Matsumoto Hideto
guitar, background vocals
birthday: 12.13.1964
he died May, 2nd 1998
birthplace: Kanagawa, Yokohama

hide was the guitar player of X Japan. He could play totaly synchron with Pata.
He was the "bad boy" of the band and was the only one who had still colored hair in the later years. He always tried to provocate with his looks and behaviour.
He joined the band in 1987, leaving the band Saver Tiger.

His parents own(ed?) a very small bar and hide had a shop that sells clothes that he had designed or liked. Above this store is a hair dresser in memory of hides grandmother who was a hair dresser.
His younger brother was his chauffeur and also cooked for hide. hide said of himself, that he doesn't like to work or to learn, and also doesn't like sports, but like to watch wrestling on tv.
There are rumours that he married at the age of 22 and got divorced 2 years later after the birth of his son. Since hide didn't like to talk about it nobody knows much.

hide had several solo projects. his first solo album "hide your face" was released in 1994 and the cover was designed by H. R. Giger (Alien), costumes and decorations were made by the japanese special-effect specialist Screaming Mad George (Cocoon).
He released other cds with his band Spread Beaver and played with american musicians in the band Zilch.

hide died on May, 2nd 1998 around 8:30. He reached home at 6:30 and was very drunken. An hour later he was found by his girlfriend, he had tried to hang himself at the door. hide died on the way to the hospital. It was declared as a suicide by police and media, but friends and fans couldn't believe this. There seemed to be no reason, hide had a lot of plans for the future and wasn't depressed that day. Some say that it was an accident because he was so drunken or he wanted to scare his girlfriend. When he was drunken he often did things he wouldn't do otherwise and often was scared afterwards.

hide did a lot for young musicians in Japan and for people with leukaemia.
All in Japan were shocked and some fans also tried to commit suicide, one girl died. This made everything even worse, hide loved his fans and he had never wanted that.

Yoshiki came from Los Angeles and helped hides familiy to escape media. At Tsukiji Honganji, a temple in Tokyo where they put hide, he held a speech to support the fans. You could see how hard it was for him. Some days later there was a press conference with the other members and they could barely speak. Again Yoshiki tried to support the fans. He said that he can't believe in the suicide because he and hide wanted to make a new X in 2000. He told the fans to keep hide in their memories and to find the strength to overcome the mourning with the band, the family and the other fans.

On the day of the funeral there were tousands of fans to bring flowers. Unfortunately some tried to commit suicide and two people died in a car accident what made everything even worse.
hides ash was strewn in the ocean in hides beloved city Los Angeles by his brother Hiroshi. His grava is in Yokosuka on Miura.

Since July there is a hide museum in Yokosuka where hides guitars, his car and other things are shown.


back