Happy Birthday! Sade Turns 54 Today!

She was born Born Helen Folasade Adu on January 16, 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria. Sade was raised in London by her English Mother. During her childhood she developed several interests including fashion design, modeling and singing. Sade recorded her first album, Diamond Life, in 1984. It was a huge hit in England and the album had mass appeal in the United States thanks to singles like “Smooth Operator”. In 1986, she won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She is the most successful solo female artist in British history, having sold over 110 million albums worldwide.