Sade (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sade
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Sade performing in 2011
|
|
| Born |
Helen Folasade Adu
16 January 1959 |
| Alma mater | Saint Martin's School of Art |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Carlos Pliego
(m. 1989; div. 1995)Ian Watts
(m. 2007) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Essex, England |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
Helen Folasade Adu, known simply as Sade (pronounced SHAH-day), is a famous singer and songwriter. She was born in Nigeria and grew up in Britain. She is the lead singer of her band, also called Sade. Many people consider her one of the most successful British female artists ever. Her music has inspired many other artists.
Sade was honored for her success in music. She received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire award in 2002. Later, in 2017, she was made a Commander of the same Order.
Sade was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and moved to England when she was four. She studied fashion design in London. She even worked as a fashion designer and model for a short time. In the early 1980s, she joined a band called Pride. She became well-known as a performer. Soon after, she formed her own band, Sade. They signed a record deal with Epic Records in 1983.
In 1984, her band released their first album, Diamond Life. It became one of the best-selling albums of that time. It was also the best-selling first album by a British female singer. In 1985, Sade performed at the Live Aid charity concert. This big event took place at Wembley Stadium. Later that year, the band released their second album, Promise. Sade also appeared in the film Absolute Beginners in 1986.
The band released their third album, Stronger Than Pride, in 1988. Their fourth album, Love Deluxe, came out in 1992. The band then took a break in 1996. They reunited in 1999. In 2000, they released Lovers Rock, their first album in eight years. This album had a different sound from their earlier jazz-inspired music. In 2010, the band released Soldier of Love. This was their sixth studio album. They then went on a worldwide tour. Since 2011, the band has released three new songs. These include "Flower of the Universe" for the Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time. They also released "The Big Unknown" for the film Widows. In 2024, they released 'Young Lion' for the TRAИƧA album.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Helen Folasade Adu was born on January 16, 1959. Her birthplace was Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Her middle name, Folasade, means "crowned with wealth" in the Yoruba language. Her father, Adebisi Adu, was a Nigerian economics lecturer. Her mother, Anne Hayes, was an English nurse. They met in London and married in 1955. Then, they moved to Nigeria.
Sade's parents separated when she was four years old. Her mother moved back to England with Sade and her older brother, Banji. They lived with their grandparents near Colchester, Essex. When Sade was 11, she moved to Holland-on-Sea, Essex. She lived there with her mother and brother. After finishing school at Clacton County High School and Colchester Institute, she moved to London. She was 18 years old. In London, she studied fashion design at Saint Martin's School of Art.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out and Diamond Life
After studying fashion design, Sade briefly worked as a model. She then started singing backup for a British band called Pride. During this time, she began writing songs with Pride's guitarist, Stuart Matthewman. They started performing their own songs at Pride's concerts. Sade's solo performances of "Smooth Operator" caught the attention of record companies. She co-wrote this song with Ray St. John.
In 1983, Sade and Matthewman left Pride. They formed the band Sade with keyboardist Andrew Hale and bassist Paul Denman. Paul Cook joined as the drummer. Their first show at London's Heaven nightclub was very popular. Many people could not get in. In May 1983, Sade performed her first US show in New York City. On October 18, 1983, Sade Adu signed with Epic Records. The rest of the band signed in 1984.
After signing the record deal, the group began recording their first album. It was called Diamond Life. It took six weeks to record in London. Diamond Life was released on July 16, 1984. It reached number two on the UK Album Chart. Over 1.2 million copies were sold in the UK. The album won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 1985. It was also a big hit around the world. It reached number one in several countries. It was in the top ten in the US, selling over four million copies there. Diamond Life sold over six million copies worldwide. It became one of the best-selling first albums of the 1980s. It was also the best-selling first album ever by a British female singer.
