History of Bryan Adams in Timeline
Bryan Adams is a highly successful Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He has achieved worldwide recognition, selling an estimated 75 to over 100 million records. Notably, he was the most played artist on Canadian radio throughout the 2010s. Adams has consistently charted hit singles, securing over 25 top 15 hits in Canada and more than a dozen in the U.S., UK, and Australia, establishing himself as a prominent figure in popular music.
November 5, 1959: Bryan Adams' Birth
On November 5, 1959, Bryan Guy Adams OC OBC, the Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer, was born.
1970: Purchase of Imitation Strat Guitar
In 1970, Bryan Adams bought an imitation Strat guitar in Reading, England.
1971: Purchase of Imitation Les Paul Guitar
In 1971, Bryan Adams bought an imitation Les Paul guitar at a Five and Dime store in Ottawa, Canada.
1974: Move to North Vancouver
In 1974, Bryan Adams, his mother, and his younger brother Bruce moved to North Vancouver while his father was posted abroad. He attended Argyle Secondary School and Sutherland Secondary School.
1977: Recording of "If Wishes Were Horses" album
In 1977, Bryan Adams, billed as "Bryan Guy Adams", recorded the second album "If Wishes Were Horses" with the band.
1978: Death of Keith Moon
In 1978 The Who's drummer Keith Moon, who died .
1978: Meeting Jim Vallance and leaving the band
In 1978, at age 18, Bryan Adams met Jim Vallance and left the band. This marked the beginning of a long-term songwriting partnership.
1978: Signing with A&M Records
Later in 1978, Bryan Adams signed to A&M records for one dollar.
March 1979: Release of "Let Me Take You Dancing"
In March 1979, A&M remixed one of Bryan Adams' demos as a disco song "Let Me Take You Dancing", featuring Adams' vocals speeded up. The song made the Canadian RPM chart.
November 1979: Recording Debut Album
In October and November 1979, Bryan Adams recorded most of his debut album at Manta Studios, co-producing with Jim Vallance.
February 1980: Release of Self-Titled Debut Album
In February 1980, Bryan Adams's self-titled debut album, mostly co-written with Jim Vallance, was released.
1981: Release of "You Want It You Got It" Album
In 1981, Bryan Adams released his second album, You Want It You Got It, which contained the hit song "Lonely Nights".
May 1982: "You Want It You Got It Tour"
From January to May 1982, Bryan Adams spent months traveling on his "You Want It You Got It Tour".
1982: Canada's best male singer
In 1982, Bryan Adams was voted Canada's best male singer for 1982.
January 1983: Release of "Cuts Like a Knife" album
In January 1983, Bryan Adams released Cuts Like a Knife, his breakout album. The first single was "Straight from the Heart".
July 30, 1983: Performance at Day on the Green
On July 30, 1983, Bryan Adams performed at Day on the Green at Oakland Coliseum.
September 1983: Bonnie Tyler releases her version of 'Straight from the Heart'
In September 1983, Bonnie Tyler released her version of "Straight from the Heart" for the studio album Faster Than the Speed of Night.
1983: Juno Awards for Best Male Vocalist
Bryan Adams won Juno Awards for Best Male Vocalist in 1983.
1983: Famine in Ethiopia
In 1983 the lyrics and the album "Tears Are Not Enough" were written to raise funds to help the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia.
1983: Release of "Cuts Like a Knife" album
In 1983, Bryan Adams rose to fame in North America with the release of the top ten album Cuts Like a Knife. The album included the title track "Cuts Like a Knife" and the ballad "Straight from the Heart", which became his first U.S. top-ten hit.
1983: Cover of Lonely Nights
The same song was reinterpreted by Uriah Heep for the album Head First, released in 1983.
December 1984: Start of world tour and dates with Tina Turner
In December 1984, Bryan Adams embarked on a two-year world tour to launch the album Reckless. The tour included dates with Tina Turner for her Private Dancer Tour.
1984: Release of "Reckless" album
In 1984, Bryan Adams released the album Reckless, which became the first album by a Canadian to be certified diamond in Canada. It made Adams a global star. The album's six charting singles included "Run to You", "Summer of '69", and "Heaven".
February 1985: Recording of "Tears Are Not Enough"
In February 1985, Bryan Adams recorded the charity single "Tears Are Not Enough" as a member of The Northern Lights.
July 1985: Performance at Live Aid
In July 1985, Bryan Adams performed the song "Tears Are Not Enough" at the Live Aid concert, at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.
