Hideto Matsumoto

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Hideto Matsumoto, hide for the public (and not Hide he said), was one of the most popular Japanese musicians. Was? Yes, because he died on May 2nd, 1998, in his Tokyo apartment; hide was only thirty-three years old. But before his death, Hideto was known as the lead guitarist and the mascot of the most famous Japanese rock band of all time.

hide was born on December 13th, 1964, in Yokosuta (Japan). At the age of fifteen, he discovered Rock and Roll by listening to the American band Kiss. That's why his grandmother bought him a guitar the same year. Although he continued to study in order to become a hairdresser, he spent all his free time with his guitar and in 1981, hide founded the band Save Tiger, but in 1987, the musicians split off. However, Yoshiki, the leader of X-Japan, was looking for a talented guitarist for his band and he contacted hide... The beginning of the legend!

For ten years, X-Japan ruled the Japanese rock and democratized it. For ten years, hide was the lead guitarist and composed some of X-Japan's most popular songs; but he also became the mascot of the band due to his eccentric look with pink hair and coloured clothes, and his eccentric personality during the shows. In 1992, the consecration: The band is the first rock band to fill the Tokyo Dome (50 000 seats) for three shows. Because of the departure of Toshi - the singer - the band split off after a last show on December 31st, 1997, in the Tokyo Dome. During the show, Yoshiki, hide, Toshi,Pata and Heath were crying together... And it was not the last time.

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Hideto was also the only X-Japan musician to succeed in his solo career. He began in 1994 by recording his first album "Hide Your Face" playing all guitars, bass guitars and vocals. He recorded his second album, "Psyence", two years after. It is considered as his best album.

hide died on May 2nd, 1998. His funeral was held five days later at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo and over 80 000 people attended. The other members of X-Japan, Yoshiki, Toshi, Heath and Pata performed "Forever Love" during the funeral... But they were crushed by sadness, they were crying, and Heath and Pata were not able to perform this last song, this last homage.

But hide was not just a musician, he was also a generous person who, for example, after a meeting with one of his fans attacked by cancer, gave her one of his guitars and chose to make a donation of bone marrow.

Precursor of the "visual kei" by being the eccentric mascot of X-Japan, figurehead of rock in Japan, talented guitarist and songwriter, generous person, and a tragic destiny : That symbolized Hideto Matsumoto.

X-Japan (hide is in the middle)