Hibari Misora

Hibari Misora was a Japanese singer, actress and cultural icon. She received a Medal of Honor for her contributions to music and for improving the welfare of the public, and was the first woman to receive the Peoples Honour Award which was conferred posthumously for giving the public hope and encouragement after World War II.

Misora was born Kazue Kat in Isogoku, Yokohama, Japan. Her father was Masukichi Kat , a fishmonger, and her mother Kimie Kat , a housewife. Misora displayed musical talent from an early age after singing for her father at a World War II sendoff party in 1943. He invested a small fortune taken from the familys savings to begin a musical career for his daughter. In 1945 she debuted at a concert hall in Yokohama, at the age of eight. At the same time, she changed her last name, Kat, to Misora , at the suggestion of her mother. A year later, she appeared on a NHK broadcast, and impressed the Japanese composer Masao Koga with her singing ability. He considered her to be a prodigy with the courage, understanding, and emotional maturity of an adult. In the following two years, she became an accomplished singer and was touring notable concert halls to soldout crowds.

Source: Wikipedia