Yolanda Adams the biography

Yolanda Adams, Singer, - Biography

A pic of her
Born August 27, 1961, Houston, Texas, USA
Genre(s) Gospel, R&B, Pop,
Adult Contemporary
Occupation(s) Singer
Instrument(s) Vocals
Years active 1987 – present
Label(s) Sound of Gospel (1988),
Tribute/Benson (1991-1996),
Verity (1996-1998),
Elektra (1998-2004),
Atlantic (2004-2007),
Columbia (2007-present)

Height: 6 foot 1 ( 1.85 M )
Yolanda Yvette Adams is a Grammy Award-winnning American singer. She is one of the most popular gospel music artists of the contemporary period. Along with Kirk Franklin, Adams is among the artists who have achieved the greatest critical & commercial success in blending R&B styles & gospel music, an achievement which, while it initially caused criticism among the conservative Christian church, later helped gospel gain airplay in secular venues.

Biography
Raised as the oldest of six siblings in Houston, Texas, Adams grew up in a household where she was exposed to musical influences ranging from classical to gospel to Motown. She sang throughout her teen years & continued performing on weekends. Adams graduated from Sterling High School in Houston in 1979.

Following her graduation from college even as she began a career as a schoolteacher & part-time model in Houston, Texas. Inspired by her mother, she began to pursue music & garner significant attention as a lead singer. Eventually she gave up teaching in order to perform full-time.

Early Career
As a lead singer in the Southeast Inspirational Choir (including a powerful, enthusiastic turn as the lead on "My Liberty," - written by the late Carl Preacher - among others) she attracted the attention of Thomas Whitfield & Sound of Gospel Records. Sound of Gospel, signed her to a recording contract which yielded her debut album Just As I Am in 1988. Her strong, soulful voice & striking, statuesque beauty scored quickly with Gospel audiences, & the debut hit the Gospel top 10. She later signed to Ben Tankard's independent label Tribute Records in 1990 & released Through The Storm, the first of a string of top 10 Gospel albums. The album included staples such as "You Know That I Know," the traditional "Even Me," & the title track which quickly became an early signature tune.

Adams followed two years later with the equally well-received set Save The World which included favorites such as "The Battle Is The Lord's." The next release was 1995's More Than A Melody, which featured more progressive production work from Ben Tankard, O'Landa Draper, & BeBe Winans. The album also gave rise to her first mainstream single & music video for "Gotta Have Love," featuring Tony Terry on background vocals. The next year, Yolanda's touchstone release Live In Washington arrived featuring spontaneous & energetic versions of material from her first two albums. The live footage was initially released as a collection of two videos on VHS, & more recently was released as a single set on DVD.

The last release for Verity Records was a collection of hymns entitled Songs From The Heart which also included two contemporary radio offerings with "Only Believe" & "God Will Take Care Of You." The set also included "Still I Rise," dedicated to Rosa Parks, & inspired by the Maya Angelou poem of the same name.

Mountain High...Valley Low Fame
A decade after her arrival, Adams received her first significant attention outside the Gospel realm with her signing by Elektra Records & releasing Mountain High... Valley Low in 1999. Working with top producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men), James "Big Jim" Wright,(Mariah Carey, Nicole C. Mullen) Warryn Campbell (Mary Mary) & Keith Thomas (BeBe & CeCe Winans) made for a contemporary urban album while holding to the timeless moral & spiritual themes that Adams' core fanbase was built on.

Mountain High bore a basket of great cuts, including the up-tempo "Time to Change" & "Yeah", as well as the poignant song of loss & faith "Fragile Heart," dedicated to the memory of Yolanda's long time road manager who died in 1998. The album's biggest single came in the form of the ballad "Open My Heart" which took Urban Adult Contemporary radio by storm. This would be Adams' first ever top 5 R&B & top 40 Pop hit. "Open My Heart" stayed on the charts for over a year. It was also instrumental in winning Adams her first Grammy, a well-deserved "Best Contemporary Soul Gospel" award.

