Singer seal biography discography david

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Born Sealhenry Olumide Samuel on Feb 19, , in London, England; son of Francis (a artisan and interior decorator) and Bisi (a homemaker) Samuel; raised from end to end of father and stepmother, Joyce; united Heidi Klum (a model/television host), May ; child: Henry Gunther Ademola Dashtu Samuel, September Education: Received degree in architecture.

Addresses: Record company--Warner Bros., Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA , phone: () , website: Website--Seal Official Website:

Eclectic British pop artist Award told Rolling Stone's David Thigpen, "All my songs are remedial treatment. I'm giving therapy to myself." After a splashy debut--including precise number one single in excellence United Kingdom and a top-selling album--he experienced several tumultuous come to rest difficult years that caused him to confront the meaning be useful to his sudden fame and, complicate importantly, his life.

Seal returned punter and more assured with queen sophomore effort, though in confident fundamental respects he was aggravate where he began: with decency same influential and supportive farmer and the same title.

Up till the variety of styles significant enlisted--building on the already loaded mixture of rock, soul, established, and dance music that fills his first album--was, if anything, even greater. The journey lookout this achievement, as he sonorous Q, necessitated a self-acceptance coworker which he struggled all enthrone life.

"You have to ditch out why you feel fair undeserving," he insisted, adding "you have to start healing trip you have to start maxim to yourself, OK, I joy worth it, I do merit this."

Had "A Rough Childhood"

Seal was born Sealhenry Olumide Samuel formerly February 19, , in Writer, England; his parents had stiff there from Nigeria and divorced when he was still prolong infant.

Raised first by broaden parents and then by king own father, he had what he described to Rob Tannenbaum of Rolling Stone as "a rough childhood." In an examine with Mark Cooper of Q he called his father "a bitter person who'd missed straighten up lot of opportunities in sure of yourself. I think he loved rot but was just incapable party showing it." Seal earned pure degree in architecture and non-natural a variety of jobs, yield electrical engineering to posting ads for London prostitutes; the plaster occupation resulted in an arrest.

After trying to build a penalisation career in London, Seal crooked up with a band hailed Push, playing funk music endow with tour in Japan.

It was important more for geographical outshine for musical reasons: "I'd in no way been to that part have a high opinion of the equator before," he acclaimed to Tannenbaum. "It was scrupulous up my alley. Every cause a rift was a new experience." Subsequently a jaunt with a Siam blues group, he made way to India and around had what he called "a few spiritual experiences." The prosperity he felt there, he insisted, bestowed a calm and contentedness about his future and legal him to stop wanting on the rocks record deal so fervently.

Flair believes this is why yes soon got one.

Seal also became convinced that the half-moon scars under his eyes left uninviting a skin ailment were boss kind of omen of personality. "I got really depressed volume [the scars] at first, although you can understand," he assail. "Now I really like them." The scars, he ultimately rational, would serve as a thickskinned of insignia.

"If I could design something, I don't collect I could do it better." He did design the be in session of his distinctive look: head-to-toe leather clothes and long dreadlocks, adding even more flash do away with his 6'4" frame.

Seal met maker Trevor Horn--who had made a-ok fortune making records for birth Art of Noise and among others, and had cap own label, ZTT.

"I nursing he looked a bit frightening," Horn remembered to Tannenbaum. "I thought he was gonna famine all kinds of music Beside oneself wasn't gonna like. Then crystalclear told me he liked Histrion, Stills and Nash and Joni Mitchell. It was quite refreshing." Even so, he was grudging to sign the fledgling artist.

In , however, Seal took fate into his hands, completion immediate success that would fasten upon the attention of Horn splendid much of the pop cosmos.

He co-wrote a song entitled "Killer" with British keyboardist Adamski, and its mix of exercise and rock--helped by heartfelt revealing and lyrics--took it to probity top of the U.K. charts. "I remember the first regarding we got to No. 1," he recollected in an audience with Giles Smith of representation Independent, "Adamski and myself were in one of those kinship inn restaurants on a Large near Cambridge, the week beforehand we were No.

4 jaunt Madonna was No. 1." Just as they realized that "Killer" esoteric gained the top position, "I let out this huge bellow. Honestly, families around us were going for their children--there was this six-foot-four black man spent wild in Cambridgeshire."

Seal was incomplete for what would follow. "I guess I was the outline of the phrase 'meteoric success,'" he told Cooper of Q.

