Twitter account of Ichirou Mizuki has announced that the veteran singer, also known by the nicknames “Emperor of the World Anisong” and “Aniki” (older brother), passed away on December 6 due to lung cancer. He is 74 years old.
Mizuki had revealed last April that he was suffering from vocal cord paralysis. She underwent surgery for lung cancer in June and announced in July that she is slowly resuming her activities and plans for the 50th anniversary of her debut anisong are in the works. Mizuki gave his last live performance on November 27 at Ichirou Mizuki Mitsuko Horie Futari no Anisong #19 concert.
Mizuki was born in Tokyo in 1948. His debut single, “Kimi ni Sasageru Boku no Uta,” was released two decades later in 1968. Some of his first anime songs appeared in the early ’70s starting with “Genshi Shonen Ryu wa Iku,” the opening for the 1971 anime adaptation of Genshi Shōnen Ryu. Then, Mizuki sang the opening theme for Astrogangers as well as the opening and ending songs for 1972’s Mazinger Z anime adaptation.
Over the decades, Mizuki performed songs such as “Ore wa Great Mazinger”. Great Mazinger“Mazinkaiser Theme” from Mazinkaiser OVA “GO!! Departure from Super Robot War Impact“Honoo no Egao” from Gyakkou Nine“Gatchaman No Uta” from Gatchaman ’94and “Mazinger Z/INFINITY Version” of Mazinger Z: infinity. The singer has more than 1,200 songs attached to his name.
Source: @aniki_z, Comic Natalie