Latest news with #Sade
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
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.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Forgotten' global superstar traded fame for very different career
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.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Reclusive pop megastar Sade now has very different life in hugely different career
Nearly 40 years on from bursting onto the charts, 80s and 90s pop megastar Sade Abu looks as though a day hasn't passed despite her career change From being the icon behind "Smooth Operator" to moving to Somerset soil, soul icon Sade Adu has traded her global stardom found in the 1980s for a quieter life living in the rural West Country. Born in Nigeria as Helen Folasade Adu, but going on to be known simply as Sade Adu, she moved to Colchester to live with her grandparents at just four. She would spend most of her early years growing up in and around Essex. But that would all change when she and her band became overnight sensations after the release of their first smooth soul single, "Your Love is King," which reached number six on the charts in 1984. Their debut album, Diamond Life, would go on to garner even more acclaim, selling an astonishing 10million records and standing the test of time four decades after its release. Sade was a hit with critics too, having received four Grammy's for her hits, including being crowned as the Best New Artist in 1986 after the release of their second album. Around this time the singer would also take a brief career pivot on the big screen, making her acting debut in Absolute Beginners, a film about 1950s London. But during the next two decades and after releasing some of the biggest songs of the time, Sade would go global, with singles like "Smooth Operator" "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" her voice resonated from radios across the world. The tracks are still a hit to this day having been listened to more than a billion times on Spotify alone. But with the band releasing albums extremely sporadically often leaving decades in between releases, the star became known as somewhat of a recluse, often disappearing from the spotlight for years at a time. Now it appears Sade has continued her path towards a quieter life, having bought a farm in the West Country where she lived during the pandemic alongside her partner Ian Watts and her mum "Granny Annie". Speaking to British Vogue in 2020, the singer reflected: "Like everyone, we're on a ship of unknown destination but that's life … no mutiny yet. "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 rural life away from the limelight, the musician is still making music, most recently releasing the single "Young Lion" in 2024 as well as "Flower of the Universe" for the Disney film A Wrinkle in Time starring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. In 2002 she would be cemented as a national treasure by being honoured with an OBE in 2002 on the Queen's New Years Honours List and 15 years later she would gain an even higher honour by being given a CBE for her services to music.
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I kissed my fiance goodbye after a wedding rehearsal – two days later cops showed up and my world fell apart
AS my fiancé's coffin was carried from the church, the song By Your Side by Sade played. Jon and I had actually chosen it for our wedding day, but instead I was hearing it at his funeral - the week before we were due to become husband and wife. 4 Michelle Jackson's fiancé Jon died just three weeks before their wedding 4 Jon had suffered from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) since he was young With just three weeks to go before our special day, Jon had died aged 42, and I wasn't sure how to carry on without him. I
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I kissed my fiance goodbye after a wedding rehearsal – two days later cops showed up and my world fell apart
AS my fiancé's coffin was carried from the church, the song By Your Side by Sade played. Jon and I had actually chosen it for our wedding day, but instead I was hearing it at his funeral - the week before we were due to become husband and wife. 4 4 With just three weeks to go before our special day, Jon had died aged 42, and I wasn't sure how to carry on without him. I fell for him instantly when we met in March 2021. Kind, caring and handsome, he made me feel safe and loved. Life hadn't been easy for Jon, who worked as an electrician. He'd suffered from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) since he was a young man, which had taken its toll on his mental health. But by the time I met him, he was receiving professional help and was open with me about the struggles he'd had in the past. We got engaged seven months after meeting. It was quick, but we knew we were meant to be together, so why wait? We began planning our wedding straight away, deciding to keep it small and intimate – a church ceremony in March 2022, followed by a meal in a restaurant with close family and friends. I have Asian heritage, so I chose a white and gold sari as my wedding gown, as well as ordering a veil and booking a hotel for our first night as a married couple. I was widowed at 26 when I was 17 weeks pregnant - I thought my husband had just gone to work early, the truth devastated me The last time I saw Jon was February 3, 2022. We'd attended a wedding preparation class that day, and he wasn't himself. I felt concerned, but wondered if his BDD was making him feel a bit overwhelmed as the big day drew closer, with the attention it would bring. After the class, he came back to my house – we planned to move in together once we were married – and left soon after, still quiet and pensive. He told me he was going to Norfolk the following day to visit a friend, and would see me the day after that. It never crossed my mind, as I kissed him and waved him off, that I'd never see him alive again. Two days later, when he didn't show up, I began to worry as he was always punctual. After a few hours, when I couldn't get through to him on his mobile, I went to his sister's and she contacted Jon's friend in Norfolk, only to discover he hadn't turned up the previous day. Soon after, two police officers arrived at the door, and gently told me and Jon's sister that he'd been found dead in a London hotel room, due to an overdose. I was so shocked, I felt numb – it was impossible to take in the news that he was gone. 4 In the days that followed, planning a funeral while cancelling a wedding was like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Jon's family and my bridesmaids all helped, but I felt my heart would break with the pain. My wedding sari was with a dressmaker for alterations at the time – I left it there and have never collected it. Jon was buried in late February 2022, a week before our wedding day. The months after his death were the darkest of my life. I suffered from PTSD and depression, and I considered ending my life as my grief was so overwhelming. I quit my job at the charity I worked for, because I couldn't imagine going back to the 'old me'. In late 2022, I began to train as a dog groomer and opened my own business, Love Hounds Bedford. I love my work, and it brings me joy and calm. I also discovered the charity Widowed And Young (WAY), and the solidarity, friendship and understanding from the other members who understood exactly how I was feeling, became so important to me. It's been three years since Jon died, and I think of him every day. I will miss him forever, but I also know he'd be proud I rebuilt my life, finding hope again. Jon never became my husband, but I will always carry him in my heart. EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: 4