After releasing a Christmas album in 2000, Adams followed up Mountain High with a live album in 2001 simply entitled The Experience. Consisting mainly of material from Mountain High... Valley Low, the live album captured her magnetic stage performance & featured a standout cover of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly." The album was enough to net yet another Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

Adams' next endeavor Believe, released later in 2001, was a safer, less ambitious disc that scored moderately with the single "Never Give Up," but failed to match the critical accomplishment of its predecessor. Thereafter, Adams then took a four year hiatus that included both a new baby & an unfortunate divorce. Adams' also served as a spokesperson for the FILA Corporation's Operation Rebound program, addressing the concerns of inner city school children.

Back After Four Years Hiatus
The end of Adams' hiatus was perfectly timed to miss the label shuffle that resulted in Elektra Records being absorbed by Atlantic Records. Her eager comeback album Day By Day was well received & featured the singles "This Too Shall Pass" as well as "Victory". The latter was featured prominently in the movie The Gospel. Recently on Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord, Adams' told host Kirk Franklin that a new cd is forthcoming in 2007 along with her first clothing line.

Adams is now considered by many to be the "first lady of modern Gospel". She is the star of The Yolanda Adams Morning Show airing on all gospel radio one stations. She has fashioned an enviable career over the past 15+ years through a combination of class & grace.

Adams sang the national anthem at the AFC Championship in 2007 as well as made an appearance on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition also performing the Star Spangled Banner.

Adams has recently appeared on the talent show America's Got Talent practicing with Bianca Ryan.

Hot on the heels of the May 2007 release of an Atlantic Records greatest hits collection entitled The Best of Me, Columbia Records has announced Yolanda Adams as a recent signing. The first release planned under the new recording contract is a holiday collection produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis & James "Big Jim" Wright, to be released October 16th, 2007. Though reports from earlier this year promised a 2007 studio release called Intimacy, the most recent news of Adams' Columbia Records signing hint that such a full-length release is not expected until Spring 2008.

Personal life
In 1997, Adams married former NFL player Tim Crawford. They had one daughter, Taylor Ayanna, in 2001. However, in August 2004, Adams filed for & obtained a divorce from Crawford.

Discography
This list is abbreviated. For more information about her singles, albums, & videos, see Yolanda Adams discography.

Just As I Am (Sound of Gospel, 1988)
Through The Storm (Tribute, 1991)
Save the World (Tribute, 1993)
More Than A Melody (Tribute, 1995)
Yolanda... Live In Washington (Tribute/Verity, 1996)
Songs from the Heart (Verity, 1998)
Mountain High... Valley Low (Elektra, 1999)
Christmas With Yolanda Adams (Elektra, 2000)
The Experience (Elektra, 2001)
Believe (Elektra, 2001)
Day By Day (Atlantic, 2005)
(Holiday Album - Title TBA) (Columbia, 2007)
(Studio Album - Title TBA) (Columbia, 2008)

Awards
Won Four Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards
1992 Traditional Gospel Album of the Year - Through the Storm
1992 Traditional Gospel Song of the Year - Through the Storm
1999 Traditional Gospel Song of the Year - Is Your All on the Altar
2005 Special Event Cd of the Year - The Passion of Christ (song: How Many Lashes)
Won Seven NAACP Image Awards
2000 Outstanding Gospel Artist, Contemporary
2001 Outstanding Song for "Open My Heart"
2001 Outstanding Gospel Artist, Contemporary
2001 Outstanding Female Artist
2001 Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series or Special - Soul Train Awards
2002 Outstanding Gospel Artist, Contemporary
2006 Outstanding Gospel Artist
Won Four Grammy Awards
1999 Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album - Mountain High, Valley Low
2001 Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album - The Experience
2006 Best Gospel Song - Be Blessed from Day by Day
2007 Best Gospel Performance- Victory from Day by Day & Gospel Soundtrack
Won One American Music Award
2001 Contemporary/Inspirational Artist (first to win in this category)
Won One Soul Train Music Award
2001 Best R&B Soul Single, Female - Open My Heart
Won Three BET Awards
2001 - Best Gospel Artist
2002 - Best Gospel Artist
2003 - Best Gospel Artist

RIAA Certifications
Mountain High, Valley Low - CERTIFIED PLATINUM - September 14, 2000
Believe - CERTIFIED GOLD - July 16, 2002
The Best of Yolanda Adams - CERTIFIED GOLD - November 5, 2004

This site was written in July 2007

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A Picture of Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Yvette Adams

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