YOSHIKI —born as Yoshiki Hayashi (林 佳樹) on November 20, 1965, in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, to a family of kimono makers who were also musically oriented— is a highly established Japanese musician, songwriter, producer, composer and businessman most known for creating the Visual Kei band X Japan, and is also the drummer of the band.

YOSHIKI was originally trained in classical music but turned to rock after his father committed suicide when he was ten years old, stating that it offered him relief. Prior to that, he played the piano and the trumpet and started composing pieces for piano when he was only age four. After his father’s death, he found the drums and guitar and cites bands like KISS, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Queen, The Beatles, Sex Pistols and Charged GBH, as rock influences.

In 1977, YOSHIKI formed the band Dynamite with its lead singer TOSHI, which later changed its name to Noise in 1978. The two would later go on to create the iconic X Japan (originally created as X) in 1982 after Noise disbanded that same year.

Today, YOSHIKI is considered as a legend, with the creation of the Visual Kei genre and many of his other accomplishments.