What Did Adele Do Before She Was Famous?
British songstress, Adele, famed for her incredible, deep vocals and songwriting talent has been on the music scene since she was 19 years old. But what did Adele do before she hit the big time?
Adele didn’t have to wait too long to land a record deal after graduating school, just a few months after waving goodbye to her classmates, Adele was well on her way to being the superstar we know and love. She spent her time before she was famous honing her craft at the renowned BRIT School in Croydon, South London.
Read more below about Adele’s time at the Brit School below.
In Good Company
Adele’s mother, Penny Adkins cultivated the star’s love of music from an early age. Taking her daughter to her first gig, aged just 3. Shortly after, at the age of 4, Adele began to sing herself and remembers that she ‘became obsessed with voices’.
Adele claims she “taught herself to sing” by “listening to Ella Fitzgerald for acrobatics and scales, Etta James for passion and Roberta Flack for control.”
The singer initially attended her local high school until the age of 14 but was unhappy there stating: “there was a depressing lack of ambition.”
In 2002, Adele enrolled in the BRIT School, a performing arts school in South London where her fellow graduates include Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Jessie J and Tom Holland.
Adele initially joined the school in the hope to go on to a career in A&R, managing talent. Little did she know she would go on to become the talent herself.
Watch singer Jessie J talk about her time with classmate, Adele at the Brit School on YouTube here:
The Graduate
Shortly after graduating the BRIT School in 2006, Adele published two songs on the online arts magazine, platformsmagazine.com
She had also recorded three songs as part of a school project. A friend, clearly spotting her talent, published the songs to original social media platform MySpace.com.
Gaining prompt popularity on the same site that had launched the careers of fellow British singers Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, Adele’s songs caught the attention of XL Recordings music boss, Richard Russell.
In the short few months after graduating from the BRIT School, Adele had not only signed a record deal with XL Recordings but also secured management with September Management.
She went on, just a year later, to release her first single; ‘Hometown Glory’, written during her time at the BRIT School at the tender age of 16.
Slamming At The Grammys
Since her time at the performing arts school she credits for nurturing her talent, Adele has achieved enviable worldwide success.
Her debut album, ‘19’ named after the age at which she had written most of its songs, entered the UK charts at an astounding number one.
It was her performance on NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ that formally introduced the British star to U.S audiences. The day after airing, her album ‘19’ rose to the top of the iTune charts and eventually reached number 11 on the Billboard 200.
Adele’s second album, ‘21’ proved to be another international success reaching number one in 30 countries.
The following year, after the release of ‘21’, Adele won an enormous six Grammy awards including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The phenomenal win made Adele the second female artist, after her idol, Beyonce to win that many Grammys on a single night.
Adele’s talent for songwriting and performing, recognized from a young age, has afforded the star early success. The time, before her skyrocket to fame, spent learning and honing her craft at the BRIT School was a smart move and surely a decision she has not lived to regret.
Watch an interview with Adele after winning six Grammys on YouTube below.
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