Bryan Guy AdamsCCOBC (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million[2] and more than 100 millionrecords andsingles worldwide,[3][4] placing him on thelist of best-selling music artists. Adams was the most played artist on Canadian radio in the 2010s[5] and has had 25 top-15 singles in Canada and over a dozen in the US, UK, and Australia.
Adams released hiseponymous debut album when he was 20 years of age. He rose to fame in North America with the 1983 top ten albumCuts Like a Knife; the album featured its title track and the ballad "Straight From the Heart", which became his first US top ten hit. His 1984 Canadian and US number one album,Reckless became the first album by a Canadian to be certified diamond in Canada and made him a global star with six charting singles including "Run to You" and "Summer of '69", both top ten hits in the US and Canada, and the power ballad "Heaven", a US number one hit.[6] His 1987 albumInto the Fire, with its US and Canadian top ten song, "Heat of the Night", rose to number two in Canada and the top ten in the US and several other countries.
In 1991, Adams released "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", which went to number one in at least 19 countries, including for 16 straight weeks in the UK.[7] It is one of thebest-selling singles of all time, having sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. The song was included on Adams'Waking Up the Neighbours (1991), a worldwide number one album that sold 16 million copies, including being certified diamond in Canada.[8] Another major hit off the album was the Canadian number one and US number two hit "Can't Stop This Thing We Started", which also went top ten in several other countries. Beginning in 1993, Adams' hits were mostly ballads, including the worldwide number one or two hits "Please Forgive Me" (1993); "All for Love" (1993); and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" (1995), the latter two topping theU.S.Billboard Hot 100.[9]
"I bought an imitation Les Paul at a Five and Dime store in Ottawa, Canada, in 1971," Adams recalled. "Before that, I had an imitation Strat which I bought in Reading, England in 1970.It felt real at the time to have a Les Paul, even though I'm a massive Ritchie Blackmore fan – still am. I was heavily intoHumble Pie'sRockin' the Fillmore album at the time, and bothPeter Frampton andSteve Marriott were on Les Pauls. It's rock guitar heaven, that album."[25]
He left school to play in a group called "Shock" and used the funds his parents had saved for his college education to buy anEstey grandpiano to tinker with.[26] At one point he soldpet food and worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant, which paid the rent.[27] He grew an interest in bands such asCCR andDeep Purple, and attended concerts byLed Zeppelin,T. Rex,Elton John, andTina Turner. He started working in theVancouver music scene with bands and as a studio session singer. At the age of 15, he became the vocalist for glam rock bandSweeney Todd, replacing their original vocalistNick Gilder.[28]
With Adams the band re-recorded "Roxy Roller", the Canadian hit single from theirfirst album, which came in at No. 99 on the US charts.[29] The band then recorded their second albumIf Wishes Were Horses (1977) with Adams billed as "Bryan Guy Adams" on vocals.[30][deprecated source] Adams left the band at age 16.[28] In 1978, at age 18, Adams metJim Vallance through a mutual friend in a Vancouver Long and McQuade musical instrument store.[31][32] Vallance was the former drummer and principal songwriter for Vancouver-based rock bandPrism, and had recently quit that band to focus on a career as a studio musician and songwriter. They agreed to meet at Vallance's home studio a few days later. This became the beginning of a partnership which was prolific and continuous through the 1980s, together they co-wrote for Adams and a long list of recordings for other artists, includingKiss,Tina Turner,Joe Cocker,Johnny Hallyday,Bonnie Raitt,Rod Stewart,Bonnie Tyler,Loverboy,Carly Simon andNeil Diamond,[33][34] and while discontinuous, as of 2017[update], is still in existence.[35][36]
Later in 1978, Adams signed to A&M records for one dollar.[37] A&M remixed one of Adams' demos as a disco song "Let Me Take You Dancing", featuring Adams' vocals sped up to meet the 122 BPM dance tempo. The song made the CanadianRPM chart in March 1979 along with its B-side "Don't Turn Me Away".[38] In 1979, he made an agreement with Canadian managerBruce Allen, who at that time also worked forBachman–Turner Overdrive andLoverboy.[39]
Adams'sself-titled debut album, mostly co-written with Jim Vallance, was released in February 1980. With the exception of "Remember" and "Wastin' Time", most of the album was recorded in October and November 1979 at Manta Studios and co-produced by Adams and Vallance.[31] The album was certified gold in Canada in 1986.[40] Singles released from it included "Give Me Your Love", "Remember" and "Hidin' from Love", with the latter having the most success, reaching number 64 on the CanadianRPM Current Hit Radio chart; none reached the US Billboard Hot 100.
