Who is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins?

Who is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins? [1] The world knows her by her professional name Adele, she is an English[3] singer. She won the 2009 Grammy for Best New Artist[4] and for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Adele has described her musical style as "heartbroken soul."[5] She is the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice, which was given to artists who, at the time, had yet to release an album. She has noted American jazz and blues singers Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald as influences. She debuted at number one with her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album 19 on the UK album chart; the album has since been certified platinum with sales of more than 500,000 copies in the UK and over 1,200,000 worldwide.[6] After the album peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200 chart on 8 July, 2008 (and #36 on the magazine's "Top Heatseekers" chart)[7] Adele performed before more than 17 million television viewers on Saturday Night Live, leading to a very strong showing on a couple of notable download charts, and leading the album to leap from #46 to #11 on the official chart.

Adele was born 5 May 1988 in Enfield, North London she is the only daughter of a "hippie mum" who is a massage therapist and a furniture maker. Her Welsh father has never been involved in her life.[8]

Adele began singing at age 4,[9] when she became obsessed with voices, an obsession that is ongoing.[10] Adele impersonated the Spice Girls at dinner parties. As a preteen she sang Destiny's Child songs at her mostly African-English school.[8] Adele's first public singing performance was in a school presentation wherein she sang Rise by Gabrielle. To make her look like the singer, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which she said was embarrassing.[11] Adele went through a phase where she wore Slipknot clothing and a studded dog collar.[12] Adele then claimed she was influenced by the music of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald in her teens by accident, as she stumbled on the artists' CDs on a local HMV store while looking for a new hairstyle. She only got to listen to those songs for the first time as she was clearing her room.[13] She graduated from BRIT School in Croydon in May 2006, which was the same performing arts school attended by Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua, Leona Lewis, Imogen Heap and Kate Nash.[13][14] Adele credits the school with nurturing her talent [5]. A month later, she published two songs on the fourth issue of the online arts publication PlatformsMagazine.com.[15] Since then Adele has played in small UK gigs, and has toured with best friend Jack Peñate, as well as Jamie T, Raul Midon, Devendra Banhart, Amos Lee, Keren Ann and the band Exist. Adele went on her first UK headlining tour in October 2007.

Adele wrote her first record Hometown Glory when she was 16 years old.[16] In the song she sings the praises of Tottenham. The song was released on 22 October 2007 as a limited edition 7" vinyl on Jamie T's label Pacemaker Recordings, with "Best for Last" as its B-side. Since launching her MySpace page on Christmas Eve 2004, Adele became popular on the site which she used as a media focus and test point for songs. She then signed to independent music label XL Recordings, which in January 2008 released her second single Chasing Pavements.[17]


During her teenage years she recorded a demo and gave it to her friend, Lyndon. He eventually put it on MySpace and it became very successful there. Adele got a record deal through MySpace. When she got a phone call, she couldn't believe it was real because the only record company she knew was Virgin Records[18]. When a friend told her that it was a real record company, she signed.[18]

As of 4 December the video for "Chasing Pavements" was the most played video on the United States Basic Cable channel VH1 in 2008. Adele made her United States television debut on The Today Show. In addition to the Saturday Night Live appearance discussed below in 2008 she appeared on American television programs The Late Show with David Letterman, The View, CBS Early Show, CBS News Sunday Morning, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.[21], Jimmy Kimmel Live[22], and The Ellen Degeneres Show.[23]

Hometown Glory has been widely featured on United Kingdom and United States television shows including Skins, Grey's Anatomy, So You Think You Can Dance and Secret Diary of a Call Girl[24] Adele won a grammy award in 2009.


On 4 February the album entered the British charts at number 1. Also by that week the single from the album Chasing Pavements had spent a third week at the number 2 position and another single from the album Hometown Glory had entered the charts at the number 32 position.[25]
On 19 March Adele signed a United States deal which involved a joint venture between Columbia Records and XL Recordings. That month also saw Adele embark on a short North American tour.[26] The following month she played the Coachella Festival[27]
On 16 June, 2008, Adele performed an exclusive set for Billboard Magazine. The set can be viewed here.

Adele supported Will Young at the 2007 MENCAP Little Noise Sessions a charity concert at London's Union Chapel. In 2008 she was the headliner and performed a stripped down acoustic that was supported by Damien Rice.[31][32] In a duet described by Adele in her blog as "surreal" she performed with Alicia Keys at the Keep a Child Alive black ball in New York.
On 6 December 2008, in continuing support of her album, Adele opened with a 40-minute performance for John Mayer at his 2nd Annual Holiday Charity Revue[33]. The Revue was held at the Nokia Theatre, L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California.

By October, her attempt to break America seemed to have failed, [40][41] so Adele sang on SNL. On the 18 October, 2008 episode, she was the musical guest with guest host Josh Brolin. Adele performed "Chasing Pavements" and "Cold Shoulder". This appearance has been credited with a sharp rise in her popularity in the United States. The day following her appearance, 19 topped the iTunes charts and ranked #5 on Amazon.com, while "Chasing Pavements" rose into the Top 25[42]. 19 was still at the #2 position on iTunes on 22 October. By the week of 26 October the album was at the number 11 position on the Billboard's Album charts a jump of 35 places over the previous week.[43] Chasing Pavements was the top debut on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for the week of 30 October residing at the number 82 position.[44] Over half of the 364,000 copies of 19 she had sold in the United States by 28 January, 2009 had come after her SNL appearance.[45]

In February 2009 it was announced that Adele will appear in a Vogue Magazine photo spread shot by Annie Leibovitz.[46]

