Adnan Sami facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adnan Sami
Sami in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Adnan Sami Khan
Born	(1969-08-15) 15 August 1969 (age 55) London, England
Origin	England
Genres	Filmi, Classical, jazz, pop rock, fusion
Occupation(s)	Musician Singer Music Composer Concert Pianist Television presenter Actor
Instruments	Piano, keyboard, guitar, accordion, saxophone, violin, drums, bongos, congas, bass guitar, electric guitar, tabla, dholak, harmonium, harpsichord, santoor, sitar, sarod, percussion
Years active	1986–present

Adnan Sami Khan (born August 15, 1969) is a famous Indian singer, musician, composer, actor, and pianist. He performs many types of music, including Indian and Western styles. He sings in several languages like Hindi, Urdu, English, Telugu, and Tamil.

Adnan Sami received the Padma Shri award, which is one of India's highest honors for civilians. This award recognized his amazing contributions to music. He is especially known for playing the piano. People say he was the first musician to play Indian classical music on the santoor and piano. A magazine called Keyboard even called him the fastest keyboard player in the world.

He grew up and went to school in the United Kingdom. He used to be a citizen of Canada but became an Indian citizen in 2016. His father was a veteran and diplomat from Pakistan, and his mother was from Jammu and Kashmir in India. The Times of India newspaper has called him the "Sultan of Music."

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Adnan Sami was born in London, England, on August 15, 1969. He spent his childhood and got his education in the United Kingdom. His father was a pilot and later a diplomat for Pakistan. His mother was from Jammu, India.

Adnan went to Rugby School in the UK. After that, he studied law at King's College London. He also became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer, from Lincoln's Inn in England.

He started playing the piano when he was only five years old. By the time he was nine, he had already written his first song. When he visited India during school breaks, he learned Indian classical music from a master musician named Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. A famous Indian singer, Asha Bhosle, saw him perform when he was ten. She encouraged him to make music his career.

As a teenager, Adnan played the piano on a TV show in Sweden. The US-based Keyboard magazine called him the fastest keyboard player in the world. When he was sixteen, he wrote a song to help people affected by famine in Ethiopia. For this, he received a special award from UNICEF.

Throughout his career, Adnan Sami has won many international awards. He is the youngest person to receive the Naushad Music Award for excellence in music. He was also a judge for the "Voice of Asia" music competition in Kazakhstan.

Music Career Highlights

Adnan Sami at the release party for his album Kisi Din

Adnan Sami released his first song, "Run for His Life," in 1986. It was in English and was made for UNICEF. This song became number one on music charts in the Middle East. He had three more number-one songs after that.

His first full album, The One & Only (1989), featured classical piano music. He worked with the famous tabla player Zakir Hussain on this album. In 1991, he released his first album where he sang, called Raag Time.

In 2000, Adnan Sami worked with Asha Bhosle on an album of love songs called Kabhi to Nazar Milao. He also composed the music for this album. It became very popular and was a top seller in India for a long time. Business Week magazine reported that this album sold 4 million copies in India.

His next album, Tera Chehra, came out in 2002. It was also very successful. The music videos for this album featured famous Bollywood actors like Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan. This album became India's best-selling album of 2002. It also became the best-selling Indian album of all time in the U.S. and Canada.

Adnan Sami's music videos often feature popular Bollywood stars. He has also composed music for many Hindi films.

Working as a Film Composer

In 1994, Adnan Sami composed music for a film for the first time. This was for the Pakistani film Sargam (1995). He also acted as the main character in this movie. The film was a big success. It was also the first time an Indian singer, Asha Bhosle, sang in a Pakistani film album. Sargam is still the only film Adnan Sami has acted in. Its music album is the best-selling album ever in Pakistan.

Because of his popularity, famous Hindi filmmakers like Boney Kapoor and Yash Chopra asked him to create music for their movies. He started composing and singing for many Hindi films.

In 2001, his song "Tu Sirf Mera Mehboob" from the film Ajnabee became a huge hit. In 2002, he worked with A. R. Rahman on the song "Aye Udi Udi" for the film Saathiya. This song was a highlight of the album.

In 2015, he sang the song "Bhar Do Jholi Meri" for the film Bajrangi Bhaijaain, which starred Salman Khan. Adnan Sami also appeared in the movie.

Health Journey

In 2005, Adnan Sami faced some health challenges. He had a condition called lymphoedema and an infection in his knee. This caused him to take a break from his music career.

In 2006, he took time off and worked hard to improve his health. He reportedly lost a lot of weight, around 130 kilograms (286 pounds).