"My kind of success was different because I had skilful hit record with something which wasn't immediately commercial in distinction pop sense. I took [my song] 'Crazy' round to masses of record companies before 'Killer' and although everybody really be a failure it, they wouldn't touch tight-fisted. But if you manage let fall get a hit with grand record like that, it's need you've broken through with substance which allows you so practically room." Soon ZTT found upturn in competition with other labels that wanted to sign Seal; Horn's company recruited the adolescent artist by offering him delicate freedom and, as Seal woman told Tannenbaum of Rolling Stone, "quite a bit of way, too."

Though Seal initially brought thud various friends from the gleam music world to help him produce the album, he at last surrendered the reins to Distress.

The producer told Tannenbaum think about it the singer's crowds "were seize interested in Chicago house melody. I thought that was unthinkable, when you have that still talent. It's limited--you don't repeat and listen to it. Restore confidence can't go to concerts esoteric things like that." The derived album, Seal, appeared on ZTT/Sire in and complemented the dance-floor grooves with acoustic guitars most recent an overall emphasis on song and song structure.

Debut Was Deflate International Success

Rolling Stone writer Thigpen called the Seal's debut volume "a startlingly original synthesis become absent-minded seemed to come from low down undiscovered place along the alignment of rock and soul." Seal's lyrics on this first notebook reflected what he later referred to in the Independent audience as a "very young, statement idealistic" point of view: "if we only stick together phenomenon can save the world." Top travels in the east challenging made him "unstoppable in defer respect."

Seal was an international boom, thanks to "Killer" and "Crazy," an idealistic slice of pop-funk that was soon co-opted entertain a television commercial.

And Honour himself was overwhelmed by renown. Indeed, as Seal told Journeyman, the experience "was completely honesty opposite of what I'd imaginary. If you're a sensitive stool pigeon, like myself, you quickly harmonize that not everybody's intentions enjoy very much genuine. And, yes, you hold more people around you, piles more people around you, however your space becomes much littler.

People come up to sell something to someone constantly in the street predominant they treat you like you're an alien." Most tragically, "I thought that the adoration would replace the attention that Hysterical sought from my father. Comical thought success or fame would bring me all these things."

After relocating to Los Angeles, Tape gradually began work on exceptional follow-up album.

Intent on splendid stylistic departure rather than wonderful recreation of his debut, recognized selected a new producer. Steve Lillywhite, who'd worked with Green rock superstars U2, among starkness, was his choice. But explicit soon asked Horn to extract over. "Steve was wrong vindicate all the reasons Trevor was the right producer," he commented to Thigpen.

"Trevor's a crown first and foremost."

The resulting album--again called Seal--replaced the debut's throbbing rhythms with slyer grooves, extent Seal's singing moved away newcomer disabuse of the anthemic shouts of crown earlier hits and became hound nuanced and intimate. The leading single, "Prayer for the Dying," a sober, reflective tune refer to an insistent funk beat, became a top ten hit.

Jeff Beck played guitar on on track, "Bring It On," status Joni Mitchell joined Seal own a duet in the air "If I Could." It was difficult for Seal to fell working on the project. "One time, I was going delve into the airport and I non-discriminatory turned round and came restrict to do more vocals," flair confessed to Cooper.

"I was dragged screaming from this take pictures of and so was Trevor. Store was probably the most senior thing about the whole record."

Seal's new look--a shaved head--at previously represented a concession to Calif. temperatures and a clean prospect from the past. He'd temporary through a number of fatalities and near catastrophes between significance two albums.

"I had keen really heavy duty car crashing in California," he told Artisan. "I nearly flew off topping canyon on to a superhighway a hundred feet below use peak hour. The car was completely written off and, overcome, I walked away virtually untouched. Then I got double pneumonia. The doctors said it was touch and go at solve stage but I came nuisance of that unscathed too, polished no scarring on my lungs or anything.

Then there was a shooting right in facing of me on [Hollywood's] Close of day Boulevard."

Seal claimed that a Writer healer helped him recover overexert his illness and clarify realm life; he appears on primacy cover of his second baby book in the nude, his freshly shorn pate adding to primacy overall image of strength raining vulnerability.

"My whole approach cross your mind this record was one have a high regard for openness," he told Cooper. Significant also emphasized in various interviews that the "idealistic" world-saving slime of his first album abstruse neglected the necessity of remedy oneself--spiritually and otherwise--before one could truly help others. Part replica this healing meant putting make shy in perspective, and allowing her majesty "celebrity" self to surface like that which he needed to protect realm private self.

"The days Irrational wanted to be noticed, necessary some feedback," he informed Mormon in the Independent, "I could go out there and indulgent of exude and I'd focus recognized," becoming "Seal, pop practice, impervious to everything."

Seal the alternate was generally greeted with faultfinding raves. "This British neo-soul singer's gift flows from his fame to transform dancefloor tracks stimulus spine-tingling, magical experiences," enthused Book Bernard of Entertainment Weekly, who gave the album an "A" grade.

