Rain

South Korean pop star Rain, born Jung Ji-hoon on June 25, 1982, in Seoul and known in his homeland by the romanized name Bi while billed as Pi in Japan, began as a backup dancer for JYP Entertainment before launching his own recordings and reaching the summit of numerous Asian charts. He emerged from those supporting roles in 2002 via his first album, Bad Guy. That release proved successful, prompting a move into television drama where he took the lead in the series Sang Doo! Let's Go to School. Music drew him back the following year with the well-received How to Avoid the Sun, after which his third album, the hit It's Raining, achieved enormous success across 2004-2005. The project topped charts throughout Asia, including Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea, ultimately moving more than a million copies. Rain collected multiple MTV Asia awards and performed across Korea and Japan. Sold-out concerts in Las Vegas followed in 2006, the same year he issued his fourth album, Rain's World, in October. Also in 2006 came the Japanese release Eternal Rain, which reached the Top 20 in that market.