Yolanda Adams
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Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. In addition to achieving multi-platinum status, she has won four
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s, four Dove Awards, five
BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...
, six
NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen
Stellar Awards A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the gospel music industry.Sagma
The Stel ...
. She is the first Gospel artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. She is also the first Gospel artist to be awarded an
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
. She is known as the "Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music", the "First Lady of Modern Gospel", while '' Variety'' dubbed her the "Reigning Queen of Urban Gospel". Adams was named by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', in 2009, as the No. 1 gospel artist of the decade, driven by the sales of her No. 1 album ''Mountain High...Valley Low''. In 2016, President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
awarded Adams with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer service. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association in 2017. In 2018, she became the first gospel artist nominated for a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for her work on
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. In 2019, she received the Soul Train Music Awards Lady of Soul Award and received critical acclaim for officially opening Super Bowl LIV with her performance of " America the Beautiful".
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
listed her as one of the Top Gospel Artist of the 2010s. She has scored five number one albums on Billboard's Top Gospel Album. Adams was inducted into the
Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was inaugurated in January 2021. The goal of the monument is to honor African Americans, and Black people internationally, for their achievements in entertainment. Th ...
in 2022.


Early life

The eldest of six siblings, Adams was born in
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
. She graduated from Sterling High School in Houston in 1979. After graduating from
Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Houston. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund an ...
, she began a career as a schoolteacher and part-time model in Houston. Eventually, she gave up teaching to perform full-time as a lead singer.


Musical career


Beginnings

Adams first attracted the attention of Thomas Whitfield and Sound of Gospel Records as a lead singer with Houston's Southeast Inspirational Choir affiliated with the Church of God in Christ, under the direction of Carl Preacher, Brenda Waters, and Shirley Joiner. The choir released the single "For My Liberty" in 1982 with her as the featured vocalist. In 1986, Adams was featured on the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir released ''Give Us Peace'', with a performance entitled "My Trust Lies in You". Later, she signed a recording contract with Sound of Gospel which yielded her first album ''Just As I Am'' in 1987. In 1990, she was discovered by producer/keyboardist Ben Tankard, and signed to his independent label Tribute Records and released '' Through The Storm''. Tankard's goal with Tribute Records during this time was to develop an audience for a smoother gospel/jazz sound. He featured Adams' vocals on his album and concept video single "You Bring Out The Best in Me" on his 1994 release ''Play Me in Your Key''. The collaboration received positive response from gospel, jazz and "quiet storm" formats. One year later, Adams followed with '' Save the World'', which included her first signature song "The Battle Is The Lord's". Her next release was 1995's '' More Than a Melody'', which featured more production work from Tankard with contributions from O'Landa Draper, and BeBe Winans. The single " Gotta Have Love", from that album featuring Tony Terry on background vocals, gained mainstream notoriety and was her first single and music video. '' Yolanda... Live in Washington'', released the following year, featured versions of material from her first three albums. The footage from this recording was released as a collection of two videos on VHS initially, and later as a single set on DVD and CD. During this time Tribute Records' parent company Diadem Music Group merged with Benson Music Group, which was eventually bought by New York-based Zomba/Verity Records. '' Songs from the Heart'' was her final release for Verity Records, including "Only Believe", which was a popular song on contemporary radio. The album also included "Still I Rise", a dedication to
Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American civil rights activist. She is best known for her refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, in defiance of Jim Crow laws, which sparke ...
, which was inspired by the
Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...
poem of the same name.


Mainstream breakthrough

Adams' first significant attention outside the
urban contemporary gospel Urban/contemporary gospel, also known as urban gospel music, urban gospel pop, or just simply urban gospel, is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the gen ...
arena came with the release of '' Mountain High... Valley Low'' in 1999 on
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
. Several mainstream artists and producers helped in the production of this album including
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...
(
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
,
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men ( ) is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanya Morris, Wanyá Mo ...
), James "Big Jim" Wright (
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, Nicole C. Mullen),
Warryn Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of contemporary gospel, gospel, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician a ...
( Mary Mary,
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...
), and Keith Thomas (
BeBe & CeCe Winans BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel/ R&B music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several a ...
). The album went 2× Platinum in 2000 and won Adams a Grammy Award. Notable singles from the album include " ''Yeah''", "Fragile Heart", and " Open My Heart". "Fragile Heart" was dedicated to the memory of Adams' long-time road manager, who died in 1998. In 2000, Adams released a Christmas album, and in 2001 she released a live album ('' The Experience''). '' The Experience'' netted Adams a second
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. '' Believe'', which included the hit " Never Give Up" was released in 2001 and reached gold status according to the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). She would later go on to perform this song at "The Salute to Gospel Music" at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
during President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
's administration. In 2001, Adams also released a compilation CD entitled ''The Divas of Gospel''; it included the legendary Grammy Award winner Albertina Walker, who was popularly referred to as the "Queen of Gospel Music" until her death in 2010. Adams recorded a song for the 2003 film ''
Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
'' entitled "I Believe", which played during the last scene in the final dance. Adams was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. She is also credited as the Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music.


