Seal

Launched to fame via an undisputed acid house classic, British soul vocalist Seal quickly transcended his dance culture roots to become one of the '90s most popular male performers on both sides of the Atlantic. Kicking off his career in style, Seal reached the UK number one spot with his very first single, a 1990 collaboration with Adamski entitled "Killer," and shortly after teamed up with acclaimed producer Trevor Horn to record the self-titled solo debut album which would introduce his eclectic fusion of soul, pop, electronica, and rock to a global audience.

But it was 1994's Seal II which catapulted Seal onto the A-list, selling five million copies and spawning the iconic "Batman Forever" (1995) theme "Kiss From A Rose," which not only topped the US Hot 100 but also won three Grammys. Seal continued to be a regular fixture on the album charts and awards circuit from then on, most notably with his two collections of soul covers, and in 2012 branched out into reality TV with a judging role on the Australian version of "The Voice" (Nine Network, 2012-).

Born in Paddington, London in 1963 to a Nigerian mother and Brazilian father, Seal was raised by a foster family in a neighboring district and after studying for a degree in architecture, first began performing in several of the capital's clubs and bars. After a two-week stint touring Japan with British funk outfit Push and a year traveling around Thailand, Seal returned to his homeland where he worked on material with techno/house producer Adamski.

Later covered by George Michael, trance DJ ATB and Seal himself on his solo debut, their collaboration, "Killer," became one of the acid house scene's biggest breakout anthems, spending four weeks at the top of the UK charts in 1990 and selling nearly half a million copies. Following its success, Seal signed to ZTT Records as a solo artist and teamed up with hit-making producer Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys) for his self-titled first studio effort, reaching the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic with its lead single, "Crazy."

In 1992, Seal became the first artist to win three BRIT Awards in the same year and appeared on the Wembley Stadium stage with Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, while a year later, he contributed to the Jimi Hendrix tribute album, Stone Free, with a cover of "Manic Depression" alongside Jeff Beck.

1994 sophomore Seal II consolidated his status as the UK's premier soul man thanks to the popularity of its biggest single, "Kiss From A Rose," a pop madrigal which had made little impression on its initial release but gave Seal his first US number one a year later when it landed a place on the "Batman Forever" (1995) soundtrack. Once again, Seal took his time with the follow-up, but 1998's Human Being, a far moodier affair inspired by the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., failed to replicate its predecessor's success and missed the Top 40 altogether in his native UK.

After scrapping the release of intended fourth album, Togetherland, in 2001 over concerns it didn't match the standard of his previous work, Seal scored European hits with collaborations with British house DJ Jakatta ("My Vision") and legendary French chanteuse Mylene Farmer ("Les Mots"), before returning to the solo fray with 2003's Seal IV. A career-spanning compilation, Best 1991-2004, arrived a year later and was followed by consecutive live albums, 2005's Live In Paris and 2006's One Night To Remember.

In 2007, Seal hooked up with the man who had guided Madonna's mid-00s disco reinvention, Stuart Price, on System, the most dancefloor-friendly album of his career which also included a duet with his wife of two years, supermodel Heidi Klum. But its disappointing commercial response appeared to inspire another change in direction and in 2008, he revisited the standards he'd grown up with for covers collection, Soul.

Dedicated to Klum, 2010's contemporary pop-oriented Commitment hit the shelves just two years before the couple split, while in 2011, Seal picked up the fourth Grammy of his career for his contribution to Herbie Hancock's rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine." In 2012, Seal reunited with Horn for Soul 2, a second volume of classics originally recorded by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Bill Withers, which returned him to the US Top 10 for the first time in eight years.

Having previously dallied in reality TV for a 2010 behind-the-scenes Lifetime show which never made it to air, Seal eventually became a regular small-screen presence Down Under when he signed on as a coach for the Australian version of "The Voice" (Nine Network, 2012-), going onto win the first two seasons with Karise Eden and Harrison Craig respectively before bowing out in 2013.