1991   

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Begins playing in bands and taking part in sessions in Tokyo live houses playing Funk,
blues and other Black music rooted genres

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 1996   

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Forms the band HOOKER with other players he met at jam sessions and blues bars in Tokyo.
The band's sound is rooted in 1950's style Chicago blues. 
Mr. Oh Yeah begins activities in Tokyo as the band's leader, vocalist, guitarist, and harmonica player

      

      

 1997 

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September Release of HOOKER's first 5-song album, "CHICAGO SOUND". 
Produces and works as the sound engineer for the album, beginning his work in these fields. 
"CHICAGO SOUND" goes on sale at Tower Records and Disc Union becoming a smash hit.

      

      

 1997 

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December Performs at Koenji JIROKICHI, the meca of Black music in Tokyo. 
Also performas as an opening act at the Shinjuku Park Tower Blues Festival, 
an anual blues festival that at the time brought top-class blues artists to Japan. 
Also performing at the 1997 festival are the Carter Brothers, Jill Johnson, Phillip Walker, and more.

      

      

 1998   

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Founds his own music production company, "Little mac music" and CD label, "Simmons Label". 
Performs 40 shows in the year, including a HOOKER tour of Kanagawa, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, 
and other areas of Japan.
May - works as sound engineer for the acoustic band Furomizu Wonders' demo recording.

      

      

 1999 

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September Releases a 10-song CD album, "Blues Leave Me Alone". 
The album is distributed all over Japan and reaches an unusually high position for a blues album 
on the CD ranking chart of a certain well known indies CD store. 
After release of the album, returns again to JIROKICHI to perform a one man show.
Performs about 50 shows in the year including a tour of Tokai, the Tohoku region, and more.

      

      

 2000   

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A performance of one live song appears on the omnibus album "Live at Mojo", 
Na compilation of live performances by various bands at the Blues House Mojo, 
located in Saitama Prefecture, Urawa City (the area has since been incorporated into Saitama City). 
In this year, as well as being active with HOOKER, also participates in RONNIE RUCKER 's gospel choir, 
Bright Lights Choir. RONNIE RUCKER is a pioneer of the gospel music scene in Japan. 
Performs at various concerts and workshops.

      

      

 2001 

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January Works as the sound engineer and guitarist for Brazilian music singer Yuakri's demo recording

     

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   August Travels for the first time to experience and learn more about the blues at the home of the blues,
Chicago, USA. In the Fall, Blues Leave me Alone goes on sale in Chicago.
Aournd this time, HOOKER begins changing from a set band into a blues project centering on Mr. OH YEAH and 
featuring a rotating cast of players.
Between activities with HOOKER and Bright Lights Choir, performs around 40 shows in the year.

      

      

 2002 

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January Performs on the CD recording of the gospel choir Bright Lights Choir (from here on refered to as "BLC").

      

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   August Goes on BLC's American tour, performing in front of an audience of　about 40,000 at the Workshop in Detroit. 
The performance is covered by the local papers. Mr. OH YEAH's second trip to Chicago.
Performs 40 shows in the year.

      

      

 2003 

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April Founds OH YEAH Guitar School to help bring up the next generation of blues guitarists.
While performing about 100 shows with HOOKER, including a tour, records for a live album featuring 
various performances at different locations.

      

      

 2004 

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Janurary Leaves the gospel choir BLC.

      

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   April Releases a 5-song mini-album, "Living in the Blues".
Performs over 120 shows, mainly with HOOKER, this year becoming fully established as a live performer 
at various events, live houses, bars, tours, etc.

 

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 2005 May Travels twice this year to the U.S. to promote HOOKER's live album "Living in the Blues". 
Meets and establishes relationships with a number of blues players in the U.S. including blues artists such as 
Shirley King (B.B. King's daughter), Carl Weathersby, Shunsuke Kikuta, etc.

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   November Performs as a guitarist at the Tokyo show of blues harpist and Singer from Chicago, 
WABI as part of WABI's tour.
Performs a total of 80 shows this year.

     

 2006 

 

January Begins writing original songs for upcoming album.
Until this time, had mainly been performing blues cover songs but from this times begins widening the scope of 
performaces to a wide range of Black music and incorporating it into his his music and lyric writing.

     

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   April Travels for CD promotion to the U.S., visiting Chicago and Memphis, taking part in sessions with local players.

 

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   November Begins pre-production for the upcoming album.
Performs 40 shows in this year.

      

      

 2007

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January Begins recording the back tracks in Japan for the upcoming album, "Call Me Oh Yeah".
From this time through the rest of the year continuese carefully recording for the album with various guest players.

     

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   May Records overdubbing for "Call Me Oh Yeah" with special guests in Chicago, 
including Billy Branch, Shirley King, and Minoru Maruyama. 

      

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August to November  recording in Japan for "Call Me Oh Yeah" with special guests from the Japan blues scene, 
Including Shunsuke Kikuta (from Chicago), Shinji Shiotsugu, Fumio Ishikawa and more.
Performs about 30 shows in this year. 

      

 2008    

      

January to March  Mixes and edits the new album. 
This recording is done mostly digitally, but to the fullest extent possible Mr. Oh Yeah mixes it to preserve an analogue sound.

      

      

   May Finishes the album "Call Me Oh Yeah", the first release since "Living in the Blues" 4 years before. 
The album includes 8 original songs. 
Officially changes project name from HOOKER to Mr. OH YEAH & HIS BLUES PROJECT HOOKER to make a 
distinction between activities up to this point and the new direction which focuses on original material.

      

      

   August Releases Mr. OH YEAH & HIS BLUES PROJECT HOOKER's latest CD album.

The album features an incredible line up of guest performers inclucding, 
From Chicago: Billy Branch (harmonica), Shirely King (vocal) [B. B. King's daughter], Minoru Maruyama (guitar) 
Shunsuke Kikuta (guitar), 
And from the Japan blues scene Shinji Shiotsugu (guitar), Fumio Ishikawa (harmonica), KOTEZ (harmonica), and more.