News
Jungle Emperor/Kimba the White Lion Opening Singer Tadahiko Hirano Passes Away
posted on by Egan Loo
Baritone & professor also starred in Figaro, Threepenny Opera, Annie, Yūzuru
Baritone singer and Tokyo University of the Arts professor emeritus Tadahiko Hirano passed away due to a heart attack on Friday, June 13. He was 76 years old. His relatives will hold a service led by his wife Tamiko.
Hirano was born on March 5, 1938 in Kōfu in the central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi. He starred in The Marriage of Figaro, The Threepenny Opera, Annie and other stage productions, and he performed in the original productions of Yūzuru and other Japanese operas.
However, Hirano is arguably best known to the general public as the singer of titular opening theme song "Jungle Taitei" for Osamu Tezuka's classic television anime Jungle Emperor (dubbed as Kimba the White Lion in English):
Source: Yomiuri