Helen Folasade Adu – known professionally as SADE Adu or simply SADE – is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress, widely considered a musical influence and credited as one of the most successful British female artists in history.
Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, but brought up in Essex, England, SADE Adu gained modest recognition as a fashion designer and part-time model, prior to form – in 1983 – the band of SADE, a London-based quartet, that made his recorded debut in February 1984 with the ballad “Your Love Is King”, which soon entered the U.K. singles chart and preceded the release of the first album “Diamond Life”, including the hit-single “Smooth Operator” and a special song, powered by a heavy, driving bassline: “Hang on to Your Love”.
