Kay:

To be honest, when we started this hide memorial project, I was very skeptical about it. My first thought was: why do we do this for hide, and not for the countless other Japanese musicians that have also passed away? And does hide really have as big an influence on the scene as everybody claims him to have, hasn’t it all been blown out of proportion by the media after his tragic death?

However, I have been closely involved with this project and with every comment from an artist or someone from the music industry popping up in my mailbox, my view gradually started to change. hide did have a big influence on the music scene, maybe not in the way that everybody wanted to mimic his style, but rather inspiring many young people to pick up a guitar and try to learn it. His presence was outstanding, with his colorful fashion and appearance, but also with his kindness and his support to many charities, which are still getting much support from hide’s efforts nowadays.

I only heard about hide and his tragic death many years after that date, could only read and look at the experiences of others. But now, ten years after his death, from all the comments from people telling us about how much hide meant to them, I can only conclude one thing: hide is not gone. He is still here with all of us, his spirit living on inside the many people that have been touched by his unique presence. hide did not leave us on that day ten years ago, he simply became eternal and will live on forever in our hearts.

Lacy:

When I first heard of hide I didn’t know he’d already passed away, didn’t know who X JAPAN was either.

He was one amongst the first handful of artists and bands I listened to when I first got involved in the, sometimes crazy, world of Japanese music.

EYES LOVE YOU, I remember listening to it for the first time back in 2003 and wanting nothing more than to learn about who hide was. Though I’d only recently discovered him, I recall a dull ache in my heart when I stumbled upon the first fan site I found, bearing the information that he’d passed away in 1998.

It wasn’t until I’d listened to even more of his music and read more about him that I realized what a phenomenal person he was. He wasn’t just a rock star, but a caring individual, even devoting himself to charities, such an admirable thing. Not only that, but the impact he and his music made is evident in the number of young musicians that he inspired, that look up to him and got into music because of him, and the fans that say his music changed their lives.

I was just a stupid teenager in 1998, but I can’t help laughing when I think that maybe if I’d known of him earlier, he would have changed my life as well.

But whether his music changed the course of my life or not, it, and he, has left a mark on my heart and though he will always be missed by countless people across the globe, his spirit will never cease to live on in his music and in all the people whose lives he touched.

Chantel:

hide had already passed away by the time I was sucked in to the world of Japanese music. I remember seeing a picture of him, thinking how incredibly bright his hair was and, as I listened, for the first time, to EYES LOVE YOU, ROCKET DIVE and Beauty & Stupid, how great his music was. As I continued to listen, I discovered what a versatile musician he was. Even though I didn’t have the emotional connected of those who had been fans since the start, I still, somehow, felt the loss of this unbelievably charismatic performer. Despite that feeling, however, I know that hide is not truly gone. He lives on in his music, the artists who started playing instruments and singing because of him and the friends, family and fans who will never forget him.

Do you also have a story to share about what hide meant to you? Or are you going to commemorate hide’s passing in a special way today? Please feel free to tell us about it in a comment!