"Your Love Is King" was the first single from the album. It was released on February 25, 1984. It was successful in Europe, reaching number seven in Ireland and number six in the UK. The song was less popular in the US, peaking at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "Smooth Operator", came out on September 15, 1984. This became the most successful song from Diamond Life in the US. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In Europe, the song did well, reaching number 19 in the UK. It also made it into the top 20 in Austria, Switzerland, France, and Germany.
Continued Success and First Break
.jpg)
In late 1985, the band released their second album, Promise. This album reached number one in both the UK and the US. It was the band's first album to hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album stayed at the top for two weeks in 1986. It eventually sold four million copies in the US. The album included two singles: "Never as Good as the First Time" and "The Sweetest Taboo". "The Sweetest Taboo" was the main single. It stayed on the US Hot 100 for six months. It reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart. In 1986, the band won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
In 1986, Sade acted in the film Absolute Beginners. The movie was about life in London in the late 1950s. Sade played the role of Athene Duncannon. She also sang on the film's soundtrack. The film was shown at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
Sade's third album, Stronger Than Pride, was released on May 3, 1988. Like her previous album, it was very successful. It was certified three times platinum in the US. Four singles helped make the album popular. The most notable was "Paradise". This song reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This was the band's first single to do so.
Love Deluxe was the band's fourth studio album. It was released on October 26, 1992. The album reached number three on the US Billboard 200. It sold 3.4 million copies in the United States. It was certified four times platinum. The album was also successful in other countries. It reached number one in France. It was in the top ten in New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. In November 1994, the group released their first collection of songs, The Best of Sade. This album was another top ten hit in both the UK and the US. It included songs from Sade's earlier albums. It also featured a cover version of "Please Send Me Someone to Love".
Lovers Rock and Second Break
After an eight-year break, the band released their fifth studio album. It was called Lovers Rock. It came out on November 13, 2000. Music critics gave it good reviews. The album reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. It hit number three on the US Billboard 200. By February 2010, it had sold 3.9 million copies in the United States. On February 27, 2002, Lovers Rock won Sade the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. The main single, "By Your Side", was nominated for a Grammy Award. It was listed as the 48th greatest love song of all time by VH1.
To promote the album, Sade and the band went on their fifth concert tour. It was called the Lovers Rock Tour. The tour started in the summer of 2001. Many shows sold out quickly, and extra dates were added. This tour was the band's first since 1994. It became the 13th biggest tour in North America. It earned over $26 million.
After the tour, the band released their first live album. It was called Lovers Live. It came out on February 5, 2002. Lovers Live reached number ten on the US Billboard 200. It reached number 51 on the UK Albums Chart. This was the band's first album to miss the top twenty in the UK.
After Lovers Rock, Sade took a ten-year break. During this time, she raised her child. She also moved to the Caribbean. She made a rare public appearance in 2002. She accepted an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award at Buckingham Palace. This was for her contributions to music. In 2002, she also appeared on the Red Hot Organization album, Red Hot + Riot. This album honored the music of Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti.
Soldier of Love and Recent Work
.png)
The band's sixth studio album, Soldier of Love, was released worldwide on February 8, 2010. This was their first album with new songs in ten years. The album received good reviews and was very successful. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It sold 502,000 copies in its first week. Soldier of Love was the band's first album to debut at number one. It was also their second album to reach number one on the chart. The band set a record for the longest time between number-one albums. Their album Promise (1985) and Soldier of Love were separated by almost 25 years.
The first single, "Soldier of Love", was first played on US radio on December 8, 2009. It was released digitally on January 11, 2010. Other singles included "Babyfather" and "The Moon and the Sky". At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011, the song "Soldier of Love" won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
In April 2011, the band started their Sade Live tour. This tour was also known as the "Once in a Lifetime Tour." The band toured Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Asia. They promoted their sixth studio album and their second collection album, The Ultimate Collection (2011). This was the band's first tour in almost ten years. It earned over $50 million from 59 shows. The tour was documented in Bring Me Home - Live 2011, released in May 2012.
