Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is a British singer and songwriter born in 1988 in London. She graduated from the Brit School of Performing Arts in 2006 and began touring with other artists, gaining interest in music. Her 2008 debut album 19 was a commercial success, selling over 2 million copies worldwide. Adele's personal life has included being raised by her mother alone after her father left, and giving birth to her first child in 2012. She is considered a skilled vocalist influenced by artists like Etta James and Amy Winehouse.