September 1985: Co-writing tracks for Roger Daltrey's album
In September 1985, Bryan Adams co-wrote two tracks for Roger Daltrey's sixth solo album Under a Raging Moon: "Let Me Down Easy" and "Rebel".
1985: Juno Awards for Album of the Year
In 1985, Bryan Adams won the Juno Award for Album of the Year for Reckless.
January 1986: Background vocals for Glass Tiger
In January 1986, Bryan Adams provided the ending background vocals to the song "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" by Canadian rock band Glass Tiger for their debut album The Thin Red Line.
1986: MTV Award and Grammy nomination for "It's Only Love"
In 1986, "It's Only Love" won an MTV award for Best Stage Performance. Reckless also earned Adams a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Performance.
1986: Debut Album Certified Gold
In 1986, Bryan Adams' self-titled debut album was certified gold in Canada.
December 1987: Contribution to "A Very Special Christmas" album
In December 1987, Bryan Adams contributed the song "Run Rudolph Run" to the compilation album A Very Special Christmas, a charity album to benefit the Special Olympics.
1987: Juno Awards for Best Male Vocalist
Bryan Adams won Juno Awards for Best Male Vocalist in 1987.
1987: Release of "Into the Fire" album
In 1987, Bryan Adams released his follow-up album to Reckless, Into the Fire. This album contained the hit songs "Heat of the Night" and "Hearts on Fire".
May 1988: Tommy Mandel Joins Bryan Adams Band
In May 1988, Tommy Mandel joined the Bryan Adams band as new keyboardist.
1989: Became a vegan
In 1989, at the age of 29, Bryan Adams became a vegan, citing increased energy as a result of the decision. His motto is "If you love animals, don't eat them."
1989: Backing vocals on "Smoke On The Water" re-recording
In the summer of 1989, Bryan Adams provided backing vocals on a re-recording of the Deep Purple hit "Smoke On The Water" in aid of victims of the 1988 Armenian earthquake.
April 20, 1990: Made a Member of the Order of Canada
On April 20, 1990, Bryan Adams was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to popular music and philanthropic work.
1990: Relationship with Cecilie Thomsen
In 1990, Bryan Adams began a relationship with Danish model Cecilie Thomsen.
1991: Release of "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" and "Waking Up the Neighbours" album
In 1991, Bryan Adams released "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", which reached number one in at least 19 countries. It was included on Adams's album Waking Up the Neighbours which sold 16 million copies and was certified diamond in Canada.
1992: Juno Award Win
In 1992, Bryan Adams won a Juno Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.
1993: Release of "Please Forgive Me" and "All for Love"
In 1993, Bryan Adams released the ballads "Please Forgive Me" and "All for Love". "Please Forgive Me" achieved worldwide number one status and "All for Love" also reached number one or two in various countries.
1995: Release of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"
In 1995, Bryan Adams released the song "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
May 6, 1998: Promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada
On May 6, 1998, Bryan Adams was promoted within the Order of Canada to the rank of Officer for his contributions to popular music and philanthropic work.
2002: End of relationship with Cecilie Thomsen
In 2002, Bryan Adams ended his relationship with Danish model Cecilie Thomsen, which had lasted since 1990.
2002: Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal
In 2002, Bryan Adams received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.
2002: Photographing Queen Elizabeth II for Golden Jubilee
In 2002, Bryan Adams was invited to photograph Queen Elizabeth II during her Golden Jubilee, along with other photographers from the Commonwealth. One of these photographs was later used as a Canadian postage stamp.
2004: Canadian postage stamp
In 2004, one of Bryan Adams' photographs of Queen Elizabeth II from the 2002 Golden Jubilee session was used as a Canadian postage stamp (see Queen Elizabeth II domestic rate stamp (Canada)).
2005: Collaboration on 'American Women'
In 2005, Bryan Adams collaborated on the book "American Women" for Calvin Klein in the United States. Proceeds from this book went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for their breast cancer research programs.
2005: Canadian postage stamp
In 2005, one of Bryan Adams' photographs of Queen Elizabeth II from the 2002 Golden Jubilee session was used as a Canadian postage stamp (see Queen Elizabeth II domestic rate stamp (Canada)).
April 2006: Induction into Canadian Music Hall of Fame
In April 2006, Bryan Adams was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, marking a significant recognition of his contributions to music.
July 31, 2006: Free Concert in Rome with Billy Joel
On July 31, 2006, Bryan Adams and Billy Joel performed a free concert in Rome at Via dei Fori Imperiali, drawing an estimated crowd of over 500,000 people with the Colosseum as a backdrop.
