Billie Hughes

Billie Keith Hughes (April 4, 1948 – July 3, 1998) was an American recording artist, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known for his successful artist career in Japan, lead vocalist of his band Lazarus and his collaboration with Roxanne Seeman writing songs for Philip Bailey, Phil Collins, Bette Midler, The Jacksons, The Sisters Of Mercy, Wink, and for his songs in film and television. He has two Emmy nominations.
Hughes song "Welcome To The Edge”,  with the Japanese title "Todokanu Omoi"とどかぬ想い (One-Sided Love), was the theme of the Japanese television drama "I’ll Never Love Anyone Again" ("Mou Daremo Aisanai") (. It became the top-selling international single in Japan in 1991 after selling over 500,000 copies. Hughes was awarded with the No. 1 International Single of the Year in 1992 at the NHK Grand Prix Japanese Gold Disk Awards.
I’ll Never Love Again (Mou Daremo Aisanai) (もう誰も愛さない) featuring Billie Hughes "Welcome to the Edge" ("Todokanu Omoi") began rebroadcasting on TVK (Television Kanagawa) in the Greater Tokyo Area, on October 8, 2019. 
Early life and education.
Billie Keith Hughes was born in Graham,Texas on April 4, 1948 to Betty (née Capps) and Billie Wayne Hughes, a Church of Christ minister. He had an older brother Jim. He attended Abilene Christian College in Abilene, Texas. He co-founded a popular campus singing group called Blue Sky Investment which included Billie, Mike Haynes and Kay Ross on vocals, Carl Keesee on bass,and Marshal Locke on drums.
Hughes played violin in the Abilene Christian College Orchestra tour of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas December 8 – 14, 1968 and was one of several members participating in the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra accompaniment for the homecoming musical “Oklahoma!”. He also was a member of the Abilene Christian College Acapella choir.
Career.
Lazarus.
Hughes began his recording career as leader of the group Lazarus. In association with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary, Lazarus moved to Woodstock, New York, signing with the newly formed Bearsville Records label, under the direction of Albert Grossman. Two albums were recorded and released on Bearsville, produced by Yarrow and Phil Ramone. In the next four years, Lazarus performed extensively throughout the United States and Canada. They opened for Todd Rundgren in Vermillion, South Dakota at his USD concert, a city known in pop culture as the Vermillion Rundgren name-drops on his Back to the Bars live album.
Lazarus released two albums, the first eponymous "Lazarus" in 1971, and the second, "A Fool's Paradise" in 1973.
In 1974, The Lettermen covered the Hughes song "Eastward", from the first Lazarus album. It was released as a single, reaching No. 16 on the Billboard US Adult Contemporary chart, and included on The Lettermen's "Now And Forever" album.
In 1976 Lazarus won the Clio Award for "Life Savers" Best Commercial of the Year which ran nine years nationwide.
Solo career.
In the early 1970s Hughes lived in London, Ontario Canada where he regularly performed at Smale's Pace, a well-known coffeehouse on the Canadian folk circuit, at Groaning Board, and at folk festivals across Canada. During the Canadian years he was sometimes accompanied by Lazarus bassist Carl Keesee, and occasionally Lazarus performed as a full band including Randy Kumano, Allan Soberman and Wayne Smith.
John Capek, the first independent producer to produce a broadcast recording for the CBC, produced Bill Hughes at the CBC studios. 
In January 1978, CBS Records Canada announced the signing of Bill Hughes, former member of the band Lazarus, to a long-term recording contract.  Hughes was the first recording artist signed by the Canadian affiliate of CBS to receive a guaranteed American release and full tour support.  A reception for the signing of Hughes was held at the Prince Hotel in Toronto. Hughes shared his intention of setting up his residence in Canada and applying for Canadian citizenship and spoke of his plans to record in Los Angeles in the following months.
Hughes' "Dream Master" album was produced by Henry Lewy and recorded at A&M Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Jose Feliciano appears on the track "Only Your Heart Can Say" as a guest artist on guitar and background vocals. 
Working with Roxanne Seeman.
In 1983 Hughes formed a partnership with lyricist Roxanne Seeman which set in motion a career of recording, producing, and songwriting for film, television, and records including works produced by such name producers as Phil Collins, Arif Mardin, Michael Omartian, George Duke and Reggie Lucas and included such artists as Philip Bailey, The Jacksons, Bette Midler, The Sisters Of Mercy, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Melissa Manchester, and the No. 1 charting Japanese duo Wink, among others.
In 1990, Hughes wrote "Welcome to the Edge" with Roxanne Seeman and Dominic Messinger, with the song appearing as a love theme in the daytime TV drama "Santa Barbara". It appeared for the first time in January 1991 performed by Billie Hughes. A female vocal version also appeared in the show. "Welcome to the Edge" was recorded in Japanese by Wink (Japanese band).
In 1991, a new arrangement of Hughes' "Welcome to the Edge", produced with Roxanne Seeman, appeared as a theme song in the hit Japanese TV drama "I’ll Never Love Anyone Again" ("Mou Daremo Aisanai") ("") "Welcome To The Edge" (with the Japanese title ) was the single and title track from the album released by Pony Canyon Japan. "Welcome to the Edge" remained in the Top 10 of the "Billboard" Japan chart for four months, selling 520,000 singles. The album sold 120,000 copies.
In March 1992, Hughes performed "Welcome to the Edge" (with the Japanese title ) at the NHK nationally televised Japanese Grand Prix Awards and received the award for "#1 International Single of the Year". MC Hammer performed "U Can't Touch This" at this show.
"Welcome to the Edge" received an Emmy nomination for Best Original Song in the television show "Santa Barbara".
Hughes and Seeman wrote "Dreamlove" (Dream Love), a love theme appearing in the daytime television show "Another World", for which they received a second Emmy nomination for Best Original Song.
In September 2004, the first pop concert in history was staged on the Great Wall of China outside of Beijing with Alicia Keys headlining. Hughes and Seeman's song "Walking on the Chinese Wall" by Philip Bailey produced by Phil Collins was the finale of the event.
Film soundtracks.
Martin Eden.
During the next four years, Hughes toured the United States, Canada and Japan performing as an artist and travelled to Japan, Canada and Italy to record and produce various projects including his own hit single "Martin Eden" (CBS motion picture theme song) which charted top 5 all over Europe.
Hughes wrote the song "Martin Eden" with Italian composers Ruggero Cini and Dario Farina. It was written from the composer's theme from the "Martin Eden" 1979 TV mini-series based on the Jack London novel, directed by Giacomo Battiato.
Hughes recorded his vocals for "Martin Eden" in Rome. It was released as a single in Europe where it topped the Billboard charts in several territories, such as Sweden where it reached No. 2.
The Outsiders.
Hughes performed the songs “Stay Gold” written by Stevie Wonder with Carmine Coppola  and “The Outside In” written by Carmine Coppola, Italia Pennino and Roxanne Seeman on The Outsiders (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
Little Monsters.
Hughes performed the song “I Wanna Yell” written by Hughes and Seeman in the montage scene of Little Monsters.
Death.
Hughes died on July 3, 1998, of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was survived by his parents and two daughters.