The Gospellers

The Gospellers are a famous vocal quintet originally from Waseda University in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Taking their name from the genre that inspired them, The Gospellers are known for their mix of harmonized ballads and R&B-flavored pop tracks. The members, all born in the early '70s, have been singing professionally for half of their entire lives.

In 1991, a group of six a capella-savvy students from Waseda University's "Street Corner Symphony" formed their own band. Their live performances started off slow, but in due time their audience began to grow. Introduced to their first record company by the established act Rhymester, The Gospellers released their first mini-album in August of 1994, their first single, Promise, following a few months later. At that time, everyone in the now five-member band was a university student.

The Gospellers' live popularity grew early; in 1995, just months after their first releases, saw several of their live concerts moved from crowded streets to broader roadside areas. That same year also saw the release of their first full album. By the end of 1996, The Gospellers had managed a total of four nationwide tours. Their steady flow of CD releases and tours continued over the next few years, of note their R&B hit Owaranai Sekai.

Five was the magic number during 1999: The Gospellers celebrated their fifth anniversary, their fifth album Five Keys was released, and Nettaiya, their June 1999 single, hit the Top 50, a first for the band. Their G5 tour sold out immediately, with The Gospellers' energy leading into a series of 2000 (A.D.) lives in Shinjuku. 2000 also saw the release of Towa ni, one of their most popular ballads to date and Kokuhaku, another classic.

On March 7, 2001, The Gospellers released Hitori, the first a cappella song in history to chart in the Japanese Top 3. This led to Love Notes, a compilation of their best love songs thus far, giving the band their first No. 1 album and their first Grand Prix Gold Disk award. The year was capped by their first appearance on Japan's yearly Kohaku Utagassen, the concept of "ballad = The Gospellers" firmly etched into the Japanese mindset.

The next several years continued this trend, with singles and live concerts released and performed at a regular pace. In 2002 alone, the band performed 50 lives, released three singles and two albums. The year 2004 saw the hit ballad Hoshikuzu no Machi, along with the band's first fully nationwide tour, hitting all 47 prefectures. Their 25th single, the ballad Mimosa, was chosen as the Toyota Isis CM song.

The band hit a particularly odd point in their career, however, in 2006 when, along with partners from Rats&Star, they formed Gosperats, a jazzy side project using blackface makeup. As blackface makeup remains a touchy subject in America and elsewhere, the project eventually fizzled, with The Gospellers resuming regular releases and even another nationwide tour shortly thereafter. Several collaborations with The Gospellers increased in 2007 and 2008, with Backstreet Boys's Howie D and Skoop On Somebody's TAKE as a few examples. In 2008, The Gospellers even appeared in the movie Utatama, with their song Blue Bird used as the opening theme.

To this day, The Gospellers continue to sing. While their style may not have evolved, their clout has certainly grown over the years, occasionally bringing in guest vocalists from the world over. Whatever their intended message may be, it's a gospel the fans can easily look forward to.