Adele biography, age, photos, awards, children, dating history, height 2025

Biography of Singer Adele

Some say the world of show business is brutal and complicated. And these words certainly aren't without merit. Yet even in this world of betrayal and intrigue, truly fairy-tale stories sometimes emerge. One such story is the creative biography of British singer Adele.

Singer Adele's success surprised the whole world

Today she's known and loved on every continent, her voice plays on the radio, and her photographs grace the covers of prestigious music publications like Rolling Stone. At 19, she released her first album, which made her a star, and three years later Adele's next record won several Grammys and went four times platinum in the UK. How a girl from North London reached such heights and changed the established rules of show business success – read on at zoomboola.com.

Childhood and Family

The future global music superstar Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on May 5, 1988, in Tottenham – a neighborhood in North London notorious for frequent riots and thriving organized crime. At least, that's how things were back then. The area was home only to immigrants from Arab countries and the poor, with the future singer's family falling squarely into the second category.

Adele's parents, Penny Adkins and Mark Evans, met in 1987 at a local pub. She was an 18-year-old art student, and he was an unemployed guy in his early twenties. They moved in together, and soon Penny got pregnant. Faced with choosing between university and having her daughter, she chose the latter. Adele arrived two weeks early. Shortly after the birth, Mark proposed to Penny, but she turned him down, feeling she was too young for marriage.

Adele's father (pictured) left when she turned 3

Her father walked out when the girl was nine months old. All he left the artist was a stack of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald records and her middle name – Blue, after Mark's favorite musical genre, the blues. For a while, Adele and her mom visited him, but when the girl turned three, he vanished from his daughter's life for many years. Mark moved to Wales, where he started drinking and basically stopped participating in his daughter's upbringing – neither financially nor emotionally. In 1995, he found new love, and Adele got a half-brother, Cameron. He looks remarkably like Adele, both physically and personality-wise.

Her father reappeared in Adele's life once her success became the talk of Britain. That's precisely when several English-language media outlets published interviews with the singer's father, which she reacted to quite explosively and negatively, noting that "this man has no right to talk about her."

Singer Adele in childhood, youth and now

We're talking about a 2011 article in the British tabloid Daily Mail. The publication paid Mark Evans for personal details about Adele's life, and he, facing financial hardship, readily agreed. Adele was furious:

He left me and suddenly shows up ten years later claiming all my life's problems stem from our bad relationship! Fuck off!

From childhood, the closest people in Adele's life were her mom and her paternal grandfather. They were the ones who nurtured the girl's desire to sing. To pay for the little one's vocal lessons, Penny worked three jobs: as a massage therapist, furniture assembler, and organizing adult education courses. Adele loved singing and took lessons with her teacher almost every evening.

Her grandfather became a father figure to the girl, but in 1999 he died from bowel cancer. After that, Adele and her mom moved to South London and rented an apartment above a discount store, sharing it with one other tenant.

First Steps to Success

Adele fell in love with singing at age 4, mimicking the voices of the Spice Girls. "In many ways, they shaped me as an artist," the singer says. The future British music star's first public performance was singing "Rise" from Gabrielle's repertoire in a school production. Soon after, she got into R&B and pop-rock artists like Pink.

As a teenager, Adele began idolizing jazz singer Etta James.

I heard her for the first time and froze. I just sat there and listened. My mind and body were under her control.

With her powerful chest voice and wide vocal range, she stunned everyone with her ability to sing beautifully, hitting practically impossible notes. Friends and acquaintances were in awe, but she didn't believe success was possible for her – her figure was far from ideal (the artist weighed 295 pounds until 2008), and she never had wealthy backers.

Adele's First E! Interview: Rewind

Still, after listening to those close to her, Adele auditioned for the famous BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, where Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, and many other British stars had studied. The audition went well, and Adele began studying music with Britain's best teachers.

In 2006, the singer recorded several demos. The tracks turned out so well that, without consulting her, Adele's friends decided to post them on MySpace. The songs caught the attention of prominent British producers from the record label XL Recordings. As the singer later admitted many times, the call from the record label's office came as a pleasant surprise. "When I picked up the phone, I thought it was a prank at first," she recalled.

