One of the first missionaries of Western rhythm & blues in Japan, Takako Hirasawa, the sole member of Double, earned the title of "R&B Queen" in her home country. The alias, strange for a solo artist, has, in fact, a tragic explanation, as the band started off as a duo, formed by Takako together with her younger sister Sachiko Hirasawa, who died before the release of their debut album. The Hirasawa sisters grew up in Niigata and had studied classical piano as kids, but were exposed to American R&B after their older sister (there were three siblings) has spent some time in the U.S. and brought back a load of CDs. The sound of TLC and Mary J. Blige prompted them to start their own band, and in 1997 the duo began performing in local clubs as Double, soon receiving an offer from the Tokyo label For Life Records, which got them a yearlong regular gig at the Yokota Air Base of the U.S. Air Force (they were the first Japanese artists in 27 years to play the base). In 1998, Double released their debut single, "For Me," which was featured in the TV mini-series Tsumetai Tsuki and followed by three more singles that predated the album Crystal (1999), which scored number two on the... More Biography