People: Dec. 23, 1985

Her sultry voice and jazzy arrangements have led some to compare her with vocalists of a bygone era, but Sade, 26, cites instead such contemporary influences as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson and Joni Mitchell. Whatever her sources, the Nigerian-born, English-bred singer has cut a unique groove for herself. Sade (pronounced Shar-day) saw her 1984 debut album, Diamond Life, go platinum while her second, Promise, is shooting up the charts, and her current eight-city U.S. tour is sold out. She has also been named one of the world's ten most elegant women by Elle magazine. Pretty good for someone who got into...

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