5 Things You Didn’t Know About Bryan Adams
Since 1978, Bryan Adams has dialed in a sound and style to that appeals to a mass audience. Learn more about him before you see him live!
By bonneville on June 2, 2023
In 1978, Bryan Adams was signed onto A&M Records for one dollar. Since then, he has recorded music and played live almost non-stop. This year, he embarks on his So Happy It Hurts tour with the legendary Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
His stripped-down performances are barebones. His typical performance involves his bandmates and himself, with no outfit changes or backup dancers to support. This simplified approach packs a punch, with high-energy rock and ballads that catch on to audiences worldwide.
Here are a few facts you might not have known about the artist.
He’s big in India
Bryan Adams first visited India in 1994 and has toured several more times since then. The star has become so big that “The Summer of ’69” is now a staple at most Indian weddings, and many people cite Adams songs as their first phrases learned in English. He has sold more albums than many of the top-charting Bollywood albums in India.
He’s a huge Tina Turner fan
Adams has collaborated with many artists over the years, including starting as a songwriter for the likes of KISS and Loverboy before he saw fame. But the Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner, stands out among them.
Even before he started playing music, Bryan Adams was a huge Tina Turner fan. He later opened for Tina Turner during her 1985 Private Dancer Tour, and the duo wrote “It’s Only Love” that same year. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1986 and won an MTV award for Best Stage Performance that same year.
Since then, he’s played with Turner at the Rainforest Concert in 1993, at her 50th birthday party, and again at her 60th birthday party in 1999. He had planned to sing at her induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 but canceled when he contracted COVID-19.
Over 20 movies feature his songs
By the ’90s, Adams was well-known for writing hits for Blockbuster films. Adams’ most popular song for a movie is “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You,” written for Robinhood: Prince of Thieves, released in 1991.
But Adams has contributed to dozens more films, including The Three Musketeers, Jack, Class, A Night in Heaven, Real Genius, Renegades, Pink Cadillac, An Innocent Man, Problem Child 2, The Cutting Edge, Don Juan DeMarco, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Jack, Red Corner, Hope Floats, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, House of Fools, Devil’s Gate, Racing Stripes, Color Me Kubrick, The Guardian, Bobby, Cashback, Bridge to Terabithia, Old Dogs, Jock the Hero Dog and Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return.
His songs have received three Oscars nominations, including the aforementioned “Everything I Do.” The other two pieces are “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” from Don Juan de Marco (1995) and “I Finally Found Someone” from The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).
He almost titled his second album “Bryan Adams Hasn’t Heard of You Either”
Bryan Adams’ first self-titled album saw little media attention. Despite that, Adams toured heavily and went through several recording sessions to dial in new material for his sophomore album, “You Want It You Got It.” Though it would be “Reckless” that propelled Adams into the charts, he made it onto the Billboard 100 singles with the track “Lonely Nights” from this release.
He’s one of the best-selling music artists of all time
Adams has sold between 75 and 100 million CDs and singles worldwide, with Reckless selling 12 million copies alone. These sales make him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He is also the most-played artist on Canadian radio.
Catch him live with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at the Maverick Center on Friday, July 7, 2023. Enter to win tickets!
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