Adams's second album,You Want It You Got It, was released in 1981 and contained the FM album-oriented rock radio hit, "Lonely Nights", which reached number three on the US Album Rock Tracks chart.[41] The same song was reinterpreted byUriah Heep for the albumHead First, released in 1983.[42][43] The most successful song off the album in Canada was "Fits Ya Good" which reached the top 30 on the RPM Top 40 Chart; it also reached number 15 on the US Album Rock Tracks chart. From January to May 1982, Adams spent months traveling on his "You Want It You Got It Tour"; within a few months the album had been picked up across the United States and Adams was soon on tour opening forthe Kinks andForeigner.[44]
Cuts Like a Knife, which was released in January 1983, was Adams's breakout album.[45] "Straight from the Heart" was the first single released from the album; it reached number 10 on theBillboard Hot 100,[46] number 20 on the Canadian RPM Top 40 chart, and number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart.[47] In September 1983,Bonnie Tyler released her version for the studio albumFaster Than the Speed of Night.[48] The second single, "Cuts Like a Knife", rose to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the US Album Rock Tracks Chart,[49] and number 12 on the Canadian RPM Top 40 Chart. The third single, "This Time", was also a top 30 hit in the US and Canada. Overseas, the latter two singles were both Top 20 hits in New Zealand, but there was little success in any other countries, aside from "Straight From the Heart" and "This Time" reaching the top 50 in the UK. Three other tracks, "Take Me Back", "I'm Ready" and "The Only One", also received substantial airplay on North American rock radio stations, each making the US Album Rock Tracks chart. The album peaked at number eight on both theBillboard 200 album chart[50] and in Canada, achieving three times platinum status in Canada, platinum status in the United States and gold status in Australia.[40][51] In October, Adams joinedJim Vallance at the Yamaha Music Festival in Japan.[52] TheMusic Express national popular opinion poll voted him Canada's best male singer for 1982. In 1983, Adams travelled to America, opening forJourney and performing on over 100 dates in five months.[44] On July 30, 1983, he performed atDay on the Green atOakland Coliseum.[53]
Reckless was released in late 1984, and peaked at number one on both theBillboard 200 and the Canadian Album Chart, while reaching number two in Australia and number seven in the UK.[54] The album featured six singles, all of which peaked in the Top 15 of the US Billboard Hot 100, only the third album to achieve this:[55] "Run to You" (number six in the U.S., number 4 in Canada), "Somebody" (number 11 in the U.S.), "Heaven" (number 1 in the U.S., number 11 in Canada), written for the filmA Night in Heaven, "Summer of '69" (number 5 in the U.S., number 11 in Canada), "One Night Love Affair" (number 7 in the U.S.), and "It's Only Love" (number 14 in the U.S.), a duet withTina Turner.[56][55][57] The album also did well in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, although "Summer of '69" did not do as well at first in the UK since it was not played often on the radio; however, it achieved success later on in the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium.[58][59][60] "It's Only Love" was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1986. In 1986, the song won an MTV award forBest Stage Performance.[61][62]Reckless also earned Adams a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Performance.[34] In December 1984, Adams embarked on a two-year world tour to launch the album. The tour included dates with Tina Turner for herPrivate Dancer Tour.[63] Adams wonJuno Awards for Best Male Vocalist in each year from 1983 to 1987.[64]Reckless eventually went Diamond in sales in Canada, the first album by a Canadian artist to do so, while reaching 5× and 3× Platinum in the US and UK.Reckless has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and won theJuno Award for Album of the Year in 1985.[65]
