Crystal Kay

Crystal Kay and her Korean mother

Crystal Kay (born Crystal Kay Williams on February 26, 1986 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), is a Japanese recording artist and radio host and actress. She debuted at the age of 13.

After releasing her debut single "Eternal Memories" (1999)[2] Kay gained fame for her third studio album, Almost Seventeen (2002), which debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Oricon charts.[3] Almost Seventeen eventually sold over 400,000 copies and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[4] Kay, formerly signed to Epic Records, a sub-label of Sony Music Japan for 12 years,[5] suddenly transferred to Delicious Deli Records, a sub-label of Universal Music Japan[1] in 2011. As of July 2009, Kay has released ten albums. Her seventh studio album, All Yours (2007) became Kay's first number-one release in her career when it debuted on top of the Oricon chart in June 2007.[6] Kay has sold over two million records in Japan as of 2009.

Kay was born and raised in Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture to an African American father and a Zainichi Korean mother.[9] Her father was a bassist from New Jersey and a sailor in the United States Navy stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. Her mother was a 23-year-old professional singer with one album while her father played music as a hobby.[10] As a child, Kay met artists such as Diana Ross and Bobby Brown through her parents taking her to shows. Although her mother is ethnically Korean, Crystal does not speak Korean. Kay is fluent in Japanese and English, the latter influencing and making a regular appearance in her songs. She has also studied French.

Source: Wikipedia