'Forgotten' global superstar traded fame for very different career

Irish Daily Mirror

28-05-2025

From the fame of "Smooth Operator" to settling in Somerset, soul legend Sade Adu has swapped her 1980s global stardom for a more tranquil existence in the West Country.
Born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria and later known simply as Sade Adu, she relocated to Colchester at the tender age of four to live with her grandparents. Her formative years were spent growing up in Essex.
However, her life took a dramatic turn when she and her band skyrocketed to fame following the release of their debut smooth soul single, "Your Love is King," which climbed to number six on the charts in 1984. Their first album, Diamond Life, received even greater praise, selling a staggering 10 million copies and remaining a classic four decades after its release.
Sade also won over critics, bagging four Grammy's for her hits, including being named Best New Artist in 1986 following the release of their second album. Around this time, the singer dabbled in acting, making her debut in Absolute Beginners, a film set in 1950s London.
Over the next two decades, Sade achieved international success, with singles like "Smooth Operator", "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" echoing from radios worldwide. These tracks continue to be popular today, having been streamed over a billion times on Spotify alone, reports the Daily Record.
The artist, known for her elusive nature and infrequent album releases, sometimes with decades between them, has earned a reputation as a bit of a recluse, often vanishing from public view for extended periods.
It seems Sade has embraced a more tranquil lifestyle, having purchased a farm in the West Country where she resided during the pandemic with her partner Ian Watts and her mother, affectionately known as "Granny Annie".
In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, the singer said: "Like everyone, we're on a ship of unknown destination but that's life ... no mutiny yet."
She added: "There's always so much to do: there are songs I so want to write, and I've rediscovered the joy cooking brings."
Despite her retreat from the public eye, the songstress continues to create music, with her latest single "Young Lion" released in 2024, and "Flower of the Universe" for the Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time featuring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey.
Sade was recognised as a national icon when she received an OBE in 2002 as part of the Queen's New Years Honours List, and further honoured with a CBE for her contributions to music 15 years later.