Chiyoko Shimakura

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Chiyoko Shimakura

| image = Chiyoko Shimakura 01.jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1938|3|30|df=yes}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|11|8|1938|3|30|df=yes}}

| origin = Tokyo, Japan

| genre = Enka

| occupation = Singer, lyricist

| years_active = 1954–2013 (her death)

| label = Columbia Music Entertainment

}}

{{Nihongo|Chiyoko Shimakura|島倉千代子|Shimakura Chiyoko}} (30 March 1938 – 8 November 2013) was an Enka singer and TV presenter in Japan.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/09/national/famed-japanese-songstress-shimakura-dies-at-75|title='Enka' icon Shimakura dies at 75 |publisher=The Japan Times|accessdate=8 November 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111015024/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/09/national/famed-japanese-songstress-shimakura-dies-at-75/ | archive-date=2013-11-11 | url-status=dead}} She was considered "the Goddess of Enka".

Career

Chiyoko was born in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, Japan. In 1954, Chiyoko won the 1st prize of the Columbia Music Entertainment singers competition. In 1955, she made her recording début with the single "Konoyo no Hana". She was an Enka singer who appeared in NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, starring 35 times, including 30 consecutive years straight. However, she forgot her song lyrics in 1996. She participated again in the Kōhaku in 2004. {{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

Death

Image:Grave of Shimakura Chiyoko.jpg]]

After a long battle with liver cancer, she died, at age 75, on 8 November 2013.

Discography

Konoyo no Hana (この世の花) (1955) (The Fruit and Bloom in the world) - Chiyoko herself is featured in the movie of the same name.
Tōkyō Dayo Okkasan (東京だョお母さん) (1957) (Mummy, here we are in Tōkyō), which sold more than 1 million copies.
Jinsei Iroiro (人生いろいろ) (1987)
Best selling single of hers, selling over 1.3 million copies, won Japan Record Award for Best Singer and peaking at No.16 on weekly Oricon chart for 86 weeks.{{cite web | title=島倉千代子のシングル売上TOP4作品 | url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/240372/rank/single/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107084437/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/240372/rank/single/ | publisher=Oricon | language=ja | url-status=live | archive-date=2023-11-07 | access-date=2023-11-07 | quote=人生いろいろ発売日 1987年04月21日最高順位 16位登場回数 86週}}

Charts and awards

Chart

Weekly

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !Year ! scope="col" \| Chart ! scope="col" \| Song ! scope="col" \| Peak{{break}}position ! scope="col" \| Appearances{{break}}(Weeks)
scope="row" \| 1987 ! scope="row" \| Japanese Singles Chart \| style="text-align:center;" \|Jinsei Iroiro (人生いろいろ) \| style="text-align:center;" \|16 \| style="text-align:center;" \|86

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!Year

! scope="col" | Chart

! scope="col" | Song

! scope="col" | Peak{{break}}position

! scope="col" | Appearances{{break}}(Weeks)

scope="row" | 1987

! scope="row" | Japanese Singles Chart

| style="text-align:center;" |Jinsei Iroiro (人生いろいろ)

| style="text-align:center;" |16

| style="text-align:center;" |86

Award

class="wikitable"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Song !Result
1987 \|Japan Record Awards (日本レコード大賞) \|Best Singer \|Jinsei Iroiro (人生いろいろ) \|{{Won}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Song

!Result

1987

|Japan Record Awards (日本レコード大賞)

|Best Singer

|Jinsei Iroiro (人生いろいろ)

|{{Won}}