2006: Lead Award in Germany
In 2006, Bryan Adams won a Lead Award in Germany for his fashion photography.
May 2007: Wembley Square of Fame Induction
In May 2007, Bryan Adams received the "Wembley Square Of Fame", a bronze plaque engraved with his name and handprints at Wembley Park, on the occasion of his 25th concert at the Wembley Arena.
2007: Golden Globe Nomination
In 2007, Bryan Adams was nominated for his fifth Golden Globe for songwriting for the film Bobby; the song was performed by Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige.
March 2008: European Acoustic Tour to Promote Album 11
In March 2008, Bryan Adams embarked on an 11-day, 11-country European acoustic tour to promote his album "11".
March 17, 2008: Release of Album 11 Internationally
On March 17, 2008, Bryan Adams released his eleventh album, titled "11", internationally.
May 13, 2008: U.S. Release of Album 11
On May 13, 2008, Bryan Adams' album "11" was released in the U.S. exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club retail stores.
July 2008: U.S. Tour with Foreigner and Rod Stewart
In June and July 2008, Bryan Adams toured the U.S., playing some shows with Foreigner and others with Rod Stewart.
June 26, 2009: CMT Crossroads Performance with Jason Aldean
On June 26, 2009, Bryan Adams performed some of his hits on an episode of CMT Crossroads with Jason Aldean.
July 2, 2009: Featured on Canada Post Stamps
On July 2, 2009, Bryan Adams was one of four musicians pictured on the second series of the Canadian Recording Artist Series issued by Canada Post stamps, with approximately one and one-half million Adams stamps printed.
November 2009: Contribution to the Film Old Dogs
In November 2009, Bryan Adams co-wrote, produced, and performed the song "You've Been a Friend to Me" for the film Old Dogs.
February 12, 2010: Performance at 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
On February 12, 2010, Bryan Adams performed "Bang the Drum", a duet with Nelly Furtado co-written with Jim Vallance, at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony at BC Place Stadium.
May 1, 2010: Governor General's Awards
On May 1, 2010, Bryan Adams received the Governor General's Awards in Performing Arts – Lifetime Artistic Achievement for his 30 years of contributions to the arts.
May 2010: Visit with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
In May 2010, Bryan Adams visited Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at his official residence, resulting in an informal jam session instead of a formal discussion about copyright laws.
November 2010: Release of Acoustic Album Bare Bones
In November 2010, Bryan Adams released the acoustic album "Bare Bones", a live project consisting of twenty songs to celebrate thirty years of his career, with Gary Breit on piano. He then embarked on "The Bare Bones Tour".
February 17, 2011: Performance at the Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony
On February 17, 2011, Bryan Adams performed at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
February 19, 2011: Performance in Kathmandu, Nepal
On February 19, 2011, Bryan Adams and his band performed in Kathmandu, Nepal, organized by ODC Network, making him the first international artist to perform in Nepal.
April 2011: Birth of first daughter
In April 2011, Bryan Adams and Alicia Grimaldi had their first daughter.
August 2011: Recording at Sydney Opera House
In August 2011, Bryan Adams recorded the performances at Sydney Opera House, during "The Bare Bones Tour", which later was released as the Live at Sydney Opera House CD/DVD set in August 2013.
June 2012: Lead Award in Germany
In June 2012, Bryan Adams won a Lead Award in Germany for his fashion photography.
October 2012: Release of 'Exposed'
In October 2012, Steidl released Bryan Adams' first retrospective book of photos, titled "Exposed."
2012: Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal
In 2012, Bryan Adams received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
February 2013: Birth of second daughter
In February 2013, Bryan Adams and Alicia Grimaldi had their second daughter.
April 2013: Release of "After All" Duet with Michael Bublé
In April 2013, Bryan Adams and Michael Bublé released "After All", a duet co-written by Adams with Alan Chang, Steven Sater, and Jim Vallance.
2013: Release of 'Wounded – The Legacy of War'
In 2013, Bryan Adams released a photography book entitled "Wounded – The Legacy of War" to highlight the human consequences of war.
July 2014: Filming Bryan Adams in Concert for Great Performances on PBS
In July 2014, Bryan Adams filmed "Bryan Adams in Concert for Great Performances" on PBS at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto.
September 16, 2015: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society
On September 16, 2015, Bryan Adams was given an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in London for his work in photography.
