SPEED is a famous and highly respected female Jpop group consisting of four members hailing from Okinawa Japan: Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara, and Hitoe Arakaki. The girls all attended the Okinawa Actors School (OAS) which also counts Namie Amuro, MAX and Da Pump among its alumni members. Speed is officially the best selling female group in Japan when it comes to combined album and single's numbers. With their 6 albums (3 Best Album) & 11 singles, they sold 19.28 million/19,280,000 units of CD before disbandment during their together period of 3 years 8 months/1335 days. However, the title of best selling female group in terms of number of singles is now held by idol group Morning Musume after surpassing the 11.085 million mark with the release of their 33rd single. Although unlike SPEED's achievement, Morning Musume took up 10 years to break this record previously set by the legendary idol duo Pink Lady. Prior to SPEED's disbandment, none of their singles released ever sold below the 550,000 mark - a feat yet to be matched by any other jpop artist or band. With their success and accomplishments, they have paved the way for many other youthful female groups such as Folder 5, Morning Musume and Zone.

Helen Humes (June 23, 1913 - September 9, 1981) was an American jazz and blues singer. Helen was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She moved to New York and became a recording vocalist with Harry James big band in 1937. Her swing recordings with Harry James included “Jubilee”, “I Can Dream Can’t I”, “That’s The Dreamer In Me” and “Song Of The Wanderer”. Helen Humes became one of the vocalists with Count Basie’s band in the late 1930s. Her vocals with Basie’s band included “