The Untold Truth Of Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams is an influential artist who has crafted memories for scores of fans throughout his long and illustrious musical career. According to the Guardian, the singer was born in 1959 in Ontario, Canada. He has had numerous hits through the years such as "Summer of '69," "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," "When You're Gone," "Run To You," "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" and many more.
Here's something you should know about Bryan Adams: the singer is someone who cares greatly about making a difference in the world. When he was asked about the person he looks up to the most, he said that he respects the Dalai Lama for being so fearlessly outspoken about Tibet and for "his dedication to spirituality." Also, Adams is pretty humble despite being a celebrity and doesn't let fame get to his head. Adams simply wants others to remember him as "a decent bloke who could sing." This is the untold truth of Bryan Adams.
Bryan Adams had an adventurous childhood
Bryan Adams wasn't really meant for an ordinary life. Even as a child, he was destined to see the world and experience its wonders. According to the Guardian, Adams' father was a military guy who eventually embraced a career as a diplomat which meant that the family had to travel a lot. His parents were British immigrants and they lived in several places such as Canada, Israel, Britain, Korea, Portugal, and Japan when Adams was a child.
Also, his home was a difficult environment to grow up in. Adams mentioned that his parents scheduled appointments with a psychiatrist when he was 12 years old. The singer said that he was asked to go see the professional because he wasn't communicating with his family. When he was pressed for more details, he replied, "They were always arguing with each other. I was so into my music at the time." To get away from it all, he would isolate himself by locking his room and strumming the guitar alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Bryan Adams got into music early
It didn't take too long for Bryan Adams to realize that he wanted to be a professional musician. In fact, he was so serious about his passion that the singer was ready to quit school to focus on it. According to Classic Pop Magazine, what helped him was that his mother supported his decision and dipped into his college funds to get him a brand new piano.
When Bryan Adams was asked what could've happened if his mom didn't help him, he said, "It was too late for that, she would never have said [no] by then. Maybe she would have said, 'Let's hold out and see how you go.'" He also revealed that by the time she got involved, he was already making enough to pay his rent. He was sure about his next steps. Adams explained, "I wasn't that successful, but she could see that I could do it. By then, it was about helping me to do the right thing."
However, Adams was on his own as far as his dad was concerned (via the Guardian.) He didn't approve of his son's choices and didn't try to hide his displeasure. The singer persisted nevertheless.
Bryan Adams' breakthrough was 'You Want It, You Got It'
Bryan Adams' first album was released in 1980. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, his self-titled debut didn't do as well as it could have. However, the singer didn't have to wait too long for his work to be appreciated. He released "You Want It, You Got It" in 1981, an album that most definitely put him on the map. Before starting work on the album, Adams ensured that he had recorded as many songs as he possibly could manage. And when he finally started work on "You Want It, You Got It," he had plenty of tracks to choose from.
The album had 10 songs and many of them were pretty good: they were picked up by radio stations and helped him get noticed. Two notable singles worth mentioning are "Fits Ya Good" and "Lonely Nights." Overall, it was a gradual process. According to Adams' songwriting partner, Jim Vallance, Adams often sang, "You Want It, You Got It" while touring with the band Journey in 1982. As Vallance explained, "After all, it was the title track from his just-released second album."
His next, "Cuts Like a Knife" was released in 1983 and got Adams even more attention. However, he managed to hit a major milestone when he worked on his popular 1984 album, "Reckless."
His first deal was for $1
As far as Bryan Adams is concerned, he is a self-made man who didn't have any external help when he was trying to climb the ladder as a musician. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he never "borrowed a penny" from someone else because he didn't really know how to go about it and his pride wouldn't let him get away with it. Adams wanted to make an impression through his songs alone.
And yes, the singer agreed to a contract with A&M Records in 1979 for just $1. Looking back, Bryan Adams explained what happened. He said, "They were cheap as chits and didn't want to invest any money in me — and it was the time when I needed it most." At the same time, he knew that it was more important to get represented in the music industry and he agreed to the deal. Also, he got the freedom to record some songs on his own which was a huge plus. Interestingly, he kept the $1 check with him for many years.
Renegotiation did happen eventually, but it took some time. The singer said, "The only thing we negotiated immediately was tour support. In 1980, as soon as my album was ready, we were put on tour, and I don't think I went home until about 1999."
Bryan Adams was never a fan of fame
While it may be hard to believe, Bryan Adams never aspired to be a famous man or a household name. That was not really on his agenda when he started working as a musician. He told the Hollywood Reporter that he didn't actually understand what being famous meant. He said, "The craft was everything to me. To be a celebrity — I couldn't think of anything more cringe-worthy."
In fact, he really struggled to adjust to fame when it finally did come to him, and would get into fights with his manager often because he didn't enjoy some of his press duties and wasn't enthusiastic about them. He tried to avoid it as much as he could before he finally found a coping mechanism that worked for him. "Laughing at it is key; if you can laugh at yourself, you never cease to be amused," Adams said.
Jim Vallance played an integral role
Bryan Adams has often received a helping hand in the form of songwriter and producer Jim Vallance. The singer told the story about how he first met Vallance in a lovely throwback post on Instagram in January of 2021. The beginning of his caption says it all. It reads, "I met Jim Vallance in 1978 in a Vancouver music shop, and three days later we had written a song."
He added that 43 years later, they're still going strong as a team and creating music with each other. They're also very grateful for the love and support they've received from fans.
According to Guitar World, the duo share a solid partnership and even worked on the super successful album "Reckless" together. Vallance revealed that they worked very hard for a whole year while preparing for the album, often jamming together from noon until midnight. He added that their sessions were almost always productive and said, "We'd jam for hours until one of us played or sang something interesting. Then we'd spend time fleshing out the idea or we'd jam some more until another idea materialized."
