Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born May 5, 1988 in Enfield, North London), known professionally as Adele, is a British singer. Adele has described her musical style as "heartbroken soul." 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.
Adele 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 2.2 million worldwide. After the album peaked at number fifty-four on the Billboard 200 chart on 8 July, 2008 (and number thirty-six on the magazine's "Top Heatseekers" chart) Adele performed before 17 million television viewers on Saturday Night Live, propelling her album from number forty-six to number eleven on the official chart.
In 2009, Adele won two Grammy Awards, Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Chasing Pavements". The week after the Grammy Awards aired, the album finally peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, her single "Chasing Pavements" reached number twenty one on the Billboard Hot 100.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a thank you letter to Adele that stated "With the troubles that the country's in financially, you're a light at the end of the tunnel."
Adele began singing at age 4, when she became obsessed with voices, an obsession that is ongoing. Adele impersonated the Spice Girls at dinner parties. As a preteen she sang Destiny's Child songs at her mostly black school. To make her look like the singer Gabrielle, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which she said was embarrassing. Adele went through a phase where she wore Slipknot clothing and a studded dog collar. 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. 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. Adele credits the school with nurturing her talent. A month later, she published two songs on the fourth issue of the online arts publication PlatformsMagazine.com. 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. She then signed to independent music label XL Recordings, which in January 2008 released her second single "Chasing Pavements".
On December 10, 2007, Adele was awarded the first Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award.
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.
Adele cancelled a 2008 United States tour to be with and drink with a former boyfriend. She told Nylon Magazine in June 2009 that "I was drinking far too much and that was kind of the basis of my relationship with this boy. I couldn't bear to be without him, so I was like, 'Well, OK, I'll just cancel my stuff then" ... I can't believe I did that ... It seems so ungrateful".
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. As of June 2009 Adele was still sober. Adele claims she has never used drugs and vowed never to do so in the future.
In June 2009 Adele when discussed relationship issues remarked ""I've still got the same problems. They get worse because I'm away all the time. It gets a bit harder.".
