He debuted in 1965 with the single "Kimi ni Namida to Hohoemi o" (君に涙とほほえみを, "Tears and Smiles to You").

His greatest hits are "Cyclamen no Kahori" (シクラメンのかほり, Shikuramen no Kahori, "The Scent of Cyclamen") and "Kimi wa Bara Yori Utsukushii" (君は薔薇より美しい, "You are More Beautiful than a Rose").

[1] He currently makes consistent appearances on television, performs occasional seasonal tours, hosts a late night talk show, and is involved in a number of stage plays.

In 2005, he enjoyed a revival when his music was used in the popular Japanese TV-series Kamen Rider Hibiki with its ending theme "Shōnen yo" (少年よ, "Boy!")

He married the actress Olivia Hussey in 1980 and later divorced in 1989 after he was unable to attain work in the United States and Olivia was unable to relocate her first-born son, Alexander Gunther Martin, to Japan.