This amazing singer is known for her powerful, emotional performances and her best-selling music. The world is in love with Adele’s voice, but is it in jeopardy from a smoking habit?
Adele used to smoke, but she quit in 2011 after canceling a US and UK tour to have surgery for a vocal cord hemorrhage and prohibit permanent damage to her voice. She had suffered from other vocal conditions before, such as laryngitis.
Read on to find out more about the effects smoking had on Adele, other famous singers who smoke, and how smoking can affect singers in particular.
Adele’s Experience
Adele quit smoking in 2011, partially because she feared the habit might kill her. She had been smoking up to 25 cigarettes a day before she had the surgery for her vocal cord hemorrhage.
Just a few months before her surgery, Adele and Lady Gaga were caught on film smoking together at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
The singer has suffered from conditions like laryngitis in the past, which caused her to cancel US tour dates.
After quitting in 2011, fans were ecstatic after hearing that Adele would make a full recovery. Adele, in an interview with The Hamilton Spectator, doesn’t seem to agree.
“The people with the best voices, they always smoke. I’ve given up smoking and I’m convinced that’s made my voice weaker,” the singer said. Anyone who has heard her recent albums and performances would disagree–her voice is stronger and more beautiful than ever.
While she did express concern at the effect that quitting has had on her voice, she cited her son, Angelo, as another reason she had to quit, wanting to stay healthy for him.
Watch Adele talk about her experience quitting in a 2011 People interview in the YouTube video below.
Singers Who Smoke
Adele claimed that the singers with the best voices always smoke. Who are some other iconic singers who have or used to have the habit?
Adele herself has joked that Bruno Mars “smokes like an old woman,” which she found out when the two worked on a song for her album, 25. Mars is apparently known for being a heavy smoker while turning out hit songs.
Zayn Malik has often posted pictures of him smoking on Instagram, like this one, much to the chagrin of his supporters. Fans have often commented on the pictures asking him not to smoke and telling him he’s setting a bad example for young viewers, but he doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop anytime soon.
In 2013, Selena Gomez became a heavy smoker after learning how for her role in Spring Breakers. “I’d never smoked a cigarette before in my entire life–it was really funny, they had to show me how to do it,” the star said.
Other celebrities who smoke or who have quit smoking include Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Lana Del Rey, just to name a few. If so many singers smoke, how can it affect them?
Effects of Smoking on Singers
One of the biggest issues that singers face from smoking is reduced lung capacity. This means that singers can’t take in as much air to begin with, and they can’t hold notes for as long, which many singers are known for.
Smoker’s cough isn’t a myth–it’s a real condition caused by a buildup from phlegm that comes with damaged lungs. Singers interrupting their performance to cough or clear the mucus from their throats isn’t a good look.
Many singers pick up the habit to give their voice that unique, raspy quality that comes with smoking. This is caused by swollen vocal cords, which make them more vulnerable to bleeding or scarring and even permanent damage.
While smoking may look cool, it can have irreversible effects on someone’s life. Singers especially should avoid the habit, no matter what Adele says.