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Bryan Adams

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Bryan Adams is a Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and photographer, born in 1959 in Kingston, Ontario. His father was an officer and later a diplomat, so the family lived in Lisbon, Israel, Japan and South Korea, among other places. Adams grew up in Ottawa and North Vancouver, bought an electric guitar at the age of ten and left school at fifteen. He admired guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore, Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott.

Music and breakthrough

His debut album was released in 1980, when he was twenty. The breakthrough in North America came with Cuts Like a Knife in 1983 and the ballad Straight from the Heart. Reckless in 1984 made him world famous, with Run to You, Summer of '69 and the power ballad Heaven, which reached number one in the United States. Into the Fire followed in 1987. In 1991 he released (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, which reached number one in at least nineteen countries and spent sixteen weeks in a row at the top in the United Kingdom. It was on Waking Up the Neighbours. From 1993 his hits were mainly ballads, such as Please Forgive Me, All for Love and Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?.

Influence

Adams combines clear rock guitars with a raw, warm voice and melodies that stick in your head at once. He won twenty Juno Awards and a Grammy and also wrote for films. In this way he became one of the best-known Canadian pop artists.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Summer of '69 and notice the guitars and the chorus. Hear how the raw voice rises above a straightforward rock rhythm.

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: Artists