Consider me an Adele fan.

When “Hello,” the first single from her new album popped up on the radio and I first heard it, I found myself choked up with emotions.  She really knows how to hit a nerve…

But as with just about every artist struggling to get their works known, talent is but one ingredient in the mix and sometimes success is just as much about timing.

Which brings us to this seemingly oddball article which notes how…

Sarah Palin Sends Very Mushy Thank You Note to New BFF Adele

So you think: What in the world could Sarah Palin (an at best ridiculous figure, IMHO, in politics) and Adele possibly have in common?!

Turns out in 2008 Sarah Palin, during her failed run as the Vice Presidential Candidate to John McCain, appeared for the first time on Saturday Night Live, in the cold opening, to considerable -and massive- audience interest/viewership.  And who do you suppose was the guest musical artist for that particular episode of SNL?

You guessed it: Adele.

At the time she was an almost complete unknown and promoting her first album, 19.  Because of the large viewership of that episode (the episode had one of the largest in SNL’s history), Adele snagged a very large audience to hear her sing and, clearly, they liked what they heard.  Even more luck was on her side as the Billboard ballots were due two weeks from that date and many clearly her songs in mind…

The rest, as they say, is history.

While it is very conceivable because of her incredible talent Adele would have achieved her success anyway, one cannot and should not discount the benefits she reaped from her well-timed appearance on SNL all those years ago.