In 2007 Adele signed a contract with XL Recording label

But the suddenly realized dream turned out to be very real. And after that began Adele's long climb to the heights of the European music scene. The singer's first single, "Hometown Glory," came out in October 2007 with a very limited release. But just a year later it was reissued, and the song itself earned a Grammy nomination.

19

The singer's first real hit was "Chasing Pavements," which reached number two on the UK national chart just a couple of weeks after its official release. Two weeks later, the artist dropped her debut album "19" – named for how old Adele was when it came out.

Adele – Chasing Pavements

Adele won her first music award before her debut album even hit shelves. She took home the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award – an honor given to young artists who haven't yet released a full studio album. But that early success was nothing compared to the avalanche of awards that came after "19" dropped. Critics couldn't stop raving, crowning Adele the "queen of soul."

Adele – Cold Shoulder

Just one week after release, the album topped the UK chart. Within a month, it sold 500,000 copies, earning platinum status. Worldwide, more than 7 million copies flew off the shelves. The triumph led to successful tours across the US and Canada, plus a deal with American label Columbia Records.

21

Three years later, Adele's second album "21" surpassed even her impressive debut success. She started working on material in 2009, right when her relationship was falling apart. Many tracks from the second album were fueled by those raw emotions. The heartbreaking "Take It All" was written during a major fight with her boyfriend, the dark "Rolling in the Deep" was her response to his cruel taunts that her life would be worthless without him, and "Rumour Has It" took aim at gossipy friends.

Adele's second album became even more successful than her debut

Producer Rick Rubin pushed Adele out of her comfort zone, making the album a tough creative process. He refused to use electronic instruments and samples, while Adele wanted something more modern and dance-oriented. Under his guidance, she recorded "Lovesong" (a cover of The Cure), "Don't You Remember," "He Won't Go," "One and Only," and "I Found a Boy." The final tracklist included 11 songs.

Adele – Rolling in the Deep

Originally, Adele wanted to name the album "Rolling in the Deep," but settled on "21" instead – reflecting her inner age and artistic evolution.

In February 2012, "21" earned Adele six Grammy Awards. The British star matched Beyoncé's record for most wins in a single ceremony. Adele swept the most prestigious categories: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Solo Performance.

25

After the release of her second album, Adele found happiness in her personal life (read more below): she got married and had a child, which explains the long gap between her second and third albums. "The next album will come out in about two years, I want to live for myself," Adele admitted in 2012.

That same year, she delighted fans with the song "Skyfall," recorded specifically for the soundtrack of the new Bond film starring Daniel Craig. Before signing the contract with the filmmakers, Adele demanded to read the script. When it comes to James Bond films, that's always top secret. But the producers made an exception for Adele.

As soon as her son turned 18 months old, Adele returned to the recording studio, full of ideas for new material. The joy of motherhood became its central theme. However, the first attempts were unsuccessful: the resulting music seemed boring to her. Instead of the promised 2014 release, the album came out in November 2015.

Many global stars postponed their album releases, intimidated by the competition—even youth idol Justin Bieber and boy band One Direction. Maybe they were right to worry: in its first week, "25" sold more than seven million copies. Over the next six months, that number grew to 20 million.

In 2014, Adele received the Order of the British Empire, awarded for outstanding service to the country. Without question, the singer has done a great deal not only for British music, but for music worldwide.

The 2017 Grammys were undeniably Adele's day. Her album "25" was nominated in the Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album categories, while "Hello" earned nominations for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Adele won all five nominations. She didn't break her own record (in 2012 she took home 6 Grammys), but this was only the second time an artist swept all three major ceremony categories (Song, Record, and Album of the Year) twice.

Adele - Hello

By May 2018, Adele had amassed a fortune of $190 million, securing first place in the ranking of Britain's wealthiest performers. Around that time, Adele attended the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and warmly congratulated the newlyweds, then soon announced the release date for her fourth album—reportedly set to drop in December 2019, just before Christmas.

