Helen Folasade Adu,
OBE (; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as
Sade Adu or simply
Sade ( ), is an English
singer-songwriter,
composer,
arranger, and
record producer. With members
Paul S. Denman, Andrew Hale, and
Stuart Matthewman, she gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the English band
Sade. Following a brief stint as a fashion designer of men's clothing and part-time model Adu began backup singing for the band Pride. Growing attention from record labels led her, along with other fellow band members, to separate from Pride and form the band Sade. Following a record deal with
Epic Records the band released their debut album
Diamond Life (1984). The album sold over six million copies, becoming one of the top-selling debut recordings of the 1980s, and the best-selling debut ever by a British female vocalist.