Sade
Biography & Overview
Helen Folasade Adu (;Yoruba: Fọláṣadé Adú [fɔ̄láʃādé ādú]; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as Sade ( SHAH-day or shah-DAY) or Sade Adu, is a Nigerian-British singer-songwriter. She is the principal songwriter and lead vocalist of the band Sade. One of the most successful British female artists in history, she is often recognised as an influence on contemporary music. Her success in the music industry was recognised with the honour Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours, and she was made Commander in the 2017 Birthday Honours.
Sade was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and was brought up in England from the age of four. She studied at Saint Martin's School of Art in London and gained modest recognition as a fashion designer and part-time model before joining the band Pride in the early 1980s. After gaining attention as a performer, she formed the band Sade and secured a recording contract with Epic Records in 1983. Their album Diamond Life (1984) became one of the era's best-selling albums and the best-selling debut by a British female vocalist.
In July 1985, Sade was among the performers at the Live Aid charity concert at Wembley Stadium and in November the band released their second album, Promise. The next year, she appeared in the film Absolute Beginners. The band released their third album (Stronger Than Pride) in 1988, and a fourth album (Love Deluxe) in 1992. The band went on hiatus in 1996 after the birth of Sade's child.
The band reunited in 1999 and the following year, released Lovers Rock, their first album in eight years. Lovers Rock was a departure from the band's earlier jazz-inspired sounds. In 2010, the band released Soldier of Love, their sixth studio album, and toured arenas worldwide. Since that tour ended in 2011, the band has released three songs: "Flower of the Universe" for the soundtrack of Disney's A Wrinkle in Time, "The Big Unknown", part of the soundtrack of Steve McQueen's film Widows, and "Young Lion", part of the Red Hot compilation album TRAИƧA in 2024. In 2026, she and her bandmates will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.