30

On May 5, 2019, the artist hinted that a new album was on the horizon. "30 will be a drum-and-bass record to piss you off. Chin up," she wrote on her personal blog on her 31st birthday. Given Adele's tradition of naming albums after her age while working on new material, the music industry took her words at face value.

She'd previously claimed that "25" would be her last age-titled album. "I'm going to call my next album 'Adele,'" the singer announced in 2018 on the YouTube project "Carpool Karaoke."

Though fans expected the album by Christmas 2019, it dropped nearly two years later in November 2021. Adele stayed true to herself, once again laying bare her soul and inviting listeners into conversations about motherhood, divorce, and heartbreak.

Adele – To Be Loved

The singer wanted fans to experience her album in the exact order she intended, as the entire record was conceived as a conversation with her 9-year-old son. Adele asked music platform Spotify to make an exception for her album and disable shuffle play by default for "30." Spotify's leadership not only granted Adele's request but extended this feature to all artists.

The album exceeded all expectations. On review aggregator Metacritic, it scored 88 out of 100, the highest rating among all of the singer's albums. Rolling Stone music journalist called "30" Adele's most complex and powerful album, featuring the best vocal performances of her entire career.

In early 2022, the album won the main British Album of the Year award at the 42nd BRIT Awards ceremony, making Adele the first solo artist in history to receive this prestigious honor three times.

By November 2024, the singer had wrapped a series of 100 concerts supporting the album, stating: "Four shows a weekend with full live performance is a massive undertaking. I'm giving it everything. I'm completely wiped out."

In summer 2024, Adele decided to return to Europe after an eight-year absence. In August, the singer performed ten concerts in Munich at a specially built open-air arena capable of holding 80,000 spectators. Organizers created an entire "Adele World," a 70,000-square-meter entertainment city featuring a Ferris wheel, carousel, beer garden, and a replica of the iconic British pub Good Ship, where Adele launched her career.

Adele's Personal Life

As we mentioned earlier, the album "21" was inspired by the heartbreak of a breakup. But Adele, a fairly private person, doesn't publicize the "culprit's" name. Fans could only guess – who was this man who broke the people's favorite's heart?

First, suspicion fell on the handsome Slinky Sunbeam, a singer Adele was rumored to have dated in 2008. But the singer herself put those rumors to rest: "Anyone who says that knows nothing about me and Slinky. He's not even my type."

Adele was rumored to have dated singer Slinky Sunbeam (pictured)

Other candidates included producer Mark Ronson, who worked on Adele's first album; comedian James Corden, a close friend of the singer; and Klaxons frontman Jamie Reynolds. But all the guesses were in vain. Neither the powerful fan club, nor journalists, nor paparazzi ever lifted the veil of secrecy over the anonymous boyfriend's name. The singer's fans dubbed him "Mr. 21."

Simon Konecki

In 2011, Adele met her first husband. The artist's chosen one was Simon Konecki – owner of a major investment holding company. Simon is 14 years older than Adele, but this fact didn't bother the lovers. By the way, he's the one "Someone Like You" from the album "21" is dedicated to.

On October 19, 2012, the couple welcomed a son, whom they named Angelo James. After the baby's arrival, American and British press started regularly churning out news about the happy parents' supposedly upcoming wedding.

Finally, during a 2017 concert, Adele announced her marriage, and the venue erupted in applause. She and Simon had secretly tied the knot in Los Angeles in March, holding the ceremony at their own home.

Adele and Simon Konecki's son was born in 2012

Adele didn't hide that after giving birth, she struggled with postpartum depression and was tormented by the thought that she'd made the worst decision of her life by choosing motherhood. But she managed to overcome this feeling, and for her son's sake, Adele also gave up bad habits – cigarettes and alcohol, which used to keep her company quite often.

In spring 2017, the couple bought a mansion in the British town of East Grinstead, adding to the singer's mansion in West Sussex, beach house in Brighton, London apartment, New York penthouse, Malibu beach bungalow, and two homes in Beverly Hills.

