Akira Yamanaka was born in
Yokohama, Japan, on September 2, 1946. He grew up in a family of seven children, though the only one of mixed descent as his father was a
US Army soldier of Caribbean descent. In his autobiography, he mentions that he never met his biological father and that he came from a poor family in ruined
Yokohama; being born in a brothel as his mother was a prostitute for the
Recreation and Amusement Association. The only knowledge of his father was that he was a US soldier from either Cuba or Jamaica. Joe grew up in an orphanage after his mother and stepfather died. During an interview with
Mainichi Shimbun, Akira stated that he was born with
tuberculosis and that he never really thought about his biological father, believing that those who raised him were his real parents. He left the orphanage at the age of 16 and became a
boxer (inspired by his childhood idol
Hiroyuki Ebihara) to earn money, he then met his lifelong friend
Rikiya Yasuoka, who was a
kickboxer of Japanese-Sicilian heritage. Yamanaka mentions that he adopted the English name
Joe because it is the English pronunciation of his favorite painter, Keito Joh; with Joh meaning castle in Japanese. As a teenage boxer, he used the
ring name . They went on to become successful, particularly in Canada where they lived for a while, and are now considered a pioneering and influential Japanese band. In his acting career he was known as one of the three "real tough guys" in
Japanese cinema, along with
Tsunehiko Watase and
Jerry Fujio. The trio were known for being good-natured, but with a rebellious past and noted fighting prowess. In his autobiography, Akira recounts the times during his youth when he was involved in violent fights. After a large brawl with members of the
Zenkyoto in
Hibiya Park in which he almost killed a man, the resulting police raid led him to an epiphany that "violence leads to nothing." Three of Joe's songs were used in the film. After Flower Travellin' Band disbanded in 1973, Joe started a solo career the following year. His most well-known song is , which sold more than half a million copies, and is a household name throughout Asia. It is the theme song and namesake of the 1977 film
Proof of the Man, which is based on a novel by
Seiichi Morimura about
war babies. Joe also has a small acting role in the film as a half Japanese, half African-American who is murdered, which the film is based around. In Chinese speaking countries the song is called "Old Straw Hat", taken from lyrics in the song. That same year, he was arrested on suspicion of violating the
Cannabis Control Law. He was close friends with numerous celebrities including
Mickey Curtis and
Yoko Ono. Joe recorded the entrance theme for
Shinji Takehara titled "Hot Vibration" and composed the song with his friend
Amália Rodrigues. He later became the lead singer of
The Wailers for around five years after his friend
Bob Marley died. In 2007, Flower Travellin' Band reunited and released an album the following year. They performed several concerts, including internationally in the US and Canada. ==Death==