appeared on TV regularly, except during racing seasons. He collaborated with QUESTION?, forming a group "MATCHY with QUESTION?" and sang the ending theme of Naruto: Shippuden in 2008.
[edit] Legend
He has lot of legendary episode.
- When he was not a singer circa 1979, he said "You sing good" to Misora Hibari. She was a very famous singer in Japan and was charmed by his innocence. She took a liking to him and they were good friends until she passed away in 1989.
- Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is his fan and his stand-in mom.
- Unlike many Johnny's members, he is not so good at dancing. In 2005 or 2006, on a music program Masahiro Nakai of SMAP asked Matchy in a very polite way "You don't dance, do you?" Matchy was honest and said, "It's not that I don't dance, but I can't dance!"
[edit] External links
- ML net Circuit - Masahiko Kondō official website
