Shirō Kishibe (岸部 四郎, Kishibe Shirō; 7 June 1949 – 28 August 2020) was a Japanese actor and singer born in Kyoto, Occupied Japan. He is best known to English-speaking audiences for playing Sandy, one of the regular main characters in the TV show Monkey. Kishibe's father was a former Kempeitai member. He also had an elder brother, Ittoku Kishibe, who was a member of the band Tigers.
Biography
Member of The Tigers
Upon graduating from junior high school, Kishibe worked at a printing company but left to join the road crew for The Tigers, where his elder brother Ittoku Kishibe played bass. After working as a musical advisor post their 1967 debut, he moved to the United States in July 1968, with assistance from Watanabe Productions and the band members. In the U.S., he worked as a music correspondent for the magazine Music Life under the guise of studying abroad. In March 1969, after bassist Katsumi Kahashi departed The Tigers, Kishibe was recalled by his older brother Ittoku and became a new member. Though tasked with guitar duties as Kahashi's successor, Kishibe, unable to actually play, would pretend to do so during performances. He also played the tambourine and took over Kahashi's vocal parts.