In February 1985, Adams recorded the charity single "Tears Are Not Enough" as a member of The Northern Lights, an improvised supergroup that also includedAnne Murray,Gordon Lightfoot,Burton Cummings,Joni Mitchell andNeil Young, and other Canadian musical artists. Adams wrote the lyrics and the album; the mission was to raise funds to help the1983-85 famine in Ethiopia.[66] The song was issued as a single byColumbia Records in March of that year,[67] and reached number one on the CanadianTop 40 chart. It also finished number one on the year-end Canadian charts for 1985. The song's video also received extensive airplay onMuchMusic. The single went triple platinum,[68] although independently recorded by the USA for Africa project, it was included in the full-lengthWe Are the World album. In July 1985, Adams performed the song at theLive Aid concert, at theJFK Stadium inPhiladelphia, in front of over 100,000 people.[69][70] In September 1985, Adams co-wrote two tracks forRoger Daltrey's sixth solo albumUnder a Raging Moon: "Let Me Down Easy", originally written forStevie Nicks, and "Rebel". The album was a tribute toThe Who's drummerKeith Moon, who died in 1978.[34][71][72][73] The track "Let Me Down Easy" was a Top 15 Hit onBillboard'sMainstream Rock Tracks.[74] Nearly 30 years later, Adams released his own version of "Let Me Down Easy" on a 30-year anniversary version ofReckless.[75]
In January 1986, Adams provided the ending background vocals to the song "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" by Canadian rock bandGlass Tiger for their debut albumThe Thin Red Line. It reached number one in Canada and number two in the United States.[76]
In August 1989, he recorded the backup vocals for theBelinda Carlisle song "Whatever It Takes" from theRunaway Horses album. Also during that time, Adams contributed toMötley Crüe's work on the albumDr. Feelgood, doing the backing vocals of "Sticky Sweet" andCharlie Sexton doing the backing vocals of "Don't Look Back" from theCharlie Sexton album.[84][85]
Adams performed at "A Night for the Environment" to raise funds for environmental organizations.[86] In November 1989, Adams attended Tina Turner's 50th birthday party at theReform Club in London.[87] OnNew Year's Eve 1990, Adams performed at theTokyo Dome.[88]
He returned to London and recorded the backing vocals for "Feels Like Forever", a song written by Adams forEric Carmen. In 1990, he received theOrder Of British Columbia.[90] Adams added vocal tracks on the melody ofDavid Foster's "River Of Love" in his home studio inVancouver. On July 21, 1990, Adams performed the Pink Floyd tracks "Young Lust" and "Empty Spaces" atRoger Waters's concert production ofThe Wall – Live In Berlin, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall eight months earlier.[91][92]
On September 24, 1991, the albumWaking Up the Neighbours was released. Co-produced by Adams andRobert John "Mutt" Lange, it topped the charts around the world, including in the UK, Canada,[97] Australia and Germany and reached number six on theBillboard 200.[98] It became Adams's second album to be certified Diamond in sales in Canada while being certified 5× platinum in the US. It went on to sell 16 million copies worldwide.[8]Waking up the Neighbors became the first album by a Canadian since Neil Young's 1972Harvest to reach the top of the album charts in the United Kingdom. The album caused controversy in Canada due to theCanadian content system, as the album was largely recorded in England and co-produced byRobert John "Mutt" Lange, originally fromZambia, making it not Canadian by the rules in effect at the time.[99] Following Adams' complaints, in September of that year, theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that theCanadian content rules would be expanded. The regulation at that time considered collaborative writing between Canadians and non-Canadians to be "Canadian" only where the lyricist and musical composer worked separately and at least one was Canadian. In protest, Adams briefly threatened to boycott Canada's annualJuno Awards, where his album was eventually almost completely ignored by the awards committee. In 1992, he won theJuno International Achievement Award,Canadian Entertainer of the Year (voted on by the public) andProducer of the Year Award.[100] In September 1991, the regulation was amended to recognize collaborations in which two (or more) contributors each contributed to both lyrics and music, as was the case with Adams and Lange.
