Sharon den Adel

Sharon den Adel
Background information
Birth name	Sharon Janny den Adel
Also known as	Sharon den Adel
Born	(1974-07-12) 12 July 1974
Origin	Waddinxveen, South Holland, Netherlands
Genres	Symphonic metal, symphonic rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, fashion designer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Roadrunner, DSFA, Gun
Associated acts	Within Temptation, Anneke van Giersbergen, Ayreon, Avantasia, Delain
Website	Within Temptation official

Sharon den Adel (born 12 July 1974) is a Dutch singer and composer, best known as the lead vocalist and one of the main songwriters in the Dutch symphonic metal/rock band Within Temptation. She has been a performing musician since the age of 14, and was a founding member of the band Within Temptation, along with Robert Westerholt, in 1996.

Personal life

Born Sharon Janny den Adel in Waddinxveen, South Holland, Netherlands on 12 July 1974, she traveled extensively in her youth, living in at least ten different countries. From the age of 14, she performed with various bands, including a blues rock band called Kashiro, before joining with Robert Westerholt in 1996 to form a band called The Portal, though the name was changed to Within Temptation before their debut recording.

Den Adel and long-term partner Robert Westerholt have three children together (daughter Eva Luna, sons Robin Aiden and Logan Arwin), and they currently live near Hilversum, Netherlands. Den Adel was pregnant with their first child, Eva Luna (born 7 December 2005), during The Silent Force tour. On 22 February 2009, den Adel announced that she was pregnant with her second child, Robin Aiden Westerholt, whose birth was announced on the band's official website on 1 June 2009. Going by the name of Aiden, he was born premature at 32 weeks and 6 days. On 26 November 2010, den Adel announced that she was expecting another child which, due to complications with her previous pregnancies, meant that the band's 2011 tour dates would be rescheduled from spring till autumn. The birth of her son, Logan Arwin, was announced on 31 March 2011.

Training and vocal profile

Den Adel never formally studied singing and stated in a 2006 interview that she had sung a short while in a choir and was mostly self-taught. She used to practice alone three or four hours per day. Sharon has a mezzo-soprano range, though she has a light and lyric vocal quality for that range. Her highest note is found on the song "The Truth Beneath the Rose" and her lowest on "Empty Eyes".^{[citation needed]} Though one of her highest notes was in the song "The Cross", electronic effects were used that make the notes sound higher than they were actually sung.^{[citation needed]}

Within Temptation

Main article: Within Temptation

Together with her partner, Robert Westerholt, den Adel formed Within Temptation (initially called The Portal, though the name was changed before their first recording) in 1996. She has defined their work as epic and cinematic. Her vocals play a major role in the band's sound, despite having never received formal vocal training.

Before Within Temptation became famous, she worked for a fashion company, leaving after the band found success with their hit single "Ice Queen". She utilises her fashion expertise by designing her stage costumes and the band's merchandise. About.com described den Adel as a "versatile and skilled singer who is equally adept at singing powerfully with a full orchestra and choir as she is at singing quietly and emotionally with just a piano." When asked if she prefers to sing in Dutch or English, den Adel said that she favours the latter because "Dutch just doesn't fit to our music style. It is also not the nicest language to sing in. Italian or Spanish would then be better options."

Collaborations with other artists

Sharon den Adel has performed on-stage and in the studio with several notable bands, including Armin van Buuren, After Forever, De Heideroosjes, Oomph! and Delain. She sang the part of Anna Held in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia projects, and the part of the Indian on Ayreon's rock opera Into the Electric Castle. She sang the vocals of one Timo Tolkki song, "Are You The One?", co-wrote and provided the vocals for the track "In And Out Of Love" from Armin van Buuren's 2008 album Imagine, and sang on the track "No Compliance" for Delain's album Lucidity, as well as working with the band Voyage on the track "Frozen" (not to be confused with the Within Temptation song of the same title). At the 2009 edition of the Night of the Proms festival, den Adel made a guest appearance during John Miles' performance of "Stairway to Heaven". At the end of 2012, Sharon made an appearance on a charity campaign made by a Belgian radio station to raise money for children singing the chorus of the song het Meneer Konijn lied among other Belgian celebrities The song also peaked #1 at the Belgium Charts.

Discography

Within Temptation

Main article: Within Temptation discography

Studio albums

• Enter (1997)
• Mother Earth (2000)
• The Silent Force (2004)
• The Heart of Everything (2007)
• The Unforgiving (2011)

Guest appearances

• Embrace (Voyage, 1996) "Frozen"
• Bash (Silicon Head, 1997) "Hear"
• Into the Electric Castle (Ayreon, 1998) "Isis & Osiris", "Amazing Flight", "The Decision Tree", "Tunnel of Light", "The Garden of Emotions", "Cosmic Fusion", "Another Time, Another Space"
• Schizo (De Heideroosjes, 1999) "Regular Day in Bosnia"
• Prison of Desire (After Forever, 2000) "Beyond Me"
• The Metal Opera (Avantasia, 2000) "Farewell"
• Inside (Orphanage, 2000) "Behold"
• Architecture of the Imagination (Paralysis, 2000) "Fly", "Architecture of the Imagination"
• Fast Forward (De Heideroosjes, 2001) "Last Call to Humanity"
• Fooly Dressed (Aemen, 2002) "Time", "Waltz"
• The Metal Opera Part II (Avantasia, 2002) "Into the Unknown"
• Hymn to Life (Timo Tolkki, 2002) "Are You the One?"
• Pinkpop 2005 (De Heideroosjes, 2005) "Candy (Iggy Pop Cover)"
• Lucidity (Delain, 2006) "No Compliance"
• "Crucify" (De Laatste Show-band, Tori Amos cover live)
• Imagine (Armin van Buuren, 2008) "In and Out of Love"
• The Metal Opera: Pt 1 & 2 - Gold Edition (Avantasia, 2008) "Farewell", "Into the Unknown"
• Pure Air (Agua de Annique, 2009) "Somewhere" (Duet)
• Night of the Proms 2009 (John Miles, Katona Twins, Sharon den Adel) "Stairway to Heaven"
• Truth Or Dare (Oomph!, 2010) "Land Ahead"
• For All We Know (Ruud Jolie, 2011) "Keep Breathing"
• Wesley Against Society (Coeverduh, 2012) "Nostradamus"
• Heart Tamer (Leander Rising, 2012) "Between Two Worlds And I" (Duet)
• De Vrienden Van Meneer Konijn (various artists, 2012) "Het Meneer Konijn Lied"
• The Land of New Hope (Avalon, 2013) "Shine"

Awards

• Sharon den Adel was named Rock Goddess of the Year in the 2011 Loudwire Music Awards.

External links

• Within Temptation official website
• Official Website profile
• Discogs Profile

Interviews

• Interview with Live-Metal.net
• Interview with About Heavy Metal
• Ask The Artist
• Interview with Sharon den Adel

New title

Vocalist for Within Temptation since 1996

Incumbent