椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo, also sometimes spelled "Sheena Rinngo" or "Shéna Ringö"), born November 25, 1978 in Saitama, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. Her family name is Shiina (椎名) and she chose to perform as Ringo instead of her birth name Yumiko (裕美子) because - as a shy child - her cheeks would blush red like an apple (the fruit being 'ringo' in Japanese). She was born with an illness in which the esophagus narrows as it approaches the stomach, requiring much surgery.