Born on Septembre, 20th 1977 in Naha (Okinawa, Japan), Namie Amuro didn't have anything that would predispose her to be a singer. Her parents divorced as she was only 3 and her mother raised her sisters, brothers and her all alone. They were living a humble life and at that time Namie was thinking of becoming an air-hotess.

At 10, Namie discovers Yoshie Hayakasa, the first Okinawa Actors School student to become famous. Full of admiration for the latter, she decides to follow her steps and enters in this Okinawa Actors School. Every day, she's walking for 2 hours to attend it.

The first ambition of Namie was to become a singer and only a singer, nothing else. But she soon realized that singing wasn't enough and that it was necessary to also learn how to dance.

At 12, Namie unveils her talent to everyone winning many singing contests on TV, even against Minako Ameku who hadn't been beaten until this day.

Namie's career really starts in 1992 when the decision is taken to form a group with the most talented students. Super Monkey's, this is the name of this group whose members are Namie Amuro, Minako Ameku, Nanako Takushi, Hisako Arakaki and Anna Makino.

The very first single which is released under Toshiba EMI label is entitled Koi no cute beat but doesn't have any success. In order to get famous, the group moves to Tokyo. At the same time, Anna Makino leaves the group for personal reasons. Daughter of Okinawa Actors School president, she's today one of the teachers of the school. Since the members are now 4, the group logically changes its name into Super Monkey's 4.

Two singles follow, Dancing junk and Aishite masukatto, despite the commercials in which the group appears, there's still no success.

For the 4th single, Paradise train, Hisako Arakaki is replaced by Rino Nakasone. The group changes its name again and become Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's, Namie had always been the leader anyways.

Things begin to change when the 5th single goes out. Rino Nakasone leaves the group as Reina Miyauchi and Ritsuko Matsuda enter in. Try me ~ watashi wo shinjite, cover of Lolita's eurobeat song, is a big hit and instantaneously makes top 10. Thanks to this song Namie Amuro and her friends are invited to attend the huge annual show Kouhaku Utagussen.

The two following eurobeat singles, Taiyo no season and Stop the music, are a new step. At that time, it was obvious that Namie Amuro would turn into a solo career. The four other girls were now officialy dancing behind her.

The real solo career starts in 1995. Namie is contacted by the producer Tetsuya Komuro, the latter makes her enter under Avex Trax label.

In the meantime, Minako Ameku, Nanako Takushi, Reina Miyauchi and Ritsuko Matsuda are asked to make new group : Musical Active eXperience aka MAX.

Namie Amuro, with the help of Tetsuya Komuro, become very fast the new queen of pop. Her singles that are mostly dance songs will hit the charts one after the other. From Chase the chance, the million copies is automatically reached. The apogee arrives with the album Sweet 19 blues, and its 3,7 millions copies, this album beats every records at that time.

Rewards are accumulated, Namie becomes the youngest artist to receive a Japan Award and her concerts tickets are sold out in less that half an hour. At 19, Namie Amuro is a real society phenomenon. Copied and adulated by thousands of fans called Amuraa, she's everywhere. Magazines, tv shows, commercials (Mistio, Sea Breeze, Visee, Maxell, Nissan for example), goodies from cards to collet to rulers and notebook, video games (Amuro Namie Digital dance mix on Sega Saturn) and movies ("That's cunning? Shijou saidai no sakusen!" starring Tatsuya Yamaguchi from TOKIO).

The particularity of Namie Amuro is to be an artist who's explored and still exploring all music styles. The 1997 year and the album Concentration 20 prove it to us, from rock to reggae, rap to pop without forgetting ballad. Can you celebrate? represents the age of maturity, a wiser and calmer Namie : fans don't dislike it since this song is chosen as the best song of the year.

September and October 1997 are a big shock for the medias and the audience. The first month Namie gives up her long hair, she says she wants to "free her mind". The following month, she annunces not only her marriage with Masaharu Maruyama (Sam from TRF) but also that she's 3 months pregnant. She decides to take a one year break and promises she will come back.

On April, 19th 1998, Namie Amuro gives birth to a little boy she calls Haruto.

The 31st of December 1998, Namie comes back in the Kouhaku Utagussen show and sings Can you celebrate?. Her fans are there. Her come-back single is I have never seen. Her popularity has dropped but the singer doesn't care. Unfortunately, other events happen make her life harder. Her father-in-law dies in the beginning of the year and the 17th of March, as Respect the power of love is released, her mother Emiko Taira is murdered. Namie Amuro seriously thinks of giving up her career but then she remembers how much her mother was proud of her and what she's become. She decides to continue in memory of her mother.

Toi et moi, third single since her come-back and ending theme of a Pokémon movie. It's whispered that Namie didn't want to make a song for Pokémon and this is the reason why Toi et moi isn't on any of her albums.

September 1999. A new step in Namie's career given that Something 'bout the kiss is released, a single produced by the famous American producer Dallas Austin. For the first time, the singer can sing a real R&B song. She's always loved this style and we can remember that in 1996-97, her promotional videos always featuring black dancers and that she was trying to put some groovy, rap or reggae vibes in her songs. (Don't wanna cry, Joy, Storm, Me love peace!!)

The 2000 year offers many opportunies to Namie Amuro. After that Genius 2000 is released, she holds her first concert in U.S.A, or more precisely in Hawaii. She's also asked to sing for the G8 in front of the world biggest leaders, Never end, is the song

In the end of the year, Break the rules is released, also co-produced by Dallas Austin, the R&B influence takes also more place in this album. We can notice that Namie has improved her English pronunciation.

In 2001, Say the word is released, Namie intents to get a more international style. People say that she wants to make it in the U.S. But this single is the occasion for Namie to take part in the conception of the songs since that for the first time she's the lyricist.

In the end of the year, Namie and other artists such as BoA, Kumi Koda, Ayumi Hamasaki, Keiko... form the Song+Nation project. Three singles and an album are realised and all the benefits are sent to the September, 11th victims. For this duo, Namie asks if she can sing with the rapper Verbal from m-flo, the song is called Lovin' it.

Singles are released less and less often and in 2002, two ballads are only on sale I will and Wishing on the same star. The latter is a Japanese version of a song already sung by several American artists and written Diane Warren.

On July 18th, Namie in in all the newspapers. During one year, people were spreading rumors again and again about an eventual divorce. The couple Namie-Sam contradicted many times those facts but in July, the divorce is really announced. Officialy, it's a friendly divorce that happened because Namie had too much work. Even if Sam keeps their child, Namie still raises him since the ex-couple still live in the same apartment but at different stairs.

In 2003, Namie Amuro comes back with a big project SUITE CHIC. A collaboration with several R&B/Hip hop artists in which Namie is the lead singer. Famous names like Zeebra, Dabo, Muro, Ryosuke Imai ou Michico are part of this project. In SUITE CHIC, Namie gives a totally different image of herself. She's not totally a Bad Girl, but she's not as wise as usually anymore.