At the 51st Grammy Awards held on 8 February, 2009 Adele won awards in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance[47] Adele was also nominated for Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[48] While winning a Grammy Award would be important to Adele she feels that Grammy's should not be awarded to musicians that have released only one album. Adele said "I can't see how this album life span could get any better and I don't feel like it needs to be. I'm already over the moon and blown away with people's response to it."[49]. Later in her blog clarifying what she claims is a misinterpretation by the BBC she wrote "of course I want to win one !!" and "to win a grammy you must give a performance of your life. And I find it hard to think of my album like that! I can't be like 'yeah I so deserve it', that would make me sound like a prick!". Adele has noticed that that British press have found the remarks ungrateful while Americans tend to think they were gracious.[50]
Adele has been nominated for three 2009 Brit Awards in the categories of Best British female,Best British single, and Best British breakthrough act.[51]

On 10 December, 2007 Adele was awarded with the first Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award [52][53] and was nominated for a 2008 Mercury Prize award for her album, 19.[54] She also won an Urban Music Award for "Best Jazz Act". [55]Her video for "Chasing Pavements" received an MTV Video Awards nomination in the category of Best Choreography [56] as well as a 2008 Q Awards nomination in the category of Breakthrough Act [57] and Music of Black Origin nomination in the category of Best UK Female.[58]. In early 2008 Adele topped in a poll of music critics Adele topped BBC's new music talent list, which was compiled from the votes of 150 music critics.[19]

She also received praises from Paul Rees, editor of Q magazine, who said it was "refreshing to hear something different" after a thousand years of "identikit bands who want to sound like The Libertines".[59] Her music was described by the Richmond Times Dispatch music critic as "a perfect backdrop to a lazy afternoon in the coffee shop."[40].
Adele cherishes the praise she has received from Kanye West and Beyoncé. [5]
Adele agrees with critics that have suggested that her vocals are more developed and intriguing than her songwriting.[60]

In September 2008, Adele released her version of "Many Shades of Black" by The Raconteurs on to her MySpace page. Adele covered the single at the groups request. Adele's cover appears on the B-Side of the single .[62]

On 23 October 2008 at the BBC Electric Proms event saluting award winning American composer Burt Bacharach, Adele joined Bacharach in singing his composition, "Baby It's You".[63]
On 26 November 2008 Adele covered "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison at Radio 2 Live in London.[64]
Adele performed a cover of Etta James' "I just want to make love to you" on Jools' Annual Hootenanny 2008/2009 along with Jools Holland and his band.
Adele provided backing vocals for Jack Penate's second album [61] as well as dueting with Daniel Merriweather on a track called Water In A Flame from his forthcoming album.[65]

Adele's success is occurring simultaneously with several other British female soul singers. The British press has dubbed her a new Amy Winehouse. Also she has been linked to a third British Musical Invasion of the United States. Adele commented that while this phenomenon is unexpected she is "proud to be a part of it. I'm very pleased to be riding the wave". In December she said that Duffy was The Sound of 2008 and called the comparisons with other females lazy noting "we're a gender, not a genre".[66] .[5][40].
By the beginning of 2009 listeners and critics started to describe Adele as unique. AllMusic wrote that "Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone".[16]

The album was written about a former boyfriend. The song "Chasing Pavements" refers to an incident that occurred after she was thrown out of a pub for punching the former boyfriend in the face after she discovered him cheating on her. As she was running down the street she thought to herself "What you're doing is you're chasing an empty pavement." According to Adele "When I got home I sang it into my phone, went home and got three chords together." [67] Adele finds it hard to sing "Melt My Heart to Stone" because it was written right after her breakup with the former boyfriend. Adele is alleged to have said that "Daydreamer" was about herself daydreaming about her having the relationship with the former boyfriend. [5][68]

Adele is scheduled to perform at a Neil Diamond tribute concert to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on 6 February, 2009.[69]. She is scheduled to return to Southern California on 28 June to play the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Strings.[70]
Singer Laura White of X-Factor fame has confirmed that Adele will duet with her at Adele's suggestion.[71]
Adele would like to collaborate in the future with younger singers more than established ones. She also would like to complete a duet she started with Will Young.".[72]
In January 2009 described her lyrics as "better, they're sharp and they're witty now".[16]


Adele plans to start recording her sophomore album after the first leg of her United Stated tour ends on 31 January, 2009.[38] An unnamed producer has been chosen for the album which will be recorded in Malibu, California. Adele feels that recording away from home will limit distractions. As of 9 December, 2008 Adele has chosen three or four songs likely to go on the album. The album will be influenced by T-Bone Burnett -produced albums such as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and the melodies from the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss album Raising Sand. According to Adele the new album is shaping up to be "about a relationship I was quite pleased to get out of rather than feeling a bit deprived of someone's attention. It's more grown up.".[73]

As of November 2008 Adele had just moved to Notting Hill after leaving her mother's house, a move that prompted her to give up drinking. According to the singer her heavy drinking “was clouding my judgment and making me make all the wrong decisions in my personal life. You want a beer to relax after a show then that turns into nine". Adele has never used drugs and vows never to do so in the future.[74]
Also in November, a four-month relationship with a boyfriend ended when he had difficulties with the effects of her fame.[75][74].
Adele is a UK dress size 14-16. She was quoted as saying "I'm really mouthy about not having the Hollywood look. Everyone asks me 'Why don't you feel pressured to get the Hollywood look?' and I'm like, "Because I don't." "I mean, I quite like my eyes and my lips. I don't like my double chin or my gut, but I don't not like them enough to do something about it".[75]
Adele is a big fan of the X-Factor and has never missed an episode.
Adele has said she is fearful that her personal life may hurt her future music plans.[76]
In July 2008, Adele paid £8,000 in a charity auction in aid of Keep a Child Alive for a commissioned painting by Stella Vine. Adele said she planned to ask Vine to paint a portrait of "my mum and me". The money raised helps children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa.".[77]

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