October 2015: Lead Award in Germany
In October 2015, Bryan Adams won a Lead Award in Germany for his fashion photography, specifically for his story on Helmut Berger.
October 16, 2015: Release of Get Up Album
On October 16, 2015, Bryan Adams released his first album of all new material in seven years, titled "Get Up", co-written with Jim Vallance and produced by Jeff Lynne.
2015: Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society
In 2015, Bryan Adams was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS).
December 31, 2015: New Year's Eve Performance for BBC One
On December 31, 2015, Bryan Adams performed at the Central Hall Westminster in London for the BBC's New Year's Eve celebration, which was broadcast live on BBC One.
October 14, 2016: Release of Wembley 1996 DVD
On October 14, 2016, Bryan Adams released the Wembley 1996 DVD, a recording of his concert from July 27, 1996, at London's Wembley Stadium, which topped the British music video charts.
November 2017: Release of Ultimate Compilation Album
In November 2017, Bryan Adams released "Ultimate", a compilation album that included two new songs: "Please Stay" and the anti-war themed "Ultimate Love".
2017: Partnership with Jim Vallance
As of 2017, Bryan Adams' partnership with Jim Vallance is still in existence.
March 2018: Completion of Songs for Pretty Woman: The Musical
In March 2018, Bryan Adams completed writing the music and lyrics for Pretty Woman: The Musical, after spending two years working with producer Paula Wagner and director Jerry Mitchell.
August 2018: Duet with Taylor Swift during her Reputation Tour
In August 2018, Bryan Adams performed a duet version of "Summer of '69" with Taylor Swift during her Reputation Tour in Toronto, Canada.
August 2018: Debut of Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway
In August 2018, Pretty Woman: The Musical, featuring music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, made its debut on Broadway.
March 1, 2019: Release of Shine a Light Album
On March 1, 2019, Bryan Adams released his fourteenth album, "Shine a Light", featuring collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Jennifer Lopez.
November 15, 2019: Release of Christmas EP
On November 15, 2019, Bryan Adams released a Christmas EP containing five tracks, including the new track "Joe and Mary" and a new interpretation of "Must Be Santa".
November 2019: Collaboration on The Christmas Present Album
At the end of November 2019, Bryan Adams participated in a duet with Robbie Williams in the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the album "The Christmas Present".
June 19, 2020: Release of "Never Gonna Break My Faith" solo version
On June 19, 2020, the unreleased solo version of "Never Gonna Break My Faith" by Aretha Franklin was released, featuring a music video about George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
December 7, 2020: Announcement of UK Concerts
On December 7, 2020, Bryan Adams announced a series of UK concerts following the hiatus of the "Shine a Light Tour" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2021: Signing Deal with Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG)
In July 2021, Bryan Adams signed a deal with Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) to release his next album.
October 11, 2021: Release of So Happy It Hurts Title Track
On October 11, 2021, Bryan Adams released the title track of his 15th studio album, "So Happy It Hurts".
2021: Shot the Pirelli Calendar
In the summer of 2021, Bryan Adams shot the 48th edition of the Pirelli Calendar in Los Angeles and Capri, photographing various celebrities including Iggy Pop, Rita Ora, and Cher.
April 1, 2022: Release of Classic Album
On April 1, 2022, Bryan Adams released "Classic", an album of reworked and reimagined hits.
July 29, 2022: Release of Classic Pt II
On July 29, 2022, Bryan Adams released "Classic Pt II", continuing his album of reworked and reimagined hits.
July 20, 2023: Co-founder of SongBox
On July 20, 2023, Bryan Adams was announced as co-founder of Scottish based music start up SongBox, a web application that allows musicians and other audio content creators to securely store and share their files.
December 2023: Split with Manager Bruce Allen
In December 2023, Bryan Adams split with his manager of 44 years, Bruce Allen, and chose to self-manage his career.
2023: Nomination for Songwriters Hall of Fame
In 2023, Bryan Adams was nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
August 2024: Launch of Bad Records Label
In August 2024, Bryan Adams launched his own record label, called Bad Records, and released a double A-side single "War Machine"/"Rock and Roll Hell".
November 2024: Partnerships with Bell Media
In November 2024, Canadian media conglomerate Bell Media announced several partnerships with Bryan Adams, including an internet radio channel, a syndicated radio show, and a CTV concert special.
August 2025: Release of Roll with the Punches Album
Following the release of the Roll with the Punches album in August 2025, Bryan Adams launched the "Roll with the Punches" tour in the fall with performances throughout North America, continuing into 2026.
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