In March 2018, Sade and her band released the song "Flower of the Universe". This acoustic song was for the soundtrack of the Disney film A Wrinkle in Time. The film's director, Ava DuVernay, was surprised when Sade agreed to contribute. Later that year, Sade released "The Big Unknown". This song was for the soundtrack of the film Widows. The film's director, Steve McQueen, said Sade wrote the song because the original Widows TV series meant a lot to her. In 2022, the band visited Miraval Studios in France. They had recorded some of their earlier albums there. There are rumors that a new album, following Soldier of Love, is being made.
Influence and Recognition
The New Yorker magazine described Sade's voice as "grainy" and "full of air." They noted it had a slight ache but no agony. The BBC called her voice "husky and restrained." They compared it to singer Billie Holiday. The BBC also said her songwriting was "soulful and jazzy yet poppy, funky yet easy listening." This made her music appeal to many different fans. Sade has been called a "pop star."
With her band, Sade, The New Yorker wrote, "created one of the most profitable catalogues in pop." The band's "easy" sound supported songs about the deeper parts of love. Her success is often linked to her unique beauty and mysterious personality. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Sade at No. 51 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Many singers and hip hop artists have been influenced by Sade's work. Rapper Rakim said he grew up listening to Sade's music. He was influenced by her voice and style. Rakim even mentioned Sade's song "Smooth Operator" in his own song "Microphone Fiend" (1988). Talib Kweli said he learned about precision from Sade's performances. Rapper Missy Elliott said Sade's performance of "Smooth Operator" was one of her favorites. Hip hop groups like Souls of Mischief and Tanya Morgan also said they grew up listening to Sade.
Other rappers who admire Sade include Malice and Pusha. When Soldier of Love was released, rapper Kanye West wrote about how much he loved the new Sade music. Rapper Rick Ross said he was "infatuated" with Sade. He stated, "There's never been a bad Sade track. I love all different sides."
The late singer Aaliyah admired Sade because "she stays true to her style no matter what." She called Sade "an amazing artist, an amazing performer." American R&B singer Brandy has said Sade is one of her main vocal influences. Heavy metal singers Greg Puciato and Chino Moreno have also named her as an inspiration.
Personal Life
In the 1980s, Sade lived in Tottenham with her boyfriend, Robert Elms. In 1989, she married Spanish film director Carlos Pliego. Their marriage ended in 1995. Sade moved to the Caribbean for a short time in the late 1990s. She lived with Jamaican music producer Bob Morgan. On July 21, 1996, she gave birth to her child. Her child later sang on Sade's song "Babyfather" in 2010. Sade and Morgan separated. Since 2007, she has been in a relationship with Ian Watts, a former Royal Marine. She has a stepson from this relationship.
In 2016, Sade's child, Izaak Theo Adu, came out as a transgender man. In September 2019, Izaak thanked his mother online for her support during his transition. In the fall of 2024, Sade and the Red Hot Organization's TRANSA project released "Young Lion." This song is dedicated to her son.
In 2005, Sade moved to a village in the Gloucestershire countryside. She bought an old cottage to fix up. Sade rarely gives interviews.
Awards and Honors
Sade has received many awards for her music. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2002. She said this award was "a great gesture to me and all black women in England." She was promoted to Commander of the same Order (CBE) in 2017. This was also for her services to music. In 1986, she became the first Nigerian-born artist to win a Grammy Award. She was named Best New Artist. In 2023, Sade was invited to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Sade was also nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Diamond Life (1984)
- Promise (1985)
- Stronger Than Pride (1988)
- Love Deluxe (1992)
- Lovers Rock (2000)
- Soldier of Love (2010)
Compilations
- TRAИƧA (2024)
Tours
- 1984: Diamond Life Tour
- 1985–1986: Promise Tour
- 1988: Stronger Than Pride Tour
- 1993: Love Deluxe World Tour
- 2001: Lovers Rock Tour
- 2011: Sade Live
See also
In Spanish: Sade Adu para niños
