Helen Folasade Adu, OBE (Yoruba: Fọláṣadé Adú; born 16 January 1959), professionally known as Sade Adu or simply Sade (/ʃɑːˈdeɪ/ shah-day), is an English singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer. With Paul S. Denman, Andrew Hale, and Stuart Matthewman, she gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the English band Sade. Following a brief stint as a fashion designer of men's clothing and part-time model Adu began backup singing for the band Pride. Growing attention from record labels led her, along with other fellow band members, to separate from Pride and form the band Sade. Following a record deal with Epic Records the band released their debut album Diamond Life (1984). The album sold over six million copies, becoming one of the top-selling debut recordings of the '80s, and the best-selling debut ever by a British female vocalist.