About Izumi Sakai
Sachiko Kamachi (Japanese: 蒲池 幸子, Hepburn: Kamachi Sachiko; February 6, 1967 – May 27, 2007), known professionally as Izumi Sakai (坂井 泉水, Sakai Izumi), was a Japanese pop singer and core member of the group Zard. As Sakai was the only member in the group for the majority of the 16 years which it was active, Zard and Sakai may be referred to interchangeably. She was the best-selling female recording artist of the 1990s and has sold over 38 million copies of sales, making her one of the best-selling music artists in Japan of all time. == Life and career == Born in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Sakai grew up in Hadano. Her father was a driving instructor, and she had a younger brother and younger sister. After her death, a neighbor recalled that Sakai was "beautiful and popular" in elementary school. She was also athletic, joining the track and field team in junior high and playing tennis in high school. Graduating from Shoin Women's College (now Shoin University) in Atsugi, Sakai worked in a real estate company office for two years before being scouted by Stardust Promotion. Throughout her life, Sakai remained close to her family and stayed mostly out of the public eye. Upon achieving career success, she helped pay for her parents’ home renovation.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.