Rock vocalist Kaori Kawamura passed away on Tuesday morning at a Tokyo hospital. A young victim of cancer, Kawamura was only 38 years old.

In 2004, Kawamura was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast, and she underwent surgery that same year. In January 2008, she learned that the cancer had returned and spread to her lymph nodes, lungs, and bones. But despite her illness, she remained true to her music until the end, sticking with a heavy schedule for the 20th anniversary of her debut.

Born in Moscow to a Japanese father and Russian mother, Kawamura moved to the Chiba prefecture when she was 11 years old. In 1988, at the age of 17, she made her debut with the single "ZOO," produced by Hitonari Tsuji. She found hits with "Kamisama ga Oritekuru Yoru" in 1990 and "Tsubasa wo Kudasai" in 1991, and she also served as a radio host on "All Night Nippon" from 1989 to 1991.

Kawamura took a break starting in 1993, spending much of her time in New York. She returned to music two years later, and also appeared in several films and dramas. In 1999, she married guitarist Motoaki. They had one child together before divorcing in 2007.

This year, she was visiting the hospital for treatment on a weekly basis, but she persevered with her music. In May, she released "K," her first solo album in 13 years. She continued doing live performances as well. During a concert in Shibuya on May 5, concerns about her health led her to perform while sitting down, though she stood when she sang "ZOO" for her rousing encore performance.