In 1976, a folk-singing duo comprised of two childhood friends, Nemoto Mitsuyo (Mie - always on the left) and Masuda Keiko (Kei - always on the right) passed an audition for Star Tanjo (A Star is Born). After getting signed, the girls were given a makeover and the legend known as Pink Lady was born. The folk music was replaced with a new style of music - disco. The girls, who became known as "Mie" and "Kei" to their fans, released their first single "Pepper Keibu" (Inspector Pepper) and promptly conquered Japan with 9 consecutive number 1 hits. Their synchronized dance routines (paired with flashy costumes) were considered wild and maybe even a bit scandalous at the time, which endeared them even more to their fans - who later adopted the Pink Lady song title "Chameleon Army" for themselves.

By 1979, Pink Lady tried to break into the American music market. They released an English disco song titled "Kiss in the Dark" which shot up to number 37 on the Billboard charts - only the second time that a Japanese act had ever broken into the American Top 40 (the first was, of course, Sakamoto Kyu with "Ue o Muite Arukou" or "Sukiyaki' as was known to Americans, which reached number 1 in 1964). They were then recruited to star on a TV comedy/variety show to gain exposure in the US, but what resulted was a disaster called "Pink Lady and Jeff." It was so bad (through no fault of the girls) that it was yanked off the air after a few episodes. Consequently, while Pink Lady were busy trying to break the US market, their lack of exposure back in Japan led to their fall in popularity in their own homeland, and when they returned, it was all but over.

So in 1981, Pink Lady gave their farewell concert and retired from show business. Or so it seemed until many years later, the public got nostalgic for them and demanded their return, to which Mie and Kei obliged and reformed several times. Mie and Kie also continued as successful solo acts.

I would like to thank Jeff Branch of Pink Lady America for his help in this bio and for allowing me use of his photos and some scans of albums and singles. Jeff is the foremost authority on Pink Lady outside of Japan. Please visit his website Pink Lady America if you'd like to know more about this legendary duo.