Shizuka Kudō

, known by her maiden name , is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hits. Biography Kudo began her singing career at the age of 14 as a member of three-piece pop unit Seventeen Club consisted of runners-up from the 1984 Miss Seventeen Contest organized by Japanese teen magazine Seventeen, which Shueisha publishes. They had two singles released by CBS/Sony Records in 1985. Their first single "Su Ki Futari Tomo!" was released on 21 January 1985, and was used in television advertisements for snack food products "Suzuki Kun" and "Sato Kun" manufactured and sold by S&B Foods. The second single "Baajin Kuraishisu (Virgin Crisis)" was released on 25 August 1985. Its lyrics were written by Sunplaza Nakano-kun, who was a lead singer of Japanese rock band Bakufu Slump. Kudo later said that she hated the second single and that she joined the group "just to have fun". With the two singles having failed to chart on the Oricon's Japanese single chart (the national single chart), the group couldn't gain much popularity and disbanded thereafter. Onyanko Club made its television debut on 1 April 1985, on Fuji TV's daily live television variety show Yūyake Nyan Nyan. Initially the group consisted of nine high school girls and two high school graduates, namely Sayuri Kokusho (number 8) and Satomi Fukunaga (number 11). They were selected from participants in Fuji TV's show aired in February and March that year. Kudo auditioned for the group in May 1986 during her first year in high school and became a member with number 38 assigned on 23 May. The group gave a new approach to the idol formula with 52 members and three associate members as well as subgroups, such as Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, Nyangilas and Ushirogami Hikaretai. After having appeared on the one-hour daily TV show from Monday to Friday regularly and having participated in Onyanko Club's fifth single "Osaki ni Shitsurei" as well as its nationwide concert tour in the summer and fall of 1986, Kudo was selected as one of two backing vocals for Onyanko Club number 36 member Marina Watanabe's first single "Shinkokyu-shite", along with Akiko Ikuina (number 40). The single was released under the name of "Watanabe Marina with Onyanko Club" by Epic/Sony Records on 8 October 1986, and debuted at number one on the single chart.