Audiences outside the United Kingdom may not yet know much about this young singer with the wise voice who calls herself Adele, but with four Grammy nominations including, Song of the Year and Album of the Year, she will most certainly be even better known to US audiences after Grammy night on 8 February 2009.
Who is Adele?
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins known professionally as Adele was born on 5 May 1988 in Enfield, North London. At 14, she picked up a microphone and really like the sound of her voice.
The daughter of a hippy mother who makes furniture, Adele is a fan of such diverse artists as Jill Scott, Etta James, Billy Bragg, Peggy Lee, Jeff Buckley, and The Cure,
“I’ve got no problem explaining what my lyrics are about,” Adele says. “I really like poetry: I’m not very good at reading it, but I love writing it. Singers like Jill Scott and Karen Dalton are amazing; proper poets.”
Adele’s Career was Launched on MySpace
Adele attended The Brit School in Croydon, the same performing arts school attended by Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua, Leona Lewis, Imogen Heap and Kate Nash. She graduated in 2006.
In 2004, she had set up a MySpace page with the help of a friend and began to promote her music. “I’d hate people to think that I was a ‘MySpace singer’,” she says. “I’ve got no right to be that. I’ve got, like, 10,000 ‘friends’, whereas Jack Peñate’s got about one million…”
When record label, XL called her in for a meeting, Adele, who hadn’t really heard of them, was nervous enough to take a friend along with her. They signed her and recorded her first Album, "19",
Chasing Pavements Enters Top of the UK Charts
On 4 February 2008 the album, "19" entered the British charts at number 1. After scooping up an armful of awards in the UK, Adele tried to break into the tough US market and appeared on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show and made some live appearances in the States last year, but in spite of a growing fan-base, the real breakthrough hasn't happened yet.
51st Grammy 2009 Award Ceremony
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards ( also known as the Grammys) will air live on CBS from Staples Center in Los Angeles on 8 February 2009.
The Grammy nominations showcase the best of the best artists as selected by the Recording Academy's membership of music professionals for this particular eligibility period, which stretched from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008.
Who are Some of the 2009 Grammy Nominees?
For the first time ever, the 2009 Grammy Award nominations were announced during a live concert special featuring Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and a host of other musical performers
Lil Wayne and Coldplay, two of the top selling artists of the year, lead the way with eight and seven nominations respectively for 2009 Grammy Awards. Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, the Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Hudson and Jazmine Sullivan are also among the nominees.
The critical musos will be delighted with the five nominations for the groundbreaking album "Raising Sand" which paired Led Zeppelin’s wailer, Robert Plant, and bluegrass queen Alison Krauss. Will they walk off with some Grammys?
How many 2009 Grammys for Adele?
Adele has been nominated for four Grammy Awards in the categories of Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Chasing Pavements,” and Best New Artist.
See the full list of the 51st Grammy 2009 nominees.
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