In November 1993, Adams releasedSo Far So Good, acompilation album that was certified 6× Platinum in the US, 3× Platinum in the UK, 6× Platinum in Canada, and 11× Platinum in Australia.[110] It included a new song called "Please Forgive Me", which peaked at number two in the UK,[111] number 7 in the U.S.[57] and was the 10th most popular song in Australia in 1993.[112]
In 1994, Adams became the first Western artist to perform inVietnam sinceJames Brown played there in 1971 at the end of theVietnam War.[113]
In October 1994, Adams sang one of his favorite songs, "Hound Dog", at theElvis Presley tribute concert in Memphis.[114]
In 1999, a demo version of Adams' translation appeared on the single CD "Cloud Number Nine" in 1999. In December 1997, Adams releasedMTV 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 song from the albumCuts Like A Knife. The album was a top ten success in Germany while both singles reached the top 20 in the UK.[133]
On a Day Like Today was released in 1998 and the release coincided with his contract being sold toInterscope Records.On a Day Like Today enjoyed success internationally, entering the top five in Germany and Canada and was certified platinum in the UK. It generated two British top ten singles: "Cloud Number Nine" and "When You're Gone", which featuredMelanie C of theSpice Girls and peaked at number 3.[134] The song has sold 830,000 combined equivalent-sales in the UK as of May 2019.[135]
To commemorate the millennium, Adams releasedThe Best of Me, his most comprehensive collection of songs at that time, which included two new songs, the title track "The Best of Me" and "Don't Give Up" (number 1 in the UK).[136] The album reached the top ten in Germany and was certified three times platinum in Canada and Platinum in the UK. The single from the album, "The Best of Me" was a successful hit with the exception of the US, where neither the single or the album were released byInterscope Records, the single peaked at 10 on theCanadian Singles Chart on January 24, 2000.[137]
Adams sang on the title track and the song "Without You" forTina Turner's albumTwenty Four Seven, released in October 1999. Adams attended Turner's 60th birthday party in London, at which they performed "It's Only Love".[138] It was released on DVD.[139]
In 2004, Adams was ranked 13th on the ARC Weekly chart of top pop artists of the last 25 years, with four number-one singles, ten top five hits and 17 Top-10 hits.[144]
Room Service was released in September 2004. It topped the charts in Germany and Switzerland and peaked at number four in the UK, selling 440,000 copies in its first week in Europe and thus debuted at number one onBillboard's European album chart.[145] The single, "Open Road", was the most successful single from the album and peaked at number one in Canada and number twenty-one in the UK. In May 2008, the album was also released in the US, charting at number 134 on theBillboard 200.[146]
In May 2007, on the occasion of his 25th concert at theWembley Arena, he received the "Wembley Square Of Fame", a bronze plaque engraved with his name and handprints atWembley Park.[154][155]
Also in 2007, Adams co-wrote two songs "A Place for Us" and "Another Layer" for the Disney filmBridge to Terabithia.[156]
Adams released his eleventh album,11, internationally on March 17, 2008. The album was released in the US exclusively atWal-Mart andSam's Club retail stores on May 13, 2008.[157][158] The first single released from the album was "I Thought I'd Seen Everything". In March 2008, Adams played an 11-day, 11-country European acoustic tour to promote the album.[159] The album debuted at number one in Canada, making it his first album to reach that position sinceWaking Up the Neighbours in 1991, and reached number two in Germany. In the United States, the album charted at number 80. In June and July 2008, he toured the U.S., playing some shows withForeigner and on others withRod Stewart.[160]
Adams was one of four musicians who were pictured on the second series of the Canadian Recording Artist Series to be issued byCanada Post stamps on July 2, 2009, with estimated one and one-half million Adams stamps printed.[161][162]
In May 2010, Adams was one of several Canadian musicians to visit Canadian Prime MinisterStephen Harper at his official residence. Originally, the visit was meant to be Adams's plea to the Prime Minister to change copyright laws;[171] instead, Harper turned it into an informaljam session.[172][173]
In November 2010, Adams released the acoustic albumBare Bones, a live project consisting of twenty songs, to celebrate thirty years of career.Gary Breit accompanies on piano. Adams then embarked on "The Bare Bones Tour", an acoustic tour, and integrated acoustic concerts into other tours.[174][175][176][177]
On February 19, 2011, Adams and his band played inKathmandu, which was organized by ODC Network and made him the first international artist to perform in Nepal.[181][182]
In August 2013,Live at Sydney Opera House was released on CD / DVD set or separately as a CD, DVD orBlu-ray; it was recorded during one of the 3 nights atSydney Opera House, in August 2011, during "The Bare Bones Tour".[183]
In 2014, Adams signed arecording contract withVerve Records and in September, he releasedTracks of My Years, an album ofcover versions celebrating the 30th Anniversary ofReckless. The album reached number one on the Canadian album chart. The album contains cover songs and one original song co-written with Jim Vallance.[185][186]
Adams released his first album of all new material in seven years on October 16, 2015. The album, titledGet Up, was co-written with Jim Vallance and produced byJeff Lynne.
