This is the life story of the 20-something north London girl who has taken the music world by storm. Topping the charts for weeks on end and winning consistent international critical acclaim, she already has two Grammys and a clutch of other awards. Although she acknowledges influences as diverse as The Spice Girls and Etta James, Adele's unique brand of ''heartbroken soul'' is very much her own, reflecting her own emotions and roller-coaster love life. In the image-obsessed world of pop music, Adele is also widely admired for her disarming honesty and her determination to do it her way, performing only at venues she likes, refusing offers to use her music in advertising and staying in touch with friends and family. She's the grounded girl-next-door with the astounding voice of a diva and despite her phenomenal success, perhaps the best is yet to come from Adele. This is her story so far. This biography of the multi million selling singer details Adele's upbringing as the child of a single mother in North London and details of her time at the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon where her piers included Leona Lewis and Jessie J.How her early performances on graduating from the BRIT school and demo on MySpace leading to her being signed up XL Records and to her being voted the Brit Awards Critics' Choice even before her debut album was released. How real-life heartbreak inspired many of her most powerful songs. The appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2008 which led to her US breakthrough. The newly-discovered musical influences which contributed to her second album, 21; and the stories behind its record-breaking success. How, despite her astonishing success, nerves and stage-fright continue to plague Adele and her battle with laryngitis which derailed an entire US tour. Her diverse influences, from the Spice Girls and Gabrielle to Etta James and contemporary Nashville sounds.