X Japan’s leader Yoshiki went live on BBC News on April 15 to share his thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic. From his residency in Los Angeles, the musician talks about what he is doing to help out in this difficult times, and how this situation is affecting him, his family and friends, and his beloved fans.
The drummer also talks about his collaboration on the song #SING4LIFE, which features Yoshiki on piano with vocals from will.i.am, U2’s Bono, and Jennifer Hudson.
Yoshiki has donated $100,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Recording Academy and its charitable foundation MusiCares to help music creators and professionals affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
While I have been calling for performances to be halted for the sake of the fans during this necessary time of self-restraint, I can also understand from my own experience the magnitude of the economic losses. The current crisis threatens not only the entertainment industry but many people across various industries.
As a musician, I decided to donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help my colleagues who might be struggling. With this virus threatening not just one country but the entire world, I sincerely hope that, through self-restraint and patience, we can contain the spread of new infections and eliminate this threat as soon as possible, and all industries can be revived again, including the entertainment industry.
This month, Yoshiki made a 10 million yen (approximately $100,000) donation to the Japan Red Cross in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and also donated a total of $24,000 to Meals on Wheels branches across Los Angeles for seniors affected by the coronavirus situation.