sharon den adel Within Temptation
Sharon Den Adel Biography
Sharon Janny den Adel (born in Waddinxveen, near Gouda, South Holland, on July 12, 1974) is the lead singer and one of the songwriters in the Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. She gave birth to a baby girl, Eva Luna, with her boyfriend and band guitarist Robert Westerholt on December 7, 2005. She and Robert were also in a band before Within Temptation called Voyage, in which they released the song "Frozen", not to be confused with the Within Temptation song of the same title. The year 2006 was a festival year for
Within Temptation and although Sharon and Robert did not produce any new albums they did continue to perform.
Together with partner Robert Westerholt, Sharon is one of the founding members of Dutch symphonic metal band, Within Temptation. She has defined their work as epic, and cinematic. Her soprano vocals play a major role in the band's sound, but she "never really had vocal training, I taught myself just listening and practicing songs I liked myself. I did get some advice on the breathing technique. It never hurts to get some lessons so I would advise you to try it, but keep in mind there are more roads that lead to Rome."
Before becoming a full-time musician, Sharon worked for a fashion company, and Robert worked in human resource management. After the success of "Ice Queen", they were forced to leave their jobs. However, Sharon still puts her design expertise to good use - "I have always designed our merchandise. It was something I did for fun and because I have this background. I’ve also arranged the clothing for myself and the other band members. I work with a designer. I like to draw it myself, but don’t want to make the dress or the t-shirt. I have somebody else make it. I just draw it, and finish it up with a designer. I’ll ask the guys what they like for comfort, because comfort is very important when you are on stage. And I know what their tastes are. It’s very easy for me to buy stuff for them or design things myself for them."
She has stated that her most embarrassing moment with Within Temptation was "the time I couldn't get out of my dress during a dress-change in the middle of a gig. I was back stage changing into another outfit the zipper didn't want to open. The rest of the band played the intro already three times and I had no choice than to go on stage again with the same dress with the back half-opened and me trying to keep it closed while head-banging and singing. After that song I explained what had happened because everyone expected that something was going on and I got a big applause. With a "little" bit of tape to keep the dress in place and I continued the show."
Sharon and long-term partner Robert have a daughter, Eva Luna, who was born December 7, 2005. Sharon was pregnant with Eva during the band's The Silent Force tour. When she was pregnant, she didn't want to know if it was a boy or a girl before the delivery.
Sharon states that the relationship between her and Robert does not cause any friction in the group as "when you're on the road a lot the band & crew all become one family. So the fact that Robert is my boyfriend doesn't really affect the others." But she has said that, while she is "just one of the guys... most of the time", when she is sick of being the only girl she hangs out with Debby, the female drum-tech and they "talk about girly stuff." If she was to be stranded on a desert island however, she says she would "take Robert and a guitar."
She currently lives near Gouda, in the Netherlands, but has lived in ten different countries. She has two cats named Haplo and Lola. She doesn't eat red meat.
Within Temptation
- Enter (1997)
- The Dance (EP) (1998)
- Mother Earth (2001)
- The Silent Force (2004)
- The Heart of Everything (2007)
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 Pt. II (Avantasia, 2002) "Into the Unknown"
- Hymn to Life (Timo Tolkki, 2002) "Are You the One?"
- Lucidity (Delain, 2006) "No Compliance"
- "Crucify" (Tori Amos cover, live with De Laatste Show-band)