Adele's most luxurious home is a mansion in East Sussex

In September 2019, Adele announced she was filing for divorce. The singer usually doesn't comment on personal matters, but this time she made an exception. A source close to the family claimed the marriage crisis had started back in April. The reason – Adele's popularity wasn't slowing down as Simon had hoped, but rather the opposite. "It was hard for him to feel like he came second, and lately he hasn't been seeing Adele at all," the insider claimed. The former spouses remained friends and share custody of their child.

The singer's fans were upset by the news, but at the same time, changes in Adele's life gave hope for new music. After splitting with Simon, Adele was spotted with a Black rapper from Tottenham who goes by Skepta (real name Joseph Adenuga).

After the divorce, Adele was linked to rapper Skepta

He and Adele are longtime friends, born in the same city and have kept in touch all these years. In early October 2019, the pair was spotted at the game show "The Crystal Maze" in London. Skepta had also recently split from his girlfriend. "Adele and Skepta have a close connection and they'd definitely make a great couple," the singer's friends insisted.

The divorce from Konecki was officially finalized on March 4, 2021, almost two years later. At the time of the divorce, the artist was 30, and many of her experiences about the failed marriage found their way into her new album.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Adele admitted:

I think Simon possibly saved my life. With sudden fame hitting me, I was so young I could have easily lost myself in all of it.

The hardest part was explaining the divorce to her six-year-old son Angelo:

I tried to explain that 'I love your dad, but I'm not in love with him.' To a six-year-old, there's no difference.

After the divorce, Adele started losing weight. By October 2019, she'd dropped 44 pounds. In May 2020, Adele posted her first photo in a year showing her new self—she'd lost another 55 pounds, and there was no trace of the curvy beauty fans knew. Adele revealed she'd been doing weight training in the mornings, then usually walking or boxing in the afternoon, with cardio in the evenings.

Rich Paul

In 2021, the singer's life changed again. She'd actually met sports agent Rich Paul back in 2016. They ran into each other at a party, traded jokes, had some drinks, danced, and went their separate ways. Five years later, he reached out to Adele himself, invited her to a business dinner, and soon they started dating.

Opening up to Oprah Winfrey, Adele called Rich hilarious and smart, sharing that he'd always been around—she just hadn't noticed him for so long. The singer admitted she'd never been this happy in a relationship, that she was ready to get married again and have two more kids.

In spring 2022, the couple moved into a Los Angeles mansion previously owned by Sylvester Stallone.

On August 9, 2024, during a performance in Munich, the 36-year-old singer confirmed her engagement, announcing she was "getting married" and showing off a diamond ring. Rich Paul proposed in her hometown of Tottenham, and the couple made it official in July.

In December 2024, Adele told Heat World magazine she wants to focus on her personal life and have a second child—she's already picking out names for the future baby and setting up a nursery, with the wedding to Rich Paul planned for late 2025.

Adele Now

On August 31, 2024, at her final concert in Munich, the singer announced she's tired and taking a long break:

I'll hold you in my heart throughout this break. I've been performing for the last three years, and it's the longest I've ever done, and probably the longest I'll ever do.

She later noted that she has no ideas about new music in the foreseeable future.

Melanie Evans

One of the best voices and really quality songs, she is not pitchy, all the texts of the songs are always full of meanings. I love this singer.

2021-04-27 17:57:32
Matthew Ward

I like Adele as a woman, she looks great with her forms

2021-04-12 23:35:40
Larry Cole

The song Skyfall made Adele famous but she deserve it.

2021-04-11 18:55:32
Jesus Palmer

I don`t really care much about her creative work but Adele`s vocals are really cooler than many other singers.

2021-04-03 18:49:35
Dana Jones

I never hear about Adele till the time when the radio started to play her Rolling in The Deep. Now I relistening her albums sometimes. Adele has an incredible voice.

2021-04-02 12:30:05

Photos: Adele