Adele

Born to an unwed teenage mother on May 5 in 1988, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins became obsessed with vocals and music at an early age. The Spice Girls were one of the major influences on her music. At age 11, Adele and her mother moved from Tottenham to West Norwood in South London.

The town was the inspiration for "Hometown Glory," which Adele wrote at age 16 and was her first song release. Very musically inclined, Adele does more than just sing. She is accomplished on the piano, bass, percussions, celeste, and guitar.

Adele's second single was "Chasing Pavements," which was released in January of 2008. Two weeks after that, her album "19" was released and it rose to number 2 in the U.K. The lyrics are mainly about relationships and heartbreak; the album falls under the category of "soul." At first, Adele was not that popular in the U.S. but an appearance on Saturday Night Live changed that. The album "19" climbed to number 11 on Billboard.

Adele released her second album "21" in early 2011. It was a different sound from the first album, due largely to the influence she received from country music in the U.S. during her tour. Her single, "Rolling in the Deep" from the second album, reached number one status in eight countries including the U.S. Among her awards is the Best New Artist Grammy she won in 2009.