Personality of the Week - 18th to 24th April, 2011

S E A L

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (born 19 February 1963 in Paddington, London, England), known simply as Seal, is an English soul and R&B singer songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. His name Olusegun means "God is victorious". A recipient of BRIT, MTV and Grammy Awards, Seal is known for his numerous international hits. He is married to German model Heidi Klum.

He was raised in a district of the City of Westminster in inner London. He received a two-year diploma, or associate's degree, in architecture and worked in various jobs in the London area.

Although there have long been rumours as to the cause of the scars on his face, they are not the result of a tribal scarification rite. Seal's appearance is the classic example of the condition discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). Seal has revealed in interviews that he was afflicted with this syndrome as a teen, a condition where the immune cells attack various body tissues; DLE usually affects young people. Intense inflammation develops in the skin, particularly in sun-exposed areas, and if not treated aggressively with sun protection and anti-inflammatory medicines, scarring can result. Not only did it cause the cheek scars, but he had significant scalp involvement, causing hair loss.

After a short time singing in local clubs and bars, in the 1980s, he joined Push, a British funk band, and toured with them in Japan. In Asia, he joined a blues band in Thailand for a while before separating from the group and journeying throughout India on his own. Seal returned to England, sleeping on the couch of friend Julian Bunster, then a model. He sometimes asked him "Do I sing well?" to which he often met the response that he sang better than most current artists.

His break came when he met the producer Adamski. He was given the lyrics of the song "Killer", which was a huge hit in 1990. Seal was positively received by critics. The singles "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", and his own rendition of "Killer" performed well on the charts. In particular, "Crazy" became an international hit in 1991, reaching number seven on the Billboard Music Charts and number two in the U.K. In April 1992 Seal performed with the surviving members of the rock band Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Seal performed on his own singing the 1986 hit "Who Wants To Live Forever" and joined the rest of the acts for the all star finale singing "We Are The Champions."

His second album, also self-titled Seal, was released in 1994. A success, the album featured the singles "Prayer for the Dying" and "Newborn Friend", later receiving a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. "Prayer for the Dying" became a minor pop hit in the U.S., peaking at #21 on the Billboard charts. A third single, "Kiss from a Rose", performed modestly when released but was later featured to much wider popularity when it was remixed for the soundtrack to Batman Forever. "Kiss from a Rose" won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1996, becoming Seal's best performing single on the US market (it topped the Billboard Hot 100 in late August 1995).

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". "This Could Be Heaven" was released in the US and featured on The Family Man soundtrack.

Meanwhile, Seal co-wrote and provided vocals for the hit single "My Vision" from Jakatta in 2002. He also recorded a successful duet with French icon Mylene Farmer called "Les Mots" during that same period. In 2003, Seal released his fourth album, which was again self-titled, except for Australia, where it was released under Seal IV. Singles from the album included "Waiting For You", "Get It Together", and "Love's Divine" (released in 2004, and a big hit in several European countries). In 2004, a greatest hits album entitled Seal: Best 1991-2004 was released, including a cover of the Bacharach / David classic "Walk on By" and a cover of Echo & the Bunnymen's song "Lips Like Sugar". An edition of the album was available which included an extra CD with acoustic versions of some of Seal's hits.

Also in 2004, Seal performed shows at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, France. The 6 July 2004 show was recorded and released about one year after as CD/DVD package, simply titled Live in Paris. In June 2005, Seal recorded a special concert which was subsequently released in 2006, entitled One Night to Remember, as CD/DVD combination. The DVD includes a special "the making of" documentary in addition to the live performance. Recorded in a historic steel mill, the Altes Kesselhaus ("old boiler house"), in Dusseldorf, Germany, this performance includes a special version of Brahms' Lullaby which Seal sings in German and then in English for the exclusive audience. Unlike earlier recordings in which Seal is accompanied by his band, a full orchestra and choir of 52 musicians accompanies the singer.

Seal proposed to Klum on Dec. 23, 2004 at 14,000 feet, in a quinzee he had built on a glacier in Whistler, British Columbia. On 10May 2005, the couple married on a beach in Mexico near Seal's home on Mexico's Costa Careyes, with his close friend Robin Doherty serving as best man. Every year Seal and Klum take the time to renew their vows on their anniversary with their close friends and family. About these renewals Seal says: "Each year, Heidi and I get remarried. It's a great party, but for about an hour, we go off on our own down to a private beach. We sit there with the kids and read vows to each other as the sun sets. It's a very special moment to us."

Seal and wife Heidi Klum announced in June 2010 that they will be making a reality series on Lifetime entitled Love's Divine (after Seal's song of the same name.) Seal was also a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Sources include Wikipedia.