On October 14, 2016, Adams released the Wembley 1996 DVD, the recording of his concert, as part of the 18 Til I die tour, held on July 27, 1996, at London'sWembley Stadium, in front of over 70,000 spectators. The DVD immediately ranked to the top of the Britishmusic video charts.[190]
Adams with longtime guitarist Keith Scott in 2017
In November 2017,Ultimate, a compilation album with two new songs "Please Stay" and the anti-war themed "Ultimate Love", was released.[191][192][193]
In 2018, Bryan Adams performed "the Ultimate tour", touring Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, India, the US, and Canada.[194][195][196][197]
Adams first approachedDisney in 2009 to discuss writing the music for a possibleBroadway theatre adaptation ofPretty Woman. In 2016, when he found out that it was in production, he interviewed for the songwriter position with Jim Vallance and got the job. He worked with producerPaula Wagner and directorJerry Mitchell, spending the next two years writing the music and lyrics, completing the songs in March 2018.Pretty Woman: The Musical made its debut on Broadway in August 2018 and opened in London'sWest End theatre in February 2020.[198][199]
Adams, while writing this song, did not think it would be performed by Aretha. He conceived something like a hymn and "so that it can express a sense of faith, and that even if you have lost something, there will always be an inner light to guide you." However, then Adams said:
"When the song was ready, I told the producers that Aretha was going to sing it – and she did. This solo version had been on my computer for years (about 15 years), and when I heard that the creative director of Sony Music, longtime producer and friend of Aretha's Clive Davis, was making a movie about his life, I sent him this version. The world hadn't heard her full performance yet and it really needed to be heard. I'm so glad it's being released, the world needs this right now."[212]
Adams was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the2008 Universal fire.[213] Adams told theTimes that he had asked Universal for access to the master tapes forReckless in 2013 while working on a remastered edition of the album, but had been told that the tapes could not be found.[213] Adams eventually located a safety copy of the album to use on the remaster, and was not made aware of the fire until theTimes' initial report on June 1.[213] On November 15, 2019, Adams released anEP dedicated to Christmas. TheChristmas EP contains five tracks, the new track "Joe and Mary" and three previously released tracks: "Christmas Time", "Reggae Christmas" and "Merry Christmas"; and a new interpretation of "Must Be Santa", a 1960s Christmas song, performed in 2009 byBob Dylan.[214] At the end of November 2019, the albumThe Christmas Present by the British singer-songwriterRobbie Williams is released, Adams participates in the duet with Williams in the songChristmas (Baby Please Come Home).[215]
On November 13, 2020, Adams was featured on "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" as part of the BBC Radio 2's Allstars'Children in Need charity single.[216] The single debuted at number seven on the Official UK Singles Chart[217] and number one on both the Official UK Singles Sales Chart and the Official UK Singles Download Chart.[218] On December 7, 2020, Adams announced a series of UK concerts following the long hiatus of the "Shine a Light Tour" caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of a sold out 17-date tour withBon Jovi in US arenas.[219]
In July 2021, Adams signed a deal with Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) to release his next album.[220] On October 11, 2021, Adams released the title track of his 15th studio album,So Happy It Hurts. The album was released in March 2022. Adams also announced dates for a worldwide tour starting in February 2022.[221] The single So Happy It Hurts from this album was nominated in the Best Rock Performance category of the 2023 Grammy Awards.[222] Shows in late 2021 were cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[223]
In 2022, viaYouTube, Adams released new versions of the 16 songs ofPretty Woman: The Musical sung by Adams himself. The songs were co-written by Adams andJim Vallance for the musical in October 2018.[224][225][226] On April 1, 2022, Adams releasedClassic, an album of reworked and reimagined hits.[227][228] This was followed on July 29, 2022, withClassic Pt II.
