Adele

Adkins was raised by a young single mother who lived in various working class communities of London. Adkins was a fan of contemporary pop music as a child and learning how to play the clarinet as well as the guitar. It wasn't until she was in her teens that she was exposed to Etta James, a rhythm and blues singer, as well as other performers of the mid-20th century, and she began to consider about a future career in music. While she was being trained at a secondary school for performing arts, funded by the government and a friend began posting songs Adkins had written on Myspace. The music she wrote and recorded eventually caught the attention of recording labels and, in 2006, several months after graduating she signed a deal with XL Recordings.