Why GLAY’s Members Have Stayed Close for 30 Years After Overcoming Breakup and Struggles

The breakup of the popular four-piece band “GL” was decided in 1999.

On November 8, the popular four-piece band “GLAY” held the first day of their 30th anniversary arena tour at Osaka-jo Hall. The tour will feature their 17th album “Back To The Pops” released in October, and they plan to perform 15 shows in 8 cities throughout Japan, attracting 150,000 people.

In order to promote the memorial year tour, vocalist TERU (53) and leader and guitarist TAKURO (53) have been making energetic appearances in the media, where they have revealed how well the members get along.

On October 7, TAKURO appeared in a video uploaded on the YouTube channel of the comedy duo “New York. In the video, TAKURO revealed that he and the members have a close family relationship, saying, “I’ m going to TERU’s mother-in-law’s birthday party today, too. He also said that at the time of his debut, he had suggested that the members have only one car so that they could all be together. However, he said, “I am the first one to be picked up in the morning and I am the last one to leave,” and that is why there are now two cars. Incidentally, he said that the pairing of the cars changed depending on where they were going.

On the other hand, however, TAKURO revealed in a VTR appearance on TV Asahi’s “Eight-Jam” broadcast on November 3 that there was actually a “breakup crisis.

In 1999, “GLAY” had made great strides, winning the Japan Record Award and the Japan Cable Award with “Winter,again,” but TAKURO recalled that “we were tired as a band. He also revealed that the band members who wanted to pursue music genuinely were at odds with the management, and that “the decision to break up had been made at New Year’s Eve 1999.

However, when the four members held a New Year’s party at their home on New Year’s Day, TAKURO asked, “What are you going to do, TERU? TERU said, ” I want to sing some more, so I’m going to make a solo album.

However, since TERU “recruited” TAKURO, bassist JIRO (52), and guitarist HISASHI (52) to join him in his solo activities, TAKURO eventually realized , “This is not ‘GLAY’ at all! He told us that he realized, “This is ‘GLAY,’ isn’t it?

The “fight” that won the rights

All four members moved to Tokyo from Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, and through their early careers have grown into one of Japan’s leading bands. While many popular bands have been known to have disagreements and feuds among the members, “GLAY” is said to be the band with the best relationship among the members, with the four of them still having drinks together.

It is said that the relationship between the members of the band is the best, partly because they overcame the breakup crisis in 1999, but also because the members faced the same direction and won the battle to win their rights.

Starting with “HOWEVER” (1997), “GLAY” had a string of million-seller hits in the late 1990s. In the same year, their first best album “REVIEW-BEST OF GLAY” sold 4.8 million copies, making them one of Japan’s leading bands. Surprisingly, however, the band’s financial situation at the time was difficult.

The members did not earn a reasonable income because they were not backed up by a record company and had to pay for outdoor concerts and other expenses out of their own pocket, and the rights situation was complicated.

In 2001, a music publishing company that had a joint publishing contract with Unlimited Records (U), the company the members belonged to at the time, fought in court over the copyright fees for GLAY, and U won the case. However, this did not improve the treatment of the members, and U-sha began to neglect the payment of copyright royalties, so in May 2005, the members finally filed a lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court demanding payment of unpaid royalties from U-sha.

In October 2009, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the copyrights to the songs written after November 2005 belonged to GLAY and awarded the company 670 million yen in copyright royalties to GLAY, thus settling the case.

The members of GLAY, who had shared hardships before their debut, and even after their big break, overcame such hardships as the breakup crisis and rights battles to strengthen their bond. They will probably continue to run together toward the 35th and 40th anniversaries.

We welcome your information and tip-offs to “FRIDAY Digital”. Please send your information to the information form below or to the official X.

Information form: https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/tips
Official X: https://x.com/FRIDAY_twit