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Totoro Singer Azumi Inoue Cancels Concert Due to Surgery for Cerebral Hemorrhage

The official website for singer Azumi Inoue announced on Saturday that her 40th anniversary concert, scheduled for Tokyo's Nakano Zero Hall that day, had been canceled. Kōsuke Imao, her husband and the representative of her agency DoReMi, explained that during a rehearsal, Inoue complained about a headache and then fainted. She was taken to an emergency room, and after a diagnosis for a cerebral hemorrhage, she went in for immediate surgery.

Inoue's website later posted an update to report that the surgery was successful and that she plans to undergo follow-up observations and rehabilitation. DoReMi thanked the concert staff, the emergency medical and ambulance teams, and the fans who sent messages of support. The agency will report on any updates on Inoue's well-being.

Inoue was born in Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture and made her professional debut in 1983. She is arguably best known for contributing the ending theme song "Kimi o Nosete" (Carrying You) to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's film 1986 Laputa: Castle in the Sky and then the title theme song and other songs for their 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. She later contributed image songs for Miyazaki and Ghibli's 1989 film Kiki's Delivery Service.

Inoue also performed theme songs for the Guyver: Out of Control, Yadamon, and Before Green Gables anime. Her daughter Yuyu made her professional singing debut in 2012, and has released five singles and two albums.

Source: Oricon