Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on the 5th of May 1988 in Tottenham, London. Her mother Penny worked as a furniture maker while her father Marc Evans left when she was two years old. She grew up in Brixton and later West Norwood after moving from Brighton in 1999. The young girl spent much time playing guitar in Brockwell Park where she would sing to friends. This park became the subject of her first song Hometown Glory written when she was sixteen. Adele attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon graduating in May 2006. Her classmates included future stars Leona Lewis and Jessie J Collis.
The seventeen-year-old released her debut album 19 named for her age at the time of writing many songs. It entered British charts at number one and became one of the best-selling debut albums ever in the UK. Singles Chasing Pavements and Make You Feel My Love reached top five positions there. The Times Encyclopedia of Modern Music called it an essential blue-eyed soul recording. Adele won Best New Artist at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2009. By July 2009 the album had sold 2.2 million copies worldwide. She performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live on the 18th of October 2008 which helped boost sales significantly.
Adele released her second studio album 21 on the 24th of January 2011 in the UK. It topped charts in thirty countries including the United States and Britain. Rolling in the Deep Someone Like You and Set Fire to the Rain became signature hits topping charts globally. The record held the number-one position on the Billboard 200 for twenty-four weeks non-consecutively. It became the best-selling album of the 21st century with over 31 million copies sold by late 2014. Adele won six Grammy Awards including Album of the Year making her only the second female artist to win all four general field awards. Sales surpassed ten million in the US alone by November 2012.
Her third album 25 arrived on the 20th of November 2015 after a long wait since 2011. Lead single Hello broke Vevo records with over 27.7 million views in its first twenty-four hours. The album debuted at number one selling 3.38 million copies in its opening week in the US. This was the largest single sales week for an album since Nielsen began monitoring data in 1991. Adele described it as a make-up record about getting to know who she had become without realizing. The accompanying world tour included eight dates at Wembley Stadium before ending early due to vocal cord damage. Fans gathered outside to sing along during Sing for Adele events when shows were cancelled.
Adele announced Weekends with Adele residency running from January 2022 until April 2022 initially. It later extended through June 2024 adding thirty-two more shows starting in January 2024. Her fourth studio album 30 released on the 19th of November 2021 became best-selling globally that year. Single Easy on Me won Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards in February 2023. She performed four one-off shows in Munich August 2024 at a custom-built venue holding eighty thousand people. Tickets went on presale at ten a.m. CET with three million people queuing at peak times. Adele revealed plans for an indefinite break from music following the end of her residency in July 2024.
Adele possesses a mezzo-soprano voice spanning from B2 to C6 according to Classic FM reports. Critics often mistake her for a contralto due to tense chest mix used for lower notes. Rolling Stone noted her voice became palpably bigger and purer-toned after throat surgery. She credits Ella Fitzgerald Etta James and Roberta Flack as key influences on her technique. Early success came while other British soul singers were present but she rejected comparisons calling them lazy. Her song topics frequently address heartbreak relationship issues self-examination and forgiveness. The New York Times described her emotive timbre likening it to Dusty Springfield Petula Clark and Annie Lennox.
Adele began a relationship with Simon Konecki in 2011 their son born in 2012. They married secretly in 2018 before separating that same year though remaining co-parents. Divorce finalized on the 4th of March 2021 after filing in September 2019. In August 2024 she revealed engagement to American sports agent Rich Paul during a Munich concert performance. Adele has suffered from borderline alcoholism since her twenties becoming sober three months prior to October 2023 concerts. She supports Labour Party politics and donated proceeds from Little Noise Sessions to Mencap charity. A vigil attended by Adele for Grenfell Tower fire victims occurred on the 15th of June 2017 in west London.
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Common questions
When and where was Adele born?
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on the 5th of May 1988 in Tottenham, London. Her mother Penny worked as a furniture maker while her father Marc Evans left when she was two years old.
What are the release dates for Adele's studio albums 21 and 30?
Adele released her second studio album 21 on the 24th of January 2011 in the UK. Her fourth studio album 30 released on the 19th of November 2021 became best-selling globally that year.
How many copies did Adele sell with her album 21 by late 2014?
The record held the number-one position on the Billboard 200 for twenty-four weeks non-consecutively. It became the best-selling album of the 21st century with over 31 million copies sold by late 2014.
Who is Adele married to now after her divorce from Simon Konecki?
In August 2024 she revealed engagement to American sports agent Rich Paul during a Munich concert performance. Divorce finalized on the 4th of March 2021 after filing in September 2019.
When did Adele announce her Weekends with Adele residency run until?
Adele announced Weekends with Adele residency running from January 2022 until April 2022 initially. It later extended through June 2024 adding thirty-two more shows starting in January 2024.