Biography
Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, 1959 – 2004) was a Japanese composer, lyricist and singer with many hits in the Japanese pop and rock scene. She was born on November 28, 1959 in Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan. She spent her childhood in the city of Hiraoka, her father was an administrator in a hospital, her mother was a jazz singer who had sung with the Japanese band Crazy Cats. Matsubara began learning piano at the age of three and later became familiar with jazz. In her teenage years she became interested in rock music and joined the rock band "Kurei". In 1977, while still in high school, Matsubara went to Tokyo alone to make her debut as a singer.
. After the release of the song "Neat na gogo san-ji", Matsubara became a well-known singer and began performing at college festivals, concerts and stores. During her music career she released 8 singles and 12 albums and formed her own band called Dr. Wow. Although her work was mainly domestic, she was also known outside of Japan for her work as a singer and songwriter for anime series.
In late 2000, Matsubara sent an email to those around her, including her entourage and members of Dr. Woo, stating that she could not continue her music career and stopped all activities. In 2001, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer. She spent her last years fighting her illness. She died on October 7, 2004, due to complications from cervical cancer.
An increased interest in pop music in Tokyo during the 2010s made her songs to gain global recognition; "Stay with Me" (真夜中国ドア, "Mayonaka no door") became a hit once againa, this time in West and across Asia. As a result of her resurgence in popularity, her first album 'Pocket Park' was re-released on vinyl in late 2020 with great success.