9781422271247

Adele grew up in theWest Norwood neighborhood of South London.

those all-important early years in a child’s life. His absence in her childhood— choosing binges with booze over being an influential role model and caring father—led to an estranged relationship that would stretch into Adele’s adult years. When he chose to sell a story about her to a tabloid newspaper in 2011, she publicly expressed sheer anger and hurt and vowed never to speak to him again (she did speak to him years later as he dealt with serious health issues, passing away of cancer at the age of 57 in 2021). Adele and her mom bounced around to several different homes during those early years, eventually winding up in the town ofWest Norwood in South London, where they lived above a discount store. While the outside surroundings were adequate at best, inside those apartment walls were filled with love, and a special mother-daughter bond was forged during those years that is stronger than steel (Adele has a tattoo on her wrist in recognition of her mom). Musical Memories Adele’s mom pried open the doors to the world of music for her, and it forever shaped the arc of her life. One of her mom’s favorites was Jeff Buckley, a US-based singer and guitarist, who died tragically in a drowning incident in the Mississippi River in 1997. One of the first concerts she attended as a young child was The Cure, an English rock band still

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Adele