Atsushi Sakurai, ‘Buck-Tick’ Vocalist, Dies at 57

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:59 JST, October 24, 2023

Atsushi Sakurai, vocalist of the rock band Buck-Tick, died Thursday of a brainstem hemorrhage at the age of 57. Sakurai was rushed into the hospital after taking ill during a concert in Yokohama, and passed away later on that same day.

Sakurai hailed from Gunma Prefecture, and joined local band Buck-Tick, which made its major-record label debut in 1987, and had hits such as “Aku no Hana (Evil Flower)” and “Just One More Kiss.”

Sakurai wrote many of the lyrics for the group’s songs, which presented an aesthetic view of the world.

Atsushi Sakurai’s Death Devastates Friends, Associates in Gunma Pref.; Buck-Tick Vocalist, Gunma Native Dead at 57