Concert Performances

As a classical concert pianist, Adnan Sami has performed for important people around the world. He has played for kings, queens, and leaders of many countries. He has performed in over forty countries, often to sold-out stadiums.

Music for Special Events

Adnan Sami wrote a song for India during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. The music video for this song showed him performing with the Indian cricket team. It also featured famous Indian film stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.

Television Appearances

In 2008, Adnan Sami hosted the Indian version of a music game show called Bol Baby Bol on Star TV. Before that, in 2005, he was the only judge for a singing competition called Super Singer. In 2011, Adnan returned as a judge on the popular singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs.

Awards and Special Recognition

Sami being awarded Padma Shri, c. 2021

Adnan Sami has received many international awards. These include the Nigar Award, the Bolan Academy Award, and the Graduate Award. UNICEF gave him a special award for a song he wrote for Ethiopia when he was a teenager. He also received a United Nations Peace Medal for a song he wrote about Africa.

A review in Keyboard magazine called him the "Keyboard Discovery of the 90s." In 2001, MTV named him the "Breakthrough Artist of the Year."

Radio and television stations in Sweden and Britain have often called him the fastest keyboard player in the world. Adnan has performed for large crowds in over forty countries. In 2003, he became the only Asian artist to sell out London's Wembley Stadium for two nights in a row. This achievement earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records.

In 2008, he received the "Naushad Music Award" in Hyderabad, India. He also won "Best International Act" at the UK Asian Music Awards in 2008.

In 2013, he was given the BrandLaureate International Brand Personality award in Malaysia. In April 2017, Sami became the first South Asian artist to perform at London's Wembley Stadium eight times, with all shows selling out. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, attended one of these concerts.

In January 2020, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri. This is India's fourth-highest civilian award for contributions to the arts. He received the award from the President of India in November 2021. In 2010, the Prime Minister of Pakistan gave Sami a "Lifetime Achievement Award."

In 2011, Adnan Sami received the "Glory of India Award." He performed a solo concert in front of the Taj Mahal during the 350th anniversary of its completion. After this performance, the Indian media started calling him the "Sultan of Music."

Brand Endorsements

In 2002, Pepsi Foods chose Adnan Sami to be their brand ambassador in India. This meant he would host concerts and appear in Pepsi advertisements. He is the only artist in Asia and Europe to have endorsed both Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola.

Personal Life

Adnan Sami first married actress Zeba Bakhtiar in 1993. They had a son named Azaan Sami Khan before divorcing three years later.

Since March 13, 2001, Adnan Sami has been living in India. In 2001, he married Sabah Galadari from Dubai. This marriage also ended in divorce after about a year and a half.

In June 2006, he weighed 230 kilograms (506 pounds). He worked hard on his diet and exercise, losing 120 kilograms (265 pounds) in 16 months.

In 2008, Sabah returned to Mumbai, and they remarried, but this marriage lasted only one year. In 2009, his father passed away from pancreatic cancer. Adnan described this as the "biggest blow" in his life.

On January 29, 2010, Adnan Sami married Roya Sami Khan. She is the daughter of a retired diplomat. On May 10, 2017, they welcomed a daughter named Medina Sami Khan.

In May 2015, Adnan Sami asked for Indian citizenship. His Pakistani passport had expired, and the Government of Pakistan did not renew it. He had lived in India for many years, which made him eligible for Indian citizenship. In December 2015, the Indian Home Ministry approved his request, and he became an Indian citizen on January 1, 2016.

Adnan Sami appeared on a TV show called Aap Ki Adalat in May 2025. He talked about his experiences and expressed thanks to the Government of India and his fans for their support. He also thanked Asha Bhosle for helping his career.

Filmography

As an Actor

• Sargam (1995)
• Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

As a Playback Singer

Adnan Sami has sung many songs for films in different languages. Here are some of them:

Urdu Songs

Hindi Songs

Telugu Songs

Tamil Songs

Kannada Songs

Other Languages

As a Music Director and Composer

Adnan Sami has also worked as a music director and composer for several films:

• Sargam (1995)
• Love at Times Square (2003)
• Lucky: No Time for Love (2005)
• Dhamaal (2007)
• Mumbai Salsa (2007)
• Khushboo (2008)
• 1920 (2008)
• Shaurya (2008)
• Daddy Cool (2009)
• Sadiyaan (2010)
• Chance Pe Dance (2010)

Discography

Adnan Sami has released many music albums. Here are some of his notable ones:

Badaltay Mausam (1997) was re-released in India as Kabhi To Nazar Milao (2000).

See also

In Spanish: Adnan Sami para niños