Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TOKYO (AP) — The man lauded as "Japan's Beethoven," who has admitted he never wrote his compositions, appeared before cameras for the first time since the scandal surfaced — clean-shaven and minus his trademark sunglasses.
Mamoru Samuragochi, who used to sport long hair, bowed repeatedly at a news conference, and apologized for the troubles he had caused his fans, producers behind his works and others.
He acknowledged he had worked with his collaborator Takashi Niigaki in secret for 18 years. Niigaki recently told a tabloid magazine he was the ghostwriter behind the works, including the "Hiroshima" symphony.
Samuragochi said his hearing had been recovering, but denied he was posturing as deaf, and said he still had hearing problems.
Olympian figure-skater Daisuke Takahashi used a Samuragochi tune at the Sochi games.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.