What is the stage name of singer Helen Folasade Adu? She is known professionally as Sade, also frequently called Sade Adu.
Adu was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1959 to a Nigerian father and English mother. After her parents separated, she moved to England with her mother and grew up in Essex before studying fashion design at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London.
“Sade” is not only the name of the singer but also the name commonly used for the band Sade, whose members include Adu as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. The group emerged in the early 1980s and became known for sophisticated soul, quiet storm, smooth jazz, and pop-influenced R&B.
A common mistake is treating Sade as solely a solo act or assuming “Sade Adu” is a different performer. “Sade” is the established professional name, while “Sade Adu” is a widely used fuller form of her name.