Background
You Hee-yeol was born in Seoul and attended Kyungbock High School.
柳喜烈
You Hee-yeol was born in Seoul and attended Kyungbock High School.
He graduated from Seoul National University"s College of Music, with a major in composition.
He is the leader of his one-man project band Toy. He first appeared in the local popular music scene by winning the grand prize at the 4th You Jae-ha Music Contest held in 1992 with the song 달빛의 노래 (The Moonlight Song). In 1994 he started the band Toy as a duo with Yoon Jeong-oh.
But after releasing Toy"s first album, Yoon Jeong-oh left the band to study overseas and You Hee-yeol joined the navy for his mandatory military service.
Since 1996, Toy became a one-man band with You Hee-yeol as the sole member. After his discharge from military service, he successfully released Toy"s second album Fairy Tales for Adults with the title song Remember I Was Next to You sung by Kim Yeon-woo becoming a big hit.
You has also produced many albums for K-popular musicians like Lee Seung-hwan, Yoon Jong-shin, Lee Sora and Lee Moon-se. In July 1999, You published a book of illustrations titled In Front of a Familiar House which received a good response from his fans.
The album released under the same title of the book was filled with instrumental tracks in various genres in which he showed off his talent in musical composition.
Besides songwriting, You is a radio DJ. He"s been heard on the radio airwaves on MBC FM4U"s Yoo Hee-yeol"s Music City from 1999 to March 2001, on MBC FM4U"s All That Music from October 2, 2002 to April 25, 2004, and on Korean Broadcasting System 2FM"s You Hee-yeol"s Radio Heaven from 2008 to November 11, 2011. You has been hosting the major K-popular live talk/music show You Hee-yeol"s Sketchbook on Korean Broadcasting System 2TV since 2009. You joined SNL of Korea in September, 2013.
The biggest reason for joining SNL of Korea is working with Shin Dong-yup.
In November 2015 You featured in PSY"s music video for "Daddy" as a doctor performing a birthing of baby PSY.
He was also commissioned to be a member of the judging panel for K-popular Star season 3.