'Summer of 69' is more interesting than you think
Bryan Adams knows how popular his tune "Summer of '69" is. His fans have quoted the 1989 song for years and he has performed it scores of times at concerts. Interestingly, while the song may appear to be a relatively innocent track, Adams claims that it has a sexual angle involved (via CBS News).
Adams said, "A lot of people think it's about the year ... but actually, it's more about making love in the summertime. It's using '69 as a sexual reference." That said, his songwriting partner and producer Jim Vallance isn't on the same page as Adams and says that his interpretation is different (via Guitar World.) Vallance said, "We were both in the room when 'Summer of '69' was written, yet we have very different recollections about what inspired the song."
The year 1969 is meaningful to Vallance because as an aspiring musician, he was full of hopes and dreams and was discovering good music as a 17-year-old. It was also a year of firsts for him in some ways as he met his first girlfriend that summer. Also, this was one of the toughest songs that Adams and Vallance created together. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Adams found it tricky to "finalize" the track before he felt satisfied with it. And yet, it went on to become one of his most memorable songs.
He has kids with his personal assistant
As per Reuters, Bryan Adams and his personal assistant, Alicia Grimaldi announced in 2011 that they were going to be parents, an update that was a revelation for many of his fans. The singer said, "Alicia Grimaldi and I are expecting a baby." He added, "She helped me start my foundation years ago and it looks like she'll be running the family now." Other than that, the singer chose to stay tight-lipped about their relationship and didn't disclose a lot of details. He maintains this policy to date and doesn't talk about his personal life.
Apparently, the news was a surprise for some of Adams' friends as well and they weren't aware that the singer was dating Grimaldi. In 2013, the couple had another child in London and named that one Lula Rosylea (via US Magazine.) Per Adams, his second child was born at teatime. He added, "Rosylea is cockney-rhyming-slang in London for 'a cup of tea' and the name Lula comes from Gene Vincent's song 'Be-Bop-A-Lula.'"
When Bryan Adams was single in 2002 and was asked in an interview with The Guardian whether he was shying away from being a parent because of the fact that he had a tough childhood, he simply said that this was a "deep question," implying that it was tough for him to answer it. Or maybe he just didn't want to go there with a journalist.
Bryan Adams gave up on drugs early in his life
Bryan Adams experimented with drugs quite a lot before he became famous. According to The Guardian, he dropped out of school when he was 15 years old and fell in with a bad crowd. He admitted that these were reckless days for him and said, "My worst time on drink and drugs was early years, pre-16." While he wasn't too comfortable sharing the specific details, he said, "We've been down the little road, of you know, whatever was available in those times ... we were all on the highway to hell."
What made him stop in his tracks? It was a brush with the law. His mother had to come and pick him up from jail, something that shook Adams out of his reverie. When he looked at his mom, he realized that he couldn't continue hurting her and decided to mend his ways. He believes that his face is pockmarked because of his brief encounter with drugs all those years ago. He added, "I've never done anything to change it, because I just figure it's part of my character, it's what happened to me."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
He's a talented photographer
As an artist, Bryan Adams is undoubtedly multi-talented. He's carved a niche for himself as a photographer, clicking powerful pictures of many celebrities, holding exhibitions, and publishing books. Per Rolling Stone, his first photography book from 2012 was title, "Bryan Adams Exposed" and included stunning photos of famous artists such as Pink, Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse (who was on really good terms with him), Billy Idol, Mick Jagger, and more.
For Bryan Adams, both music and photography are fulfilling pursuits. He told Musée Magazine, "I love both mediums, and find it fun to make something from nothing." He added that he explored photography early in life thanks to an uncle who worked as an executive at the Ilford film company and gifted him lots of film. He would shoot pictures with his parents' cameras and capture the world around him.
One of Adams' photography books, "Wounded" explored war and the terrible consequences it has on people through the experiences of British soldiers. Adams said, "Doing the photos made me wonder what the toll of suffering must have been on the other side, as so many of the soldiers I photographed are only alive because of the huge advancements of medicine in the field."
Bryan Adams said offensive things about the Chinese
In May 2020, Bryan Adams found himself being heavily criticized after he was called out for a "racist social media rant" after some of his concerts in London were cancelled on account of COVID-19. According to the Los Angeles Times, the singer was upset when he put up a video on Instagram and accused "bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b******s" for starting the pandemic.
However, he apologized for his words when others called him out for being racist towards the Chinese. In his statement, the singer said that he was sorry for his comments. He added, "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." Per the BBC, certain animal rights organizations stood by Adams and supported him. Also, the singer later edited the caption of the original post and removed his controversial statements.
Bryan Adams was praised for his humanitarian work
Bryan Adams is highly passionate about doing his bit for the world and making a difference in his own way. According to the Globe and Mail, the singer pulled off a memorable performance in Karachi, Pakistan in order to raise funds in 2006. This was a concert held for schools who were affected by devastating earthquakes in that country. Thousands of fans showed up to watch Adams belt out some of his popular tracks such as "Summer of '69" and "Run To You," all for a good cause.
And in 1985, Bryan Adams collaborated with other musicians on the song, "Tears Are Not Enough" in order to lend support to Ethiopia as it recovered from a horrific famine (via CBC News.) Adams also worked with prominent organizations such as Greenpeace and PETA, speaking up about issues he cared about. The singer has received several awards for his humanitarian work. While accepting an award in 2010, he was quoted as saying that he hoped to motivate others. Adams said, "I'm accepting this award in the hope that it will inspire and encourage others to contribute and/or also give back."