Yoshiki becomes 1st Japanese artist to be immortalized in cement at TCL Chinese Theatre

HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- You may not have heard of him yet but, on the global stage, he's a superstar. Yoshiki has become the first Japanese artist to be immortalized in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

The artist has become one of the most influential musicians and composers in Japanese history, selling over 30 million albums and singles.

On Thursday, Yoshiki dipped his hands in cement at the famous Hollywood landmark, joining the group of over 300 artists who have received the prestigious honor.

As soon as he enters the room, you know Yoshiki is different - flamboyant and bold, yet soft-spoken and humble.

"To be honest, I don't feel like I accomplished that much," he told Eyewitness News.

It's one of the many contradictions that's part of what makes him so fascinating.

He's a composer and a concert pianist who can mesmerize audiences around the world with beauty and elegance as his hands and fingers gracefully dance on the keys.

But he's also a heavy metal rock star that creates hard-driving rock 'n' roll songs, performing in leather and sweat-soaked skin as he hammers the drums to sold-out arenas - his hands turn to fists of pure rage and violence.

That anger has a source. When he was 10 years old, his father died by suicide.

Yoshiki had already been playing a multitude of instruments, but it was the drums that suddenly allowed him to purge his heartbreak.

"I was very sad. At the same time, I was very angry because of how he left this world, my father. So I was kind of hitting the drum set, releasing my anger."

People seemed to feel his pain. By his early 20s, his band X Japan was a sensation and sold 20 million albums.

His life has become a classic mashup.

He also works in the world of fashion and has his own wine, ultimately using his great entrepreneurial success to help others.

He's donated money, but more importantly, he openly talks about the darkness in his own life.

"If me talking about this, my sad story, can help people... why not?"

Music pours out of him because he feels so deeply - especially when talking about his mother who recently passed away. Too soon to enjoy this moment.

"I want to thank her and, at the same time, I want to apologize to her. I didn't spend enough time with her," Yoshiki said.

During Thursday's Hollywood ceremony, he closed his remarks in her honor.

"I want to dedicate this moment in my life to my beloved mother, who always believed in me. She was the very first person to see my hands and feet, and now she can see them from the sky, looking down here at Hollywood."

If you want to see this uniquely-talented performer, his classical "Requiem" tour is coming to the Dolby Theatre on Oct 20.