Great Music: Seal

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (born 19 February 1963) in Paddington, London, United Kingdom is an English, ethnically Nigerian soul singer and songwriter. His name Olusegun means "God is victorious". Known professionally by his first name, Seal is known for his numerous international hits and his marriage to German model Heidi Klum. The son of a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother, he was adopted because his parents were unable to support him financially. He was raised in Paddington, a district of the City of Westminster in inner London. He received a two-year diploma, or associates degree, in architecture and worked in various jobs in the London area. Seal’s facial scars are the result of the condition discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), a condition where the immune cells attack various body tissues. Seal has revealed in interviews that he was afflicted with this syndrome as a teen; 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. 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.