

We respect the fact that Puff Daddy is Puffy in the U.S.Īmi: The bottom line is that we don't know what puffy means. After changing their name in the US to Puffy AmiYumi, they told Entertainment Weekly:

After their performance at SXSW, attorneys for Sean "Puffy" Combs sent the band a cease and desist letter asking them to change their name. Puffy made their first US appearance as part of Music Japan's "An Evening with Japan's All-Stars" showcase at the 2000 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
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It was luck."Īs "Puffy-mania" exploded, they become multimedia stars, including hosting their own weekly TV show Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Puffy with guests such as Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and rock band Garbage. everything that was put together for that song all came together and made it happen, but we didn't expect it. Asked if they were surprised by the attention after its success, Yumi told an interviewer ". Their debut single, "Asia no Junshin", launched Puffy-mania. He was eventually signed on to produce Puffy's first album amiyumi. Producer and American pop musician Andy Sturmer christened them "Puffy", for which they dubbed him "the godfather of Puffy".Īmi had previously met Tamio Okuda at a SPARKS GOGO concert, and he had produced her then-unreleased solo CD. When paired together, their voices blended well and they had a close rapport. Both felt alone within the large Sony organization and neither were confident in their abilities as solo artists, so even though Ami had already recorded a solo CD under the guidance of former Unicorn front-man Tamio Okuda (it would later become half of Solo Solo), they requested Sony pair them as a duo. She moved on her own from Osaka to Tokyo, where she eventually met Ami by chance in the Sony Music offices and then at a concert after-party, when the two hit it off. Separately, Yumi had learned of the Chotto Sokomade talent search underway by Sony Music Artists when she was "around 18". She was encouraged to stay, despite lacking a band and a clear musical direction. Eventually the band dissolved, leaving only Ami under Sony's employment.
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Years went by with little action by either the band or the record label, as Ami took vocal lessons and attended a professional school to learn how to become a better performer. In her sophomore year, the band auditioned during the Sony SD Audition and passed, becoming employees of Sony Music Entertainment.

When she was in high school, Ami sang for a band called "Hanoi Sex". History Talent searches brought Puffy together
