Adele

Adkins was raised by a single mother living in various working-class neighbourhoods of London. As a child she was a fan of modern pop music and learning to play the guitar and the clarinet. But it wasn't until her early teens, when she was introduced to the rhythm and blues vocalist Etta James and other mid-20th-century performers, that she started to consider a musical career. She was studying at an elementary school for performing and visual arts that was funded by the federal government. A friend uploaded songs Adkins had written on Myspace. After graduation, Adkins' music caught the attention of record companies. She signed a contract in 2006 with XL Recordings.