Adele

Adkins was born to a single mother of just a few years, raised in various working-class London areas. Adkins enjoyed listening to current pop music as a child and was learning to play the clarinet, as well as the guitar. It wasn't until her teens, when she was introduced to the blues-based rhythm singer Etta James, as well as other mid-20th century performers, that she began to think about a career in music. She was studying at an academy for performing and visual arts that was funded by the government. A friend of mine posted songs Adkins composed on Myspace. The music she wrote and recorded eventually caught the attention of recording labels and, in 2006, just a few months after graduation, she signed a contract with XL Recordings.