Jean Adebambo

Jean Adebambo (1 July 1962 – 15 January 2009) was a British singer, best known for songs in the lovers rock genre. It is believed she died by suicide. Jean Adebambo was born in Islington, London, to a Montserratian mother and a Nigerian father. Her entry into the music business was by chance; she was invited to do a cover version of two records entitled "Again" and "Reunited" by Ital Records in the early 1980s, while she was studying to be a nurse. She eventually met the Jamaican producer Leonard Chin, for whom she recorded the single "Paradise", and had a successful solo career, mainly recording for her own Ade J label. A string of hits followed such as the singles "Reaching For A Goal", "Hardships of Life" and "Pipe Dreams". Despite all the success, Adebambo quit the music industry and went back into the medical profession and became a health visitor in Bermondsey. A successful lovers rock concert was held in 2008 at the Brixton Academy, where Adebambo was persuaded to perform and restart her music career; however, she was found dead at home in Leytonstone on 15 January 2009, aged 46. A tribute concert was held on at Hackney Empire on Sunday 15 March 2009, with the aim of raising funds to help raise her two daughters. Feelings (1983), Ade J Off Key Loving (1985), Ade J "Paradise" (1980), Santic "Reaching for a Goal" (1981), Third World "Say That You Love Me" (1981), Ade J "Pipe Dreams" (1982), Ade J "Hardships of Life" (1983), Ade J "Tell Me" (1983), Ade J "I Like It" (1984), Ade J "Never Before" (1984), Ade J "I've Made Up My Mind" (1986), Ade J "All the Way" (1987), Ade J "Pain" (1987), Now Generation "Never Gonna Give You Up" (1987), Pioneer International Africa Woman, Issues 31-36, 1981 (via Google Books) Lokko, Andres (2009) "Jean Adebambo har glömts bort" (Swedish), Svenska Dagbladet, 13 March 2009, retrieved 2012-06-05 "Jean Adebambo, Brother Confirms Suicide", bamboo.co.uk, 28 January 2009, retrieved 2012-06-05 "Jean Adebambo", itzcaribbean.com, retrieved 2012-06-05 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 5 Steward, Sue & Garratt, Sheryl (1985) Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: True Life Stories of Women in Pop, South End Press, ISBN 978-0896082403, p. 70 "Lovers Rock Singer Jean Adebambo Dies Archived 31 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine", bamboo.co.uk, 17 January 2009, retrieved 2012-06-05 Morris, Davina (2009) "Tributes pour in for lovers rock queen", The Voice, Issue 1356, 27 January 2009, retrieved 2012-06-05 Jean Adebambo discography at Discogs