Superstar recluse Sade's totally different life and career after ditching fame
The soul singer quickly became a global icon after the release of her first album in 1984 and would go on to be one of the biggest music stars of the 1980s and 1990s
From the fame of "Smooth Operator" to a tranquil life in Somerset, soul legend Sade Adu has swapped her 1980s global stardom for a peaceful existence in the West Country.
Born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria and later known simply as Sade Adu, she relocated to Colchester at just 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 more praise, selling a staggering 10 million records 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 period, 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 fame, 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 elusive star, known for her infrequent album releases and long absences from the public eye, has seemingly embraced a life of tranquillity, snapping up 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 to the countryside, Sade continues to create music, with her latest single "Young Lion" dropping in 2024, following "Flower of the Universe" from the Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time featuring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey.
Sade's contribution to music was officially recognised when she was awarded an OBE in 2002 as part of the Queen's New Years Honours List, and she later received a CBE in 2017 for her services to music.
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