SADE

Biography: When Sade first came on the recording scene in the '80s,  her record company, Epic, made a point of printing  "pronounced shar-day" after her name on the record labels of her releases. Soon enough the world would have no problem in correctly pronouncing her name. She was born Helen Folasade Adu  on January 16, 1959, in Ibadan, Nigeria, about 50 miles from Lagos,  and was the daughter of an African father and an English mother. After  her mother returned to England, Sade grew up on the North End  of London. Her debut album, Diamond Life, went Top Ten in the U.K. in  late 1984. January 1985 saw the album released on CBS Portrait label and by spring it went platinum off the strength of the  Top Ten singles "Smooth Operator" and "Hang on to Your Love."  Sade was so popular that some radio stations reinstated the '70s practice of playing album tracks, adding "Is It a Crime" and "Tar Baby" to their play lists.  Sade’s sophomore effort, Promise was another huge success and it  quickly rose to the top spot on the charts with hits such as "The  Sweetest Taboo" and "Never As Good As The First Time.” In 1986,  Sade won a Grammy for Best New Artist. After extensive touring,  Sade escaped the intrusive life of a high-profile artist, and  sought refuge in Madrid. She came back to London to record her  third album Stronger Than Pride and her fourth disc, Love Deluxe,  which would boast such chart toppers as "No Ordinary Love"  featured on the soundtrack of the Demi Moore film Indecent Proposal),  "Kiss of Life" and "Cherish the Day.”  The new millennium did spark a new scene for Sade. She issued  Lovers Rock in fall 2000 and incoporated more mainstream elements  than ever before. Debut single "By Your Side" was also a hit among  radio & adult-contemporary listerners. The following summer, Sade  embarked on her first tour in more than a decade, selling out countless  dates across America. In early 2002, she celebrated the success of the  tour by releasing her first ever live album and DVD, Lovers Live. While  Sade continues to record at sporadic intervals, she remains one of the  few singers to ever grace the cover of Time magazine. Sade's  talent and unique style have made her one of music history's pop music  legends -- while her elegance, charm and low-key lifestyle have  all contributed to her mystique....