In December 2023, Adams split with his manager of 44 years,Bruce Allen, instead choosing to self-manage his career.[229][230]
In August 2024, Adams launched his own record label, called Bad Records and released a double A-side single "War Machine"/"Rock and Roll Hell".[231] In November 2024, Canadian media conglomerateBell Media announced several partnerships with Adams, including an internet radio channel, a syndicated radio show that will premiere in January 2025, as well as aCTVconcert special featuring a performance of theReckless album (marking its 40th anniversary) from a three-night residency at theRoyal Albert Hall in May 2024.[232][233]
Adams has discussed political or social issues, such as with songs such as "Native Son" and "Remembrance Day" from the albumInto the Fire,[78] "Don't Drop That Bomb on Me" fromWaking Up the Neighbours, and "Ultimate Love" fromUltimate. In 1978, after meeting with the drummer and main songwriterJim Vallance for Canadianrock bandPrism under the pseudonym "Rodney Higgs",[235] the initial course was quite difficult. Demos of Adams' early songs were rejected by numerous record companies.
In 1978, the Adams–Vallance duo managed to sign their record deal withA&M Records and released the single "Let Me Take You Dancing". It is notable for being Adams' first solo single and his first-ever release as a solo artist, when he was 19.[236] The genre of the single wasdisco; the melody, a piano riff inspired byRobbie King, was composed by Vallance on his parents' piano during the Christmas holidays in 1977; Adams, meanwhile, helped turn the riff into a song. In 1982, Vallance and Adams received a call from producer Michael James Jackson to contribute some songs for the nextKiss album. Although Vallance and Adams were not fans ofheavy metal, it was a golden opportunity for exposure for their songs by a world-class rock group. In collaboration withGene Simmons, the track "War Machine" and a rewrite "Rock 'n Roll Hell" were recorded by Kiss for the albumCreatures of the Night.[237] Adams' first solo albums,Bryan Adams andYou Want It You Got It, two clear-cutrock andhard rock albums, respectively, indicated the styles that Adams would become famous for.[238] In 1983, with the release ofCuts Like a Knife,Reckless andInto the Fire, their music was characterized by being hard rock with melodic overtones and powerful ballads (known as power ballads); the production of the first five albums was in cooperation with the Americanrecord producerBob Clearmountain.[239][240]
In the 1990s, with the release ofWaking Up the Neighbours in 1991, produced byRobert John "Mutt" Lange, they left the hard rock sound and released an album closer to classic rock and roll, taking inspiration from the sounds of bands likeDef Leppard andForeigner.[241] In 1996, with his album18 til I Die, Adams and Lange adopted a pop rock sound more in line with the style of the time. Many ballads were included, although it also contained some rock songs such as "18 til I Die" and "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You".[242] The album includes the collaboration of Adams withGretchen Peters. In 1998,On a Day Like Today was released, co-produced by his compatriotBob Rock, he opted for a sound oriented topop rock, heavily influenced by contemporary bands.
