(Vocal/instrumental group, 1998–present) Los Angeles-based emo-rock band led by Hollywood actor Jared Leto. Originally a family project with drummer brother Shannon, they endured some line-up changes before settling on lead guitarist Tomo Miličeviç. Though singer/guitarist Leto claims reluctance to use his name to promote the band, it has undoubtedly had an impact on the level of airplay they receive. Third LP This Is War (2009) broke the Top 20 in the ...
(Rapper, b. 1975) Curtis James Jackson II was born in New York, and has come to symbolize a brand of rap/actor that somehow manages to place circumstance over actual style. 50 Cent’s main claim to infamy is the fact he has been shot numerous times. Understandably brash in his delivery, his thuggish attitude towards many aspects of life, a psychiatrist might add, is a self-defence mechanism. Either way, after writing for Run ...
On 28 January 2008, Adele’s debut album 19 was released in the UK by XL Recordings (the name reflected her age at the time). By then, much hype had built up in the British press around the young singer. Within a week, the album hit No. 1 in the UK charts; it has since been certified four times platinum. ‘Chasing Pavements’ was released two weeks prior to the album going ...
Adele’s second offering, 21 (again, named for the age at which she wrote it), was released in January 2011. Though still a ‘break-up’ album inspired by heartbreak – this time a different ex – it differs slightly in style from 19, as it contains Nashville country and blues influences she picked up while touring the US. The new album would prove to be a much bigger hit than her debut ...
19 won the young singer a number of awards and even more nominations. Adele became the first ever winner of a new category – Critics’ Choice – at the 2008 BRIT Awards and was a nominee for the prestigious Mercury Prize. She also received three BRIT nominations in 2009 for her work on the album. Adele picked up the awards for Best Jazz Act at the 2008 Urban Music Awards ...
‘There are a lot of people who probably think that I’m never going to sing again, so I will come for them and kick their arses!’ Adele joked with a reporter on the red carpet pre-Grammys. Her phenomenal success that night wasn’t restricted to winning six awards though: Adele’s knockout performance confirmed her famous voice had been unaffected by throat surgery. ‘I have absolutely no intention of going into acting or ...
Discography (core) Albums & EPs 19 (2008, UK No. 1, US No. 4) iTunes Live From SoHo (EP, 2009) 21 (2011, UK & US No. 1) iTunes Festival: London 2011 (EP, 2011) Live At The Royal Albert Hall (video album, 2011, UK No. 2, US No. 1) 25 (2015, UK & US No. 1) Singles 2007 ‘Hometown Glory’ 2008 ‘Chasing Pavements’ (UK No. 2, US No. 1) ‘Cold Shoulder’ ‘Make You Feel My Love’ (UK No. 4) 2010 ‘Rolling In The Deep’ (UK No. 2, US No. ...
Adele has attracted a diverse, cross-generational, international legion of fans. While it was teenage girls who first clicked onto the singer via channels such as Myspace, their mothers soon grew to love her too. The star has often paid tribute to her loyal fanbase, particularly for accepting her as she is. ‘To all the fans,’ she trilled at the BRITS, ‘no one’s made me feel like I’ve had to be ...
Adele’s initial break came after she recorded a trio of demos as part of her final year’s coursework at the beginning of 2006. A pal uploaded them on to Myspace, and very soon they attracted views and the attention of record companies. The only label Adele had heard of was Virgin and naturally, an email from a rep at XL Recordings aroused suspicion – ‘I thought it was just some ...
In 2009, London-born soul sensation Adele said that to be nominated for a Grammy Award was ‘a dream come true’ and to win two ‘blew my mind.’ Fast-forward to the 54th Grammy Awards in February 2012 and the singer was practically staggering as she posed for pictures with six further gongs. She won Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year as well as Best ...
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on 5 May 1988 in Tottenham, a deprived part of North London with a high rate of unemployment. Her mother, Penny Adkins, was just 18 and an art student when her daughter was born. Adele’s father, Mark Evans, exited Adele’s life when she was aged three, leaving mother and daughter to fend for themselves. The singer has had limited contact with him since. Now living ...
Adele was just three years old when she attended her first live gig with her mother: a Cure concert in London’s Finsbury Park. It was the same year her father, a Welsh plumber, left her mother, practically severing all ties with his daughter in the process. After that first gig, the tot took to the music straight away and it was an obsession that stuck. ‘I’ve got no problem explaining what ...
Following the release of ‘Hometown Glory’, anticipation for Adele’s first album began to mount seriously. A big moment for Adele was when the producers of BBC2’s Later… With Jools Holland got in touch after viewing her material on YouTube. They invited her to appear on the show, which she did in August 2007 – alongside former Beatle Paul McCartney and Björk, no less. It must have been somewhat nerve-wracking for ...
As a schoolgirl, Adele had music constantly on the brain. She even persuaded her mother to make her a sequined eye patch to wear to school so she could channel pop star Gabrielle. Adele’s natural musicality saw her take up clarinet and guitar, but her ultimate devotion was reserved for vocals. She used to queue for hours to get into recordings of the Saturday morning chart show CD:UK and was ...
Adele is in a league of her own when compared to the likes of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. The differences are not limited to their music styles either. An ardent fan of comfortable elegance and the colour black, when Adele’s touring, there’s no need to worry about 11 costume changes and the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction. She is not your typical, ab-flashing pop princess, yet she has undoubtedly ...
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David Bowie
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