''Day By Day''

After nearly four years without releasing an album, Adams returned in 2005 with '' Day By Day''. Although charting higher than ''Mountain High...Valley Low'' on the Billboard 100 and Billboard R&B Albums chart, it did not receive RIAA certification. The album featured the singles " Be Blessed", " Someone Watching Over You", " This Too Shall Pass", and "
Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...
" (which was prominently featured in the movie ''
The Gospel The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefi ...
''). After ending her long association with
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
, Atlantic released a greatest hits collection entitled '' The Best of Me'' in May 2007. Adams signed with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in 2007. Columbia released '' What a Wonderful Time'', her second holiday collection, in October 2007. " Hold On" was released as the lead single.


Morning radio show and book release

After the release of ''What a Wonderful Time'', Adams embarked on the radio career with ''The Yolanda Adams Morning Show'' which was aired in over 26 radio markets within two years. Her radio show featured Marcus D. Wiley as Bishop Secular. The syndicated show aired for ten years before ending in 2016. It relaunched in September 2019 from Texas Southern University's KTSU-FM 90.9. On December 25, 2009, Adams performed on BET's ''
The Mo'Nique Show ''The Mo'Nique Show'' is an American talk show hosted by comedian and actress Mo'Nique. Airing on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010. Overview The show ran all-new episo ...
'', where she sang "Already Alright", from her 1999 ''Mountain High...Valley Low'' album. Mo'Nique stated that the song is one of her favorites. In 2010, Adams released her book "Points of Power", based on one of the segments of her radio show ''Points of Power''. Adams appeared on the 2011 BET Honors to sing her signature song "The Battle Is the Lord's" in honor of Cicely Tyson. Later, Adams appeared at the 53rd Grammy Awards, taking part in a tribute to
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
along with Jennifer Hudson,
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, Florence Welch from
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
, and Martina McBride. Adams performed " Spirit in the Dark" – Franklin's classic from 1970. On several occasions, Franklin stated that she "especially loved" Adams' performance. She performanced at 2011 BET tribute to Cicely Tyson.


''Becoming''

Adams' eleventh
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, '' Becoming'', was released on May 3, 2011, produced by Steve Bracey. The new single, " Be Still", by Donald "Drathoven" Atkins, Jr., debuted on Tuesday, April 19 on ''The Yolanda Adams Morning Show''. ''Becoming'' was released by
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
as an exclusive deal. At The BET Awards 2012, Adams' won the award for Best Gospel Artist for the 4th time in her career having won the most since the first BET Awards in 2001.


Twelfth studio album: 2013–

On an April 2013 episode of BET's ''Lift Every Voice'', Adams announced that she was working on her twelfth studio album. She announced songwriting and producing credits from the likes of gospel producers Donald Lawrence, Israel Houghton & Kirk Franklin. Adams released the album ''Sunny Days'' in 2024. Its lead single, "Church Doors", was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song.


Book release

Adams released her first book ''Points of Power'' in 2010. It is a Christian book in reference to living a pure, spirit-filled Christian life.


Personal life

Adams was married to Troy Mason from 1987 until 1990. Adams said spousal abuse was the reason for their divorce. In 1997, Adams married former NFL player Tim Crawford. The couple divorced in August 2004 after seven years. Adams and Crawford have one daughter, Taylor Ayanna Crawford, born in 2001. Adams served as a spokesperson for the Fila Corporation's ''Operation Rebound'', a program that addressed the concern of inner-city schoolchildren. Adams was inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority as an honorary member on July 8, 2018.


Discography

* 1987: '' Just as I Am'' * 1991: '' Through the Storm'' * 1993: '' Save the World'' * 1995: '' More Than a Melody'' * 1996: '' Yolanda... Live in Washington'' * 1998: '' Songs from the Heart'' * 1999: '' Mountain High... Valley Low'' * 2000: '' Christmas with Yolanda Adams'' * 2001: '' The Experience'' * 2001: '' Believe'' * 2005: '' Day by Day'' * 2007: '' What a Wonderful Time'' * 2011: '' Becoming'' * 2024: ''Sunny Days''


Filmography


Awards

In total, Adams has won four
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s, sixteen Stellar Gospel Music Awards, four of the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards, one
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
, seven
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
s, one Soul Train Music Award, and five BET Awards. In 2022, she was inducted into the
Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was inaugurated in January 2021. The goal of the monument is to honor African Americans, and Black people internationally, for their achievements in entertainment. Th ...
.


See also

* List of best-selling gospel music artists


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Yolanda 1961 births Living people 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century Protestants 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century Protestants African-American actresses African-American Christians African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters African-American radio personalities American contemporary R&B singers American film actresses American gospel singers American soul singers Articles containing video clips Atlantic Records artists American ballad musicians Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners Members of the Church of God in Christ Singers from Houston Pentecostals from Texas Singer-songwriters from Texas Texas Southern University alumni Urban One