He is also recognized for 20 years of charity and volunteer work with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and flew around the world helping those in poor or war-torn conditions; visiting more than 30 countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bosnia, numerous sovereign states in Africa, China, Ukraine (including Chernobyl), North Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Brazil. While doing aid work in Jamaica he met local musicians and later became involved in reggae music. His aid work was a personal inspiration to help those who are growing up in similar conditions he had experienced as a child.
Biography
Akira was born a war baby of World War II to a Japanese mother and a father of Jamaican descent who was enlisted in the US Army. In his autobiography he mentions that he never met his father and that he came from a poor family in ruined Yokohama. He grew up in an orphanage when his mother and foster father died. During an interview with Mainichi Shimbun Akira states that he was born with tuberculosis and that he never really thought about his biological father and believed those who raised you are your real parents.[4][5] He left the orphanage at the age of 16 and became a boxer (inspired by his childhood idol Hiroyuki Ebihara) to earn money, he then met his lifelong friend Rikiya Yasuoka who was a kick-boxer of Japanese-Sicilian heritage. The pair decided to become actors and starred in the 1963 Japanese film Bicycle Thieves, although Akira's career changed when he met another lifelong friend Johnny Yoshinaga, who persuaded him to become a musician. Akira mentions that he adopted the English name Joe because it is the English pronunciation of his favourite painter Keito Joh; with Joh meaning castle in Japanese and as a teenage boxer he used the nickname Akira Joh.[4]He was known as one of the three "real tough guys" in Japanese cinema, along with Tsunehiko Watase and Jerry Fujio. The trio are known for being good-natured but with a rebellious past and noted fighting prowess. In his autobiography Akira recounts the times during his youth when he was involved in violent fights. After a large brawl with members of the Zenkyoto in Hibiya Park in which he almost killed a man and the resulting police raid led to an epiphany that "violence leads to nothing".[4]
Yamanaka starred as himself in the Hollywood action movie Ulterior Motives featuring Thomas Ian Griffith and Ellen Crawford,[6] three of Joe's songs were used in the film.
His most well known song is "Proof of the Man" (人間の証明) which sold more than half a million copies in two weeks and is a household name throughout Asia. It is the title and theme song for the film Proof of the Man which is based on a novel by Seiichi Morimura about war babies. Joe also has a small acting role in the film as the half Japanese, half African-American who is murdered, which the film is based around. In Chinese speaking countries the song is called "Old Straw Hat", taken from lyrics in the song.
He was close friends with numerous celebrities including Mickey Curtis and Yoko Ono. He recorded the entrance theme for Shinji Takehara titled "Hot Vibration" and composed the song "Sorrow of Florence" (哀しみのフローレンス) with his friend Amália Rodrigues. He later became the lead singer of The Wailers for around five years after his friend Bob Marley died.[6]
In March 2010 it was announced that Joe was diagnosed with lung cancer.[3][7] He died from his cancer on August 7, 2011 less than a month before his 65th birthday.[3][7]
Selected discography
- 1975 - The Times
- 1977 - - TO THE NEW WORLD
- 1978 - JOE
- 1979 - GOIN' HOME
- 1980 - Joe '70s
- 1986 - 20th ANNIVERSARY
- 1991 - LOVE IS AN ART=
- 1999 - REGGAE HISTORY
- 2001 - W's
- 2006 - Mr. Rally - stupid philosopher
- 2009 - Reggae Vibration IV
- Collaborative
- 1982 - Reggae Vibration (with The Wailers)
- 1983 - Reggae Vibration II (with The Wailers)
- 1984 - Reggae Vibration III (with The Wailers)
- 1984 - Japanesque (with Akira Ito and Hideki Ishima)[9]
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