Soul legend Sade Adu, known for hits like 'Smooth Operator' and 'The Sweetest Taboo', has traded international stardom for a tranquil life in Somerset. The singer, born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria, moved to Colchester at age four and grew up in Essex before finding fame.
Sade and her band rose to prominence with the 1984 single 'Your Love is King', which reached number six in the charts. Their debut album 'Diamond Life' sold 10 million copies and remains a classic. Sade won four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 1986, and has sold over a billion streams on Spotify.
Despite her success, Sade has led a reclusive life, releasing albums infrequently. She purchased a farm in Somerset, where she lived during the pandemic with her partner Ian Watts and her mother, known as 'Granny Annie'. In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, she said she is busy writing songs and rediscovering cooking.
Sade continues to create music, releasing the single 'Young Lion' in 2024, following 'Flower of the Universe' from the Disney film 'A Wrinkle in Time'. She was awarded an OBE in 2002 and a CBE in 2017 for her services to music.
