Adele

Adkins was raised by a young single mother in several working-class neighborhoods of London. She was a lover of contemporary pop music when she was a kid and was capable of playing the clarinet and guitar. It wasn't until she was in her teens that she was introduced to Etta James, a rhythm and blues performer, as well as other artists of the mid-20th century, that she started to think about a career in the field of music. As she learned in a secondary school for performing arts funded by the federal government and a friend began posting songs Adkins had written onto Myspace. After her graduation Adkins' music attracted the attention of record labels. She got a contract in 2006 with XL Recordings.