20 Under 40: Young Shapers of the Future (Music and Dance)
© Paul Smith—Featureflash/Shutterstock.com Born in London and raised in working-class neighborhoods by a single mother, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins showed musical talent early in life, entertaining friends and family by singing current hits and learning to play the guitar and clarinet. In her teens, emulating Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and other soul singers, she developed her vocal depth and power. She studied at a high school for the performing arts, and, soon after graduating in 2006, she was signed to a recording contract. The first album that Adele, as she now called herself, released ...