Bill Hader recalls everyone stopping work at SNL when Adele sang during rehearsal: ‘Who was that?’

https://ew.com/bill-hader-recalls-everyone-stopping-work-at-snl-when-adele-rehearsed-8784324

25 comments

  1. > The Barry star recalled his first encounter with the “Rolling in the Deep” singer when she made her SNL debut in 2008. “I remember us sitting at the rewrite table on [floor] 9, and Adele — not a lot of us had heard of her,” Hader explained in the new documentary Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music. “And she started singing, and it was, like, we all stopped. We opened the curtain and everybody looked down, and went, ‘Who is that?'”

  2. I had an internship on the Today Show in 2011 when Adele came on the show. I happened to be on set (which wasn’t common) when she performed Rolling in the Deep. That moment will forever be burned in head, she was incredible, you could feel everyone’s jaws hit the floor it was such a magical moment.

  3. There’s singers like that. Who have the talent to just make you stop whatever you are doing and have no choice, but to focus on them. Like sailors being lured by the mythical sirens.

    Back in the early 00s, I was karaoke “KJ” for extra money on the weekends. There was this one bar, that usually was full on Friday nights, but only about 10% of the people were there for karaoke. They sat up front by the stage. The rest were either playing pool in the 3 tables in the back, or just large groups chatting and laughing away in booths.

    One evening, this group of 20-something women come in together and sit up by the stage. They go through the song book and all put in requests. Long story short, by the time they got their turns, a few shots were downed, and it was the usual tipsy renditions of “Goodbye Earl” and “These Boots Are Made For Walking”. Finally, the last of the group comes up. She is about five foot nothing and maybe 85lbs soaking wet. Very petite and almost frail looking. She goes up and starts doing “My Heart Will Go On”. By the end of the first verse, the entire bar had gone silent. No more chattering. No more sounds of pool balls clacking. Not even glasses clinking on tables.

    Every single person in the building was transfixed by this unearthly angelic voice, belting out the most emotional and pitch perfect rendition I have ever heard. By the time she was done, I’m pretty sure I saw a few bikers wiping tears away.

    Real Talent is like that, and Adele’s got it in spades.

  5. I remember Bruno Mars talking about being in the studio with her and everyone reacted the same way. He said her voice was so powerful it made the water in their glasses ripple

  6. The first time I heard “Someone Like You” I was in the car and had to pull over to process what I was hearing. I don’t think that’s ever happened before or since.

  7. She’s got that powerful of a voice. I thought the same when I saw that Adele impersonator contest. All these people are trying to perform like her, then she sings the first word and I was like “ohhh yeah, that’s different”

  8. The single for Hello released just as I got the news that my mom was dying. I will always associate the record with my grief but also my healing through listening to her music.

  9. I saw her here in Toronto and it was absolutely stunning. We had shit seats, but it didn’t matter. At one point she sang Skyfall and all I could think was “I am seeing a James Bond song sung live….” It was amazing.

  10. Watching Michael Bublé close out a show with no microphone and just belting out to the arena did the same thing. Just insanity.

  11. Something about her voice makes me tear up almost every time, more so if I’m watching a live rendition. I’d probably be full on sobbing uncontrollably if I saw her live in person. I like her just fine but she’s not my favorite artist or anything even, it’s like there is a certain tone that hits somewhere in my brain.

  12. I sat up front during her residency in Vegas. Her voice brought me to tears; truly one in a million. I’ve never been so moved by art, and it wasn’t because any of the lyrics resonated with me specifically. I wasn’t sad about anything – it was just the tone of her voice. Incredible – I have chills thinking about it!

  13. I’ve long said that “When We Were Young” is the best Bruce Springsteen song in 30 years.

  14. I saw that episode when it aired live and I had the same reaction.

  15. Got lucky and saw her live in Vegas. I have gone to a lot of concerts and it has been the second best concert I been to.

  17. That was the first time I’d heard Adele. We bought the cd the next day.

  18. Loved her since 19, she’s always been great, so glad she blew up

  19. Somehow my grandpa heard her on PBS or something like that? He thought I would like her and tracked down her album, 19. It quickly became one of my favorites and when I asked people if they had heard of her, the answer was always no. So glad she blew up and got the recognition she deserves.

  20. I remember seeing her on her first SNL appearance. She was so young and innocent. I was blown away by her performance, but the thing I really remember is how, after she finished singing, she giggled bashfully, like she couldn’t believe she was there. So sweet and endearing.

  21. Picturing a ‘children of men ceasefire’ type situation.

  23. I saw her in Munich last year at the FULL outdoor stadium they built JUST for her, 120 m wide screen, rain pouring and her doing the concert barefoot.

    I cried the whole time, the power Adele had with a huge crowd is breathtaking!!!

  25. My friend won tickets to see her at Radio City back in 2015 and I was insanely lucky to be invited.

    The only thing better than her voice is her personality. She was cracking everyone up the whole time. She truly is an amazing talent.

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