I’m not completely vegan, I will accept tiny amounts of butter and I normally scrape off cheese when it’s on top of pasta or something... I completely stopped eating dead creatures in 1989.

KATHMANDU:

Bryan Adams, born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter and photographer. Adams’ father was a Canadian diplomat, and Adams attended military schools in England, Austria, Portugal, and Israel. When he was 12 his parents separated, and he lived with his mother in Vancouver, British Columbia. By then he had taught himself to play the guitar and decided to make music his career.

At 16, he quit school, bought a grand piano with money from his college fund, and joined bands. At age 17, he befriended Jim Valliance, who had written songs for the Canadian band Prism. After two years of writing and recording demo tapes, their partnership produced the 1979 disco-styled Canadian single Let Me Take You Dancing. The pair sold songs to Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Joe Cocker, and Juice Newton, then landed a publishing deal with A&M Records, which led to Adams’ recording contract.

The self-titled debut album was released in 1980, and marked the beginning of what was to become a long song writing partnership between Adams and co-writer Vallance.

Adams’ second album, You Want It You Got It, was recorded in New York City in two weeks and marked his first album co-produced by Bob Clearmountain. It was released in 1981 and contained the FM radio hit, Lonely Nights, but it was not until his third album that he achieved international recognition, popularity and sales.

Cuts Like a Knife released in January 1983 was Adams’ breakout album. Straight from the Heart was the most successful song from this album reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, Cuts Like a Knife charted at #15.

Adams’ best-selling album, Reckless peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200. It was released in November 1984 and featured the singles Run to You, and Summer of ‘69. The hit single It’s Only Love was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1986, the song won an MTV award for Best Stage Performance.

The follow-up album to Reckless was Into the Fire which was released in 1987.

Adams’ next album, Waking up the Neighbours sold over 10 million copies worldwide and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200. The album featured the hit singles Can’t Stop This Thing We Started and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. This song was also used in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner and Alan Rickman. The album and single topped the charts in many countries with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You spending a record-breaking 16 weeks at #1 on UK Singles Chart and topping the charts in almost every country in the world.

Released in June 1996, the album 18 till I Die contained the hit singles Lets Make a Night to Remember and the number one song Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman, and the album peaked at #31 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and held that position for three weeks.

In December 1997, Adams released MTV Unplugged with three new tracks — Back to You, A Little Love and When You Love Someone. Back to You was the first single, followed by I’m Ready, an acoustic version of the Cut’s Like A Knife’s track.

On a Day Like Today

was released in 1998 and was the first studio album since Cuts Like a Knife. After the release of On A Day Like Today Adams’ released The Best of Me, a greatest hits collection that included two new songs, the title track The Best of Me and the dance track Don’t Give Up.

From the mid-’80s to the mid-’90s, Adams was one

of the most successful recording artists in popular music worldwide. — Compiled by Abhilasha Subba