SEAL Biography - Musicians

 
 

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SEAL

Name: Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel                                         
Born: 19 February 1963 London, England                                                 
                                                                                       
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (born February 19, 1963 in Paddington,       
London) is an Anglo-Nigerian soul singer and songwriter. He is                         
professionally known only by his first name, Seal. He won three Grammy Awards           
for his 1995 single "Kiss from a Rose".                                                 
                                                                                       
As the vocalist on the Adamski single "Killer", Seal came to fame when the             
single reached number one in 1990 in the UK. Like many other Adamski tracks, the       
single was also a hit in night clubs. Seal subsequently signed to ZTT Records           
and released his debut album (produced by Trevor Horn), titled Seal, in 1991.           
Two versions of the album are known to be in circulation: the original "premix"         
version and a second, more common version with an updated mix. This is                 
attributed to the demand for a produced single rushing the final album edit, and       
as Seal puts it, his and producer Horn's "inability to let go."                         
                                                                                       
The album was positively received by critics and the singles "Crazy", "Future           
Love Paradise", and his own rendition of "Killer" from the album all performed         
well on the charts, with "Crazy" becoming a big worldwide hit, reaching the             
number one in several countries and also being covered by Alanis Morissette.           
Alanis' cover was also remixed and appeared on the score of The Devil Wears             
Prada.                                                                                 
                                                                                       
His second album, again called Seal, was released in 1994. A success, the album         
featured the singles "Prayer for the Dying" and "Newborn Friend", receiving a           
Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. A third single, "Kiss from a Rose",           
performed modestly when released but was later featured in the film Batman             
Forever which resulted in its worldwide success. It went on to win Grammy Awards       
for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1996 and became Seal's best             
performing single in the US market. Later, he recorded a cover of Steve Miller         
Band's "Fly Like an Eagle" for the soundtrack of the film Space Jam, which was         
again a hit.                                                                           
                                                                                       
After the release of his previous album, in 1998, Seal released Human Being. The       
album was the product of a turbulent time in his life, including a split and           
later reconciliation with producer Horn as well as Seal's parting with ZTT             
Records and his signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1997. The record was panned       
upon its release. However, it received Gold record certification by the RIAA           
just two months after its release date. The album provided three singles, "Human       
Beings", "Latest Craze", and "Lost My Faith".