Upon their return in 2000 with the albumRoom Service, Adams produced the album and co-wrote the songs with various co-writers, the themes of the songs being varied between street life, touring, truth, love and relationships. He again opted for a rock-oriented sound. In 2008, with11, produced by the same Adams with the collaboration of Mutt lange, he sees the return of his long-time collaboratorJim Vallance after more than 15 years, he has experienced a sound softer, combining songs fromsoft rock,pop rock and melodic rock.[243] WithGet Up produced entirely byJeff Lynne, they continued in the line of rock, with the strong influence of Lynne's fifty-year experience.[244] In 2019, withShine a Light, he combinedrock withpop rock andR&B.[245]
With the mainstream success ofReckless in the 1980s, five times multi-platinum "Album of the Year" and in the top 20 in "The Best AOR Albums Of All Time" according toKerrang! Magazine,[249][250] the true masterpiece of the Canadian rocker according to the Italian magazinePanorama,[251] andWaking Up The Neighbors in the 1990s, having gained worldwide circulation, Adams' impact still persists today. Being one of the most popular rock artists of the 80s and 90s, the merit of having maintained a pure rock at that time as the world went intoHip hop music andElectronic music.[252]
Adams and his music are popular in India, where he is a household name for three generations of people, and many people say the first few English phrases mastered by many young Indians are "It was the summer of '69" and "Everything I do, I do it for you."[257] Many music industry executives have said Adams is the most-known foreign music artist in India.[257][258] He was one of the first foreigners to stage a large-scale concert in India in the early 1990s, and he has returned to tour India several times.[257] Adams was on the cover of the September 2018 issue ofRolling Stone India; an article in the issue stated that Adams is "one rock legend whose concerts have created mass frenzy every single time in every single city he's played" in India.[259] It is also reported that "Summer of '69" has been so popular in India for so long that it is "almost a Hindi song now", often the only "western" song that might be allowed to be played at a traditional Indian wedding.[257] Adams toured India five times between 1994 and 2018 and has called himself an indophile.[260][261]
Most of Adams's philanthropic activity is through The Bryan Adams Foundation, which "aims to improve the quality of people's lives around the world by providing financial grants to support specific projects that are committed to bettering the lives of other people".[262] The foundation is mostly funded by Adams himself.
Adams has participated in concerts and other activities to help raise money and awareness for a variety of causes. His first high-profile charity appearance came in 1985 when he opened the US transmission ofLive Aid from Philadelphia.[263] In June 1986, Adams participated in the two-weekAmnesty International "A Conspiracy of Hope" tour alongsideSting, U2 andPeter Gabriel.[263] In 1986, Adams performed at The Prince's Trust All-Star Rock Concert in Wembley Arena to celebrate first 10 years of the Trust and again in June 1987 at the 5th AnnualPrince's Trust Rock Gala along withElton John,George Harrison,Ringo Starr and others.
In March 1989, Adams performed on theGreenpeace albumRainbow Warriors, which was also released in theSoviet Union on theMelodiya label. According to Greenpeace, worldwide sales raised more than $8 million for Greenpeace initiatives.[267]
On December 10, 1997, Adams took part in a concert called "A Gift of Song", in celebration of the US Committee forUNICEF 50th Anniversary, held at the Z-100 Jingle Ball Madison Square Garden inNew York City.[272]
Through the Rock by the River concert, held on May 25, 2005, Adams raised £1.3M with cousin Johnny Armitage, for theRoyal Marsden Hospital in London.[280]
On September 14, 2014, Adams was the first artist to sing at theInvictus Games organised byPrince Harry in East London.Prince Harry reciprocated by attending Adams's exhibition on wounded soldiers in London.[292]
In May 2015, he received the "Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award" in recognition of his social activism and support for various humanitarian causes, presented duringCanadian Music Week at theCanadian Music Industry & Broadcast Awards Gala.[293] In 2016, Adams canceled an April 14 concert atMississippi Coast Coliseum inBiloxi. From July 1, the state implementedthe Religious Liberty Accommodations Act, whereby religious groups and private companies can refuse to provide their services tosame-sex couples; after the example ofBruce Springsteen, who canceled his show inGreensboro,North Carolina in protest against thePublic Facilities Privacy & Security Act requiring transgender people to use public restrooms reflecting the sex listed on their birth certificate, Adams also followed "the Boss".[294]
On September 30, 2017, Adams, along withBruce Springsteen, met on stage at the2017 Invictus Games. The Paralympic Games for Military Veterans, now in its third edition, saw the two artists perform for the closing ceremony at theScotiabank Arena inToronto. They performed some pieces of their repertoire, to close in duet performing "Cuts Like A Knife" and "Badlands".[295]
