B'z Support Members

B'z Support Members are musicians who appear with B'z during their LIVE-GYM events playing the instruments not occupied by the primary duo of Koshi Inaba on vocals and Tak Matsumoto on guitar as well as contribute to their studio recordings. The stable of support musicians that have provided drums, bass, keyboards, and other instruments during various B'z shows and in the studio include a number of esteemed musicians from various other successful music acts. Among those who have recorded and performed with B'z are American bassists Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big and Barry Sparks, who has previously toured with the Scorpions, UFO, and the Michael Schenker Group.

Typically, those touring with the band at a given time are also those providing their respective parts on the most recent recording efforts. This formation of touring and recording with the same team began in 1993 with one of the band's best-regarded albums, RUN. Additionally, active members often also appear in the band's music videos as well.

In addition to taking on various drummers, bassists, and keyboardists over time, B'z also occasionally tour with additional performers, such as brass sections, orchestras, and occasionally performance troupes providing choreography on stage behind the band's performance. In recent years, the band has added a backing guitarist and vocalist beginning when Shinichiro Ohta toured with the band beginning in 2003 through 2008. The role went absent from the band's 2009 and 2010 tours, but would be again filled in 2011 by a friend of Tak's, Yoshinobu Ohga, who was featured as one of the fellow guitarists on his concept album Theatre Of Strings in 2005.

Most recently, since 2011, drums have been provided by Canadian drummer Shane Gaalaas, bass by American Barry Sparks, backing guitar by Yoshinobu Ohga, and keyboards by Takanobu Masuda.

Drums

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Atsuo Okamoto Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Brian Tichy Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Chad Smith Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Chris Frazier Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Cindy Blackman Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Denny Fongheiser Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Greg Upchurch Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Gregg Bissonette Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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File:Hatakeyama "hakkai" Katsunori.jpg Hatakeyama Katsunori Nickname: hakkai Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Hideo Yamaki Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Munetaka Higuchi Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Ikkoh Tanaka Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Jeremy Colson Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Joe Travers Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Josh Freese Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Jun Aoyama Birth: March 10, 1957 Death: December 3, 2013 Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Kaichi Kurose Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Kenny Aronoff Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Leonard Castro Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Murakami "Ponta" Syuichi Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Nobu Saito Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Nobuo Eguchi Born: DOB Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Pat Torpey Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Shane Gaalaaas Born: August 8, 1967 Nationality:	Tours B'z SHOWCASE "SAPPORO DEVIL" B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~" B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "Rock n' California Roll" 2002 FIFA World Cup International Day Concert B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "IT'S SHOWCASE!!" B'z LIVE-GYM The Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA" B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "BIG MACHINE" B'z SHOWCASE 2005 "Abashiri Extra Edition" B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK" B'z LIVE-GYM 2006 "MONSTER'S GARAGE" B'z SHOWCASE 2006 "Yokosuka MONSTER" B'z LIVE in Namba B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -19- B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -B'z In Your Town- SUMMER SONIC 07 B'z SHOWCASE 2008 -Kiyotake ACTION- B'z LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION" B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS- B'z SHOWCASE 2009 -B'z In Your Town- SUMMER SONIC 09 B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see- Music for Relief's Secret Show for Japan Pepsi NEX presents B'z 1DAY LIVE B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011 B'z LIVE-GYM 2012 -Into Free- Pepsi NEX presents B'z PREMIUM LIVE AEROSONIC B'z SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- B'z Special LIVE at EX THEATER ROPPONGI Recordings 2002: Yoruyo Akenaide 2003: Yasei no ENERGY, Arakure, IT'S SHOWTIME!! (Album Version), BIG MACHINE, Nightbird, Mabushii Sign, ROOTS 2004: BANZAI, ARIGATO, Mou Hanasanai 2005: Ai no Bakudan, Fever, Amaku Yasashii Binetsu, THE CIRCLE, X, Pulse, Fly The Flag, Aqua Blue, Suiren, Sanctuary, Shiroi Hibana, Icarus, Brighter Day, OCEAN, Narifuri Kamawazu Dakishimete, Dear my lovely pain 2006: Shoudou, Yuruginai Mono Hitotsu, Pierrot, SPLASH!, MVP, ALL-OUT ATTACK, Koi no Summer Session, Kemuri no Sekai, Mugon no Promise, MONSTER, Netemo Sametemo, Happy Birthday, Amadare Blues, Ashita Mata Hi ga Noboru Nara 2007: FRICTION, FRICTION -LAP 2-, Kuroi Seishun, Boku ni wa Kimi ga Iru, Koubou, Traveling Men no Theme, BUDDY 2008: BURN -Fumetsu no Face-, yokohama, Kibou no Uta, BAD COMMUNICATION -ULTRA Pleasure Style-, Pleasure 2008 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~, BLOWIN' -ULTRA Treasure Style-, Glory Days, Itsuka Mata Koko de 2009: MY LONELY TOWN, Kirei na Namida, Time Flies, PRAY, MAGIC, Mayday!, TINY DROPS, Dare ni mo Ienee, Yume no Naka de Aimashou, Freedom Train 2010: KOSHI SOLO — Okay, Salvation, Maimirai, 絶対(的), The Morning Call, Lone Pine, エデン, CAGE FIGHT, 今宵キミト, この手をとって走り出して, 去りゆく人へ, 不死鳥, 主人公, リトルボーイ, イタイケな太陽 2011: Sayonara Kizu Darake no Hibi yo, Dawn Runner, Don't Wanna Lie, Homebound, C'mon, Hito Shizuku no Anata, DAREKA, Boss, Too Young, Pilgrim, The Meister, Dead End, Meimei, ultra soul 2011 2012: GO FOR IT, BABY -Kioku no Sanmyaku-, Honoka Naru Hi, Ryuusei Mask, Love Bomb, Splash, Juice, Ultra Soul, Into Free -Dangan- 2013: HEAT, Kakushin, Q&A, Utopia
Profile: A Canadian drummer that has toured with a number of high-profile rock acts like Yngwie Malmsteen and The Michael Schenker Group, Shane began touring with B'z in 2002 and has remained with the band in the years since. His long tenure has made him the second-longest support member after keyboardist Takanobu Masuda. Shane has had a long career as a drummer and has released a number of solo albums, on which he also plays guitar, bass, and provides vocals. He is a long time friend of fellow B'z support member Barry Sparks, whom he introduced to the band in 2003. Shane has also become close friends with Koshi, with the two frequently surfing together and Shane even assisting in crafting the English versions of various B'z songs in recent years. Additionally, Shane has released his own English version of "Brotherhood" on his 2013 album Ascend and earlier released a Japanese cover of "Hadashi no Megami" in Japan.

