Adele

In January 2012, it came into light that Adele was dating Simon Konecki, a charity entrepreneur. Later that year, she announced that the couple was expecting a baby and in October 2012, she gave birth to their son, Angelo.

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, England, to a Welsh father, Mark Evans, and an English mother, Penny Adkins. When Adele was still a kid, Evans left the family and thereafter, she was raised by her mother single-handedly.

Adele developed a passion for music at a young age and started singing. She was influenced by the Spice Girls and enjoyed the works of Lauryn Hill, Destiny's Child and Mary J. Blige.

At the age of 14, Adele discovered the collection of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald at her local music store and was fascinated by their music. A stage performance by ‘Pink’ which Adele witnessed as an audience member played a significant role in fueling her ambition to become a singer.

She was enrolled at the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon. While studying, she wrote and composed songs, later posting them on her MySpace page.

After graduating in 2006, she recorded a three-song demo for a class project which impressed the XL Recording executives. Subsequently, she was contacted by the company and signed for a recording contract.

In 2008, Adele's debut album titled ‘19’—named for the singer's age when she began recording it—was released. The album featured two popular lead singles “Hometown Glory” and “Chasing Pavements” which propelled her to overnight fame.

In March 2008, she signed a deal with Columbia Records and XL Recordings for her foray into the United States. Later that year, her world tour ‘An Evening with Adele’ began which lasted till June 2009.

In January 2011, she released her second and the much-anticipated studio album titled ‘21’, again named for her age when she recorded it. The album was a success and she received much appreciation for its classic American R&B and jazz style. Anchored by hits like “Rolling in the Deep” and ‘Someone Like You” the record was a monster hit.

The album’s another single “Set Fire to the Rain” became Adele's third No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequently, she became the first artist ever to have an album, ‘21’, hold the No.1 position on the Billboard 200 concurrently with three No.1 singles.

In 2012, she composed and recorded the theme song titled “Skyfall’ for the eponymous James Bond film. Upon its release, the song became a chartbuster and rose to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The track also entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 8, selling more than two million copies in the United States in its first three days.

Her album ‘21’ sold over 3.4 million copies in the UK, and became the biggest-selling album of the 21st century. It also made Adele the first artist ever to sell three million albums in the UK in one calendar year.

In 2012, Billboard announced Adele's “Rolling in the Deep” as the biggest crossover hit of the past 25 years, topping pop, adult pop and adult contemporary charts.