For hisShine a Light world tour in 2019, Adams teamed up with shipping companyDHL for an environmental project to plant a tree for every ticket sold during the course of the tour.[298] In April 2020, he participates in the recording of the song "Lean on Me" together with an ad hoc supergroup of Canadian musicians accredited as ArtistsCAN, both in homage to the recent death ofBill Withers and for raise money for theCanadian Red Cross during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[299][300]
In April 2019, while off the coast ofSt. Vincent and the Grenadines, Adams physically intervened to protect a whale from being killed when local whalers tried to harpoon it within a conservation zone.[306]
Adams is the founder of theSt. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund, a non-profit company registered inSaint Vincent and the Grenadines to support sustainable initiatives to promote the preservation of the beauty and natural value of the islands.[307][308]
In May 2020, Adams was criticized for a profane social media post blaming theCOVID-19 pandemic on "fuckingbat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy bastards".[309] Even though Adams did not single out any particular race in his remarks, online response was immediate and "Bryan Adams racist" began trending on social media.[310] Adams later apologized for the comments stating, "To any and all that took offence...No excuse, I just wanted to have a rant about the horrible animal cruelty in these wet-markets being the possible source of the virus, and promote veganism. I have love for all people and my thoughts are with everyone dealing with this pandemic around the world."[311]
Adams accepting a Lead Award for photography in 2006
Adams also works as a photographer. In 2002, Adams was invited, along with other photographers from theCommonwealth, to photographQueen Elizabeth II during herGolden Jubilee; one of the photographs from this session was used as a Canadian postage stamp in 2004 and again in 2005 (seeQueen Elizabeth II domestic rate stamp (Canada)), another portrait of both Queen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.[312]
He won three Lead Awards in Germany for his fashion photography, most recently in October 2015 for his story in Helmut Berger, and previously in June 2012 and again in 2006.[313] He founded the art fashionZoo Magazine, based in Berlin, for which he shoots regularly.[314]
His first retrospective book of photos was released bySteidl in October 2012 titledExposed. Previous published collaborations includeAmerican Women (2005), for Calvin Klein in the United States; proceeds from this book went toMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for their breast cancer research programs,[17] andMade in Canada (1999) forFlare Magazine in Canada; proceeds went to theCanadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Both books were dedicated to his friend Donna, who died of the disease.[17]
Adams supports theHear the World initiative as a photographer in its aim to raise global awareness for the topic of hearing and hearing loss.[315] Adams released a photography book entitledWounded – The Legacy of War (2013) to highlight the human consequences of war.[316]
On September 16, 2015, he was given an Honorary Fellowship of theRoyal Photographic Society in London for his work in photography. Adams has been published in BritishVogue, L'uomoVogue, AmericanVanity Fair,Harper's Bazaar, BritishGQ,Esquire,Interview magazine andi-D,[17] and shot advertising and PR campaigns for Hugo Boss, Guess Jeans, Sand, Converse, Montblanc, John Richmond, Fred Perry, Escada, Gaastra, Zeiss, Joop, Zeiss AG, Schwarzkopf, Ermenegildo Zegna, AGL shoes, Windsor, Jaguar and OPEL cars.[317][318]
Adams became avegan in 1989, when he was 29 years old, and said that he has more energy as a result of the decision. According to Adams, his motto is "If you love animals, don't eat them."[396][397][398][399]
Adams has never married. In the 1990s, for 12 years, he was in a relationship with Danish modelCecilie Thomsen. Thomsen said that he had an affair withDiana, Princess of Wales; Adams insists they were just friends.[400]
Adams and his partner, Alicia Grimaldi,[401] had their first daughter in April 2011 and their second daughter in February 2013.[402][403] Grimaldi is Adams's former personal assistant and is a trustee and co-founder of his namesake foundation.[402] Adams maintains homes inLondon[17] andParis; the house in Paris was listed onAirbnb.[404]
On October 30, 2021, Adams cancelled his participation in a tribute to singerTina Turner, just before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, after testing positive forCOVID-19.[405]
On July 20, 2023, Adams was announced as co-founder ofScottish based musicstart up SongBox, aweb application that allows musicians and other audio content creators to securely store and share their files with anyone they choose.[406][407]
In 1990, Adams was awarded theOrder of British Columbia.[409] On April 20, 1990, Adams was made a Member of theOrder of Canada, and on May 6, 1998, was promoted within the order to the rank of Officer of the Order of Canada.[410] He received these awards for his contributions to popular music and philanthropic work via his foundation, which helps improve education for people around the world.[411][412]
1991 –Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Adams played himself in the full length video for "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" playing out the end credits to the VHS release of the film.
^Madlena, Tatiana (January 8, 2015)."Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood".rockandmetalinmyblood.com (in Italian).Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. RetrievedDecember 10, 2020.
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