UK Style - Adele

 Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

Considered a British icon 

Included among those most associated with UK culture - William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth II, David Beckham, J.K. Rowling, The Beatles, Charlie Chaplin, & Elton John

"...a voice for every generation..." - Sam Lansky, Time

Known for mezzo-soprano (half soprano) vocals and sentimental songwriting

Honors -

16 Grammy Awards

12 Brit Awards

1 Academy Award

1 Primetime Emmy Award

1 Golden Globe Award

19 - Debut album (2008) ... One of the best-selling debut albums ever in the UK ... Grammy Award for Best New Artist

21 - Second album (2011) ... Best-selling album of the 21st Century ... Record for top-performing album in U.S. chart history (No. 1 on Billboard 200 for 24 weeks) ... Signature songs - "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone like You," & "Set Fire to the Rain" ... 6 Grammys (including Album of the Year)

2012 - "Skyfall" for the James Bond film, Skyfall ... Academy Award for Best Original Song ... First to win & 5th to be nominated

25 - Third album (2015) ... In the U.S., first album to sell over 3 million copies in the first week of release (record) ... 5 Grammys (including Album of the Year) 

30 - Fourth album (2021) 

25 & 30 became the best-selling albums worldwide in 2023 (U.S. in 2015 & the UK in 2021)

As of 2024, Adele's albums (excluding her debut) have topped the yearly best-selling albums chart worldwide in the 21st Century.

One of the world's best-selling music artists - over 120 million records worldwide (70 million in album sales, over 50 million in single sales)

Best-selling female artist in the 21st Century in the UK

21 & 25 among the best-selling albums in UK chart history & certified Diamond in the U.S.

(Read Adele's full career on Wikipedia.)

Influences - Spice Girls, Lauryn Hill, Sinead O'Connor, the Cranberries, Bob Marley, the Cure, Dusty Springfield, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Jeff Buckley, Annie Lennox

Other influences - Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Pink, Beyonce, Madonna

Jazz influences - Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald

Instrumental influence - Amy Winehouse

Legacy -

No. 5 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music (2012)

One of the 100 most influential people in the world - Time (2012, 2016, 2022)

No. 22 on Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023)

No. 2 in The Times 20 Best Solo Singers 

No. 4 on Billboard's Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century (2025)

First solo female artist to have three singles in the Top 10 of Billboard Hot 100 at the same time (2012)

First female artist to have two albums in the Top 5 of Billboard 200 & two singles in the Top 5 of Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously (2012)

Songwriter of the Year - 2012 & 2016, Ivor Novello Awards

June 2013 - appointed a MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to music 

December 2013 - received from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace (now King Charles)

Inducted into Royal Albert Hall's Walk of Fame (2018)

Point of interest - Adele's Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar awards place her within shy of EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony - given to those who have won all four of the major performing arts awards in the United States)

(Wikipedia)

Adele was born on May 5, 1988 which now makes her 37 years old.  Her early background is intriguing.  Her career to date skyrockets above impressive and although she has four albums in her discography, she is nonstop with a long future to go.