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Seal Samuel (born 19 February 1963 in London, England) is a three-time Grammy Award-winning Afro-European soul vocalist and songwriter. He is professionally known only by his first name, Seal.
Born Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, in London, England, his parents were Adebisi Samuel, a Nigerian immigrant, and Frances Samuel, an African-Brazilian immigrant. A childhood battle with discoid lupus left him with distinctive facial scarring and hair loss. He studied architecture and engineering in school.
As the featured vocalist on the Adamski single "Killer", Seal became a hot property when the single reached number one in 1990 in the UK. Like many other Adamski tracks, the single was also a hit in night clubs. Seal subsequently signed to ZTT Records and released his debut album (produced by Trevor Horn), entitled Seal, in 1991. Two versions of the album are known to be in circulation, the original "premix" version and a second, more common, version with an updated mix. This is attributed to the demands for a produced single rushing the final album edit, and as Seal puts it, his and producer Horn's "inability to let go". The album was positively received by critics and the singles "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", and his own rendition of "Killer" from the album all performed well on the charts.
His second album, also eponymous, was released in 1994. A critical success, the album featured the singles "Prayer for the Dying" and "Newborn Friend", receiving a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. A third single, "Kiss From a Rose", performed modestly when released but was later featured in the film Batman Forever which resulted in its worldwide success. It went on to win Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1996 and became Seal's best performing single in the US market. Later, he recorded a cover of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle" for the soundtrack of the film Space Jam. Four years after the release of his previous album, in 1998, Seal released Human Being. The album was the product of a turbulent time in his life, including a split and later reconciliation with producer Horn as well as Seal's parting with ZTT Records and his signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1997. The record was critically panned upon its release and its sales were lackluster. The album provided three singles, "Human Beings", "Latest Craze", and "Lost My Faith".
In 2001, fans awaited the arrival of a new album, announced as Togetherland. However, after a protracted post-production period the album was cancelled in its entirety. The official word was that Seal simply didn't think it made the grade, although this conflicts with other reports that said the album was turned down by the label, which felt that it wouldn't be commercially successful. Although one single was released from the album. "This Could Be Heaven" was released in the US and featured on the Family Man soundtrack.
Meanwhile, Seal made something of a comeback in dance and club scene when he co-wrote and provided vocals for the hit single "My Vision" from Jakatta in 2002. In 2003, Seal released his fourth album, which was again self-titled, except for Australia, where it was released under Seal IV. Although it did not sell as much as either of his first two albums, this release brought him back into the public eye in the United States and continental Europe. Singles from the album included "Waiting For You", "Get It Together", and "Love's Divine" (released in 2004).