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Shinya Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Soul Tool Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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File:Ryuoichi Terashima.jpg Ryuoichi Terashima Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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File:Yasuda Minoru.jpg Yasuda Minoru Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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File:Yokoyama Takashi.jpg Yokoyama Takashi Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Yoshihiro Toyokawa Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
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Kaichi Kurose

Tours with B'z

• Rock'n Roll Standard Club Band Tour
• B'z LIVE-GYM '98 "SURVIVE"
• B'z LIVE-GYM '99 -Brotherhood- SHOWCASE "B'zepp"
• B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood"
• B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice"
• B'z LIVE-GYM in Taipei & Hong Kong 2001
• B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire"
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN"

Bass

Barry Sparks

Barry Sparks (born June 20, 1968 in Lucasville, Ohio) is an American bassist that has played with some of the most recognizable rock and metal acts in the world, including Yngwie Malmsteen, UFO, and Ted Nugent.

Introduced to Tak and Koshi by his longtime friend Shane Gaalaas, whom he met during their time touring with The Michael Schenker Group and also played in the sideproject Cosmosquad with, he first embarked on a live effort with them during B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA" and soon thereafter B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE". After touring with fellow rock acts Dokkun, UFO, and Ted Nugent in the interim, he returned to tour with B'z beginning with the "ACTION" tour in 2008. Since, he has appeared on every B'z tour to follow as well as numerous television appearances. He has likewise appeared in a number of videos, including those for "C'mon", "Don't Wanna Lie", and "MY LONELY TOWN". In addition to being their live bassist, Barry has also provided bass on the majority of B'z recordings since 2008, including for various singles and the studio albums of MAGIC and C'mon.

Barry describes himself as the world's biggest KISS fan and has amassed a large collection of vinyl records. His love of records would be something he would introduce to Tak, which has become a bonding point for the two ever since. Barry considers Tak a close friend and has become one of the longest mainstay support members to have ever toured with B'z.

In 2004, Barry released a solo album entitled Can't Look Back on which he performed all vocals, guitar, and bass. For the majority of the tracks, Shane Gaalaas provided drums.

Tours with B'z

• B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA"
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE"
• B'z SHOWCASE 2008 -Kiyotake ACTION-
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION"
• B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS-
• B'z SHOWCASE 2009 -B'z In Your Town-
• SUMMER SONIC 09
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic"
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see-
• Music for Relief's Secret Show for Japan

• B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon-
• Pepsi NEX presents B'z 1DAY LIVE
• TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011
• B'z LIVE-GYM 2012 -Into Free-
• Pepsi NEX presents B'z PREMIUM LIVE
• B'z SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75-
• AEROSONIC
• B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER-
• B'z Special LIVE at EX THEATER ROPPONGI

Tokunaga Akihito

(1998, 2003-2007)

Billy Sheehan

File:billysheehan.jpg

(2002)

Shotaro Mitsuzono

(1999~2001)

Akashi Masao

File:Akashi Masao.jpg

(1989~1997)

Hazuki Kido

File:SPyke Hazuki.jpg

(TV once)

Juan Alderete

(Recording only)

Backup Guitar

Shiganobu Ohga

(2011~)

Shinichiro Ohta

(2003-2008)

Keyboards

Takanobu Masuda

(1992~1997, 1999-)

Kosuke Oshima

(1998)

Yoko Hiromoto

(1989-1992)

Solo Support Members

Gathered here are support members who have only recorded or toured with Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba during their solo works outside of their B'z endeavors.

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Billy Kilson Drums Nationality:	Tours 1 2 Recordings Year:
Profile: Bio.