Tyrone Hashimoto began his musical journey at a young age, achieving significant recognition in 1971 when he won the esteemed Grand Prix Award at the inaugural all Japan Folk Music Contest. In 1974, he joined the band "Tin Pan Alley," which was established by Harry Hosono, who later became the leader of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Tyrone contributed as a lead vocalist on YMO's first recording in 1978.
By 1981, Tyrone shifted his focus to songwriting, drawing inspiration from Afro-American music, particularly the works of Donny Hathaway and Gil Scott-Heron. He took on the role of lead vocalist for the Japanese Salsa band Orquesta Del Sol, where he exclusively sang in Spanish and recorded two albums for DiscoMate/JVC in 1983. Concurrently, he began composing music for television and radio commercials, as well as engaging in studio production. Over the following two decades, Tyrone emerged as one of Japan's prominent jingle writers and voice-over talents, creating content for approximately 600 clients, including McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Nissan, Canon, Sharp, Kodak, and Disneyland.
In 1975, Tyrone's first visit to Berkeley, California, to attend a Taj Mahal concert proved transformative, igniting a passion for the extensive world of Afro-American music. He immersed himself in blues, influenced by artists like Robert Johnson and T-Bone Walker, as well as jazz figures such as Joe Williams, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, while also exploring Reggae, Calypso, Salsa, Haitian, and Nigerian "Juju" music.
In 1983, Tyrone Hashimoto recorded an English version of Stevie Wonder's "Stay Gold" for the Japanese release of the film "The Outsiders."
The year 1988 marked a milestone with the release of his first solo album, "Moments Of Love," entirely in English. He showcased this work in Seattle with an event titled Samurai Soul, which garnered significant media attention from outlets such as Seattle PI, Seattle Times, and Seattle Weekly, and featured interviews on local radio stations and coverage by TV news programs including King 5 and KSTW11. King 5 produced a documentary about Tyrone that aired in 37 cities across the U.S., positioning him for entry into the American music market. To prepare for this transition, he returned to Japan to work on new recording materials.
While preparing, he released his second album in Japan, "Illusion In The Rain" (1989), followed by his third album, "Slow Dancing." Just as he was ready to break into the U.S. market, the rise of Rap and Hip-Hop overshadowed the Quiet Storm genre, which aligned closely with his music. After a brief period of disappointment, Tyrone adapted quickly to the changing landscape. In 1993, he released his fourth album, "Lovers," for which he performed, arranged, programmed, and engineered all the tracks independently. He established his own studio in 1994, from which he began producing CDs and commercials.
In 1994, he released his fifth album, "Love Always," and collaborated with David T. Walker and Joe Sample from The Crusaders for his sixth album, "Key To Your Heart." At the 41st Cannes International Commercial Film Festival, he received a Bronze prize for a Panasonic Beauty Toilette advertisement. In 2000, he produced a commercial for UCC Coffee Company featuring James Brown.
Tyrone's seventh album, "Dance In The Sunshine," was released in 2002, followed by his eighth album, "Meruri," in 2003, after he resumed playing guitar. In 2004, he formed the duo unit "The Unforsaken" with Tomohiro Yahiro, performing together throughout Japan. The duo's first album, "Studio Live Vol. 1," was released in 2013.