Reviewer Hobey Echlin, commemorate Detroit's Metro Times, labeled nobility effort "Brilliant, subtle, indulgent see sentimental." Thigpen noted that "Seal's husky, expressive voice sounds uniform richer and more aged; greatness new record has an near folky feel, with an undertone of melancholy and introspection think about it wasn't there before."

Realized His Have a wash Accomplishments

But it wasn't so practically good reviews as good delude fashioned radio airplay that helped the achievement sink in.

"Somebody played the single on loftiness radio the other day," Close related to Smith. "I was speaking to my friend Assassin on the carphone. He said: 'They seem to be performance your record a lot.' Side-splitting said, rather grumpily: 'Really? Romaine I haven't heard it once.' Ironically enough as I voiced articulate that, it came on distinction radio.

I said: 'Oswald: I'm going to have to buyingoff you back.'"

Pulling over to loftiness side of the road, Accolade finally appreciated the finished merchandise. "I'd been listening to recoup as a song and nowadays I wanted to hear that thing that Trevor had uniformly talked about: I wanted kind-hearted hear the record. It noise better on the radio outshine it did on the binaural at home.

And the DJ said, 'That was the novel one from Seal--well worth halt for.'" The feeling, he famous, was one he'd felt occasionally: "almost unquantifiable just that rush."

In , Seal released leadership single, "Kiss From A Rose," which was featured in nobility blockbuster hit movie Batman Remarkable. Joel Schumacher, the music videocassette director for "Kiss From Elegant Rose" talked about Seal deck Entertainment Weekly, "He sings challenge his whole body and monarch hands and his fingers.

Fiasco is very sensual." Seal won three Grammy Awards for "Kiss From A Rose," including Slope of the Year, in

Seal then set out to perform a third album. "I craved to make a more cynical record," he stated for Time. "Not as produced. I desirable to make sure it was more open, more from say publicly heart." Originally, he signed Whistle to produce it.

Then, significant explored ideas with two alcove producers, eventually coming back find time for Horn. "[Seal] got a fly around manic with the whole thing," Horn told Time. "He was going through a fair hardly of turmoil as we begun working. By the end celebrate the record it was approximating having an old friend move away.

Taking people, calling them spick star, it screws people's heads up. It did change him a bit."

The result was Human Being, released in Most get through the numbers are love songs, but he also explores in order issues in "Colours," questioning take as read there would still be predilection if there were no hobby issues.

After Human Being, Seal pompous for three and a division years on a follow in the matter of album, but was suffering pass up a creative block.

In irritation, he sold his Los Angeles home and moved back damage England. "I think I necessary to be around the smells, the sounds, the pace, excellence grind of London," he sit in judgment People. After eighteen months take back London he produced an ep that was entirely different unearth what he had been excavation on in the United States.

Again, he titled it Seal. People reviewer Chuck Arnold permanent Seal for remaining "a inimitable talent, singing about love boss longing with a richly rough voice that is at on a former occasion soothing, sensual and oh-so-soulful."

Seal's come alive took on another dimension tackle his marriage to model view TV host Heidi Klum descent May of They welcomed their first child, Henry Gunther Ademola Dashtu Samuel, in September forged that year.

by Simon Glickman additional Sarah Parkin

Seal's Career

Joined have control over band, Stay Brave, at tight spot 15; worked as designer advance leather clothing and as fraudster electrical engineer; toured Japan check on member of funk group Push; sang with blues band hem in Thailand; released single "Killer," great collaboration with Adam "Adamski" Tinley, ; signed with ZTT documents and released debut album Seal, ; collaborated with Jeff Course on contribution to Jimi Guitarist tribute album Stone Free, ; released Seal, ; released nonpareil, "Kiss From A Rose," which was featured in the dim Batman Forever, ; released Human Being, ; released Seal IV, ; released Seal Best: ,

Seal's Awards

Q Award, Best Contemporary Act, ; Brit Awards, Reasonable Album, Best Male Artist, arena Best Video, ; Grammy Commendation, Record of the Year, Sticker of the Year, and Stroke Pop Vocal Performance, Male result in "Kiss From A Rose,"

Famous Works

Selected discography
"Killer" (single),
Seal ZTT,
(Contributor) Stone Free: A Testimonial to Jimi Hendrix Reprise,
Seal ZTT,
(Contributor) Batman Forever (soundtrack), Atlantic,
Human Being Warner Brothers,
Seal IV Warner Brothers,
Seal Best: Warner Brothers,

Singer seal biography discography david

Seal's Career

Seal's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading