Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Music by Decade»1980s Music
    1980s Music Music S 3 Mins Read

    Sade

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Sade (pronounced “Sharday”) was born in Nigeria in 1959 as Helen Folasade Adu, the daughter of a Nigerian father and a British mother. When her parents divorced, Sade moved to Britain with her mother.

    She moved to London at the age of seventeen to take a three-year course in fashion and design at St. Martin’s College of Art in the West End.

    At the same time, she also discovered the joys of the capital’s clubland.

    When she completed her course, she struck out on her own, designing, and selling men’s clothes, operating on what could delicately be described as a tight profit margin.

    It was a time when the art and music worlds were more intertwined than ever before, and when an acquaintance who managed a band asked if she wanted to try some backup singing with the jazz-funk band, Pride, she was more than willing.

    By early 1984, she was the lead singer and songwriter for the group which took her name.

    sade_0003

    Sade’s soulful 1984 debut single, Your Love Is King, reached the Top 10 in the UK and Europe, and propelled her first album, Diamond Life, to the top of the charts in Britain and America.

    A collection of sophisticated jazz-pop, it was one of the most successful debuts ever by a female artist – spending over 80 weeks on the Billboard album charts – and made her one of the richest women on the UK pop scene (and also won her a Grammy for Best New Artist).

    Sade toured America, Europe, and Asia and performed at the Live Aid benefit.

    1985 and 1986 were bad years for Sade at home. The British critics grumbled, and fleet street tabloids entertained themselves with fictional stories like the one about her giving birth and buying Fulham Football Club.

    The most famous one concerned her allegedly walking off stage at the beginning of a concert in Frankfurt on the Promise world tour. In fact, she simply refused to play an encore, exhausted after nearly nine months on the road.

    But an emotional trauma was the popular verdict down at the seedy end of Fleet Street.

    Sade then retreated to Spain and withdrew from the media spotlight, until returning to recording in 1988, with Stronger Than Pride, another R&B hit, followed by another huge world tour.

    She retired again, this time to London, where she turned her house into a recording studio. Her 1992 album (Love Deluxe) contained the hit, No Ordinary Love, which was featured on the Indecent Proposal soundtrack. Yet another tour followed.

    In 1997 the singer was arrested in Jamaica following a traffic dispute with local police and fled the country, threatened with arrest if she ever returns. She followed up with another smash hit, Lovers Rock in 2000, and recorded Lovers Live in 2002.

    Sade Adu
    Vocals
    Stuart Matthewman

    Saxophone
    Andrew Hale

    Keyboards
    Paul Denman

    Bass
    Dave Early
    Drums
    Martin Ditchman
    Percussion

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Graham Parker & The Rumour
      Graham Parker & The Rumour
      Even in 1976, blue-eyed soul boy and ex-mod Graham Parker was seen as not quite of the top drawer, although…
    • Stooges, The
      Stooges, The
      This Detroit rock & roll band was formed in 1967 as The Psychedelic Stooges with lead singer Iggy Pop (born James Newell…
    • Stuart Sutcliffe
      Stuart Sutcliffe
      Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was born on 23 June 1940 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His mother  Martha (known as Millie) was…
    • Nina Hagen
      Nina Hagen
      Nina Hagen was born in the Eastern section of Berlin on 11 March 1955 to actress Eva Marie Hagen and…
    • Shirley Bassey
      Shirley Bassey
      The legend that is Dame Shirley Bassey began life in Tiger Bay, Cardiff in January 1937. The daughter of a…
    • Neneh Cherry
      Neneh Cherry
      She was born Neneh Mariann Karlsson in 1964 in Stockholm, Sweden, the daughter of West African percussionist Ahmadu Jah and…
    • Sheryl Crow
      Sheryl Crow
      Sheryl Crow was born on 11 February 1962 and raised in the city of Kennett, Missouri, the third of four children.…
    • Roy Harper
      Roy Harper
      Roy Harper was born in June 1941 in Rusholme, Manchester. His mother, Muriel, died three weeks after he was born…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleSad Cafe
    Next Article Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Sam Brown
      Sam Brown
      Samantha Brown was born on 7 October 1964, in Stratford, east London, England. She is the daughter of musician Joe…
    • Stiv Bators
      Stiv Bators
      Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1949, Stiv Bators (real name, Steven Bator) formed his first bands Mother Goose and Frankenstein,…
    • Shirley Bassey
      Shirley Bassey
      The legend that is Dame Shirley Bassey began life in Tiger Bay, Cardiff in January 1937. The daughter of a…
    • Neneh Cherry
      Neneh Cherry
      She was born Neneh Mariann Karlsson in 1964 in Stockholm, Sweden, the daughter of West African percussionist Ahmadu Jah and…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.