Misora Hibari

Hibari Misora (美空ひばり, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. Born Kato Kazue in Yokohama, she was an accomplished singer by the age of seven, and appeared in film for the first time at age 12. Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yô ni," was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.