Oleta Adams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oleta Adams
Adams performing in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Oleta Angela Adams
Born	(1953-05-04) May 4, 1953 (age 72) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Gospel soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter pianist
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Fontana / Mercury Harmony Monarch / Pioneer E1

Oleta Angela Adams (born May 4, 1953) is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. She started her music career in the early 1980s. Oleta became famous after working with the band Tears for Fears on their album The Seeds of Love in 1989.

Her solo albums, Circle of One (1991) and Evolution (1993), were very popular in the UK. Her song "Get Here" was a big hit in both the UK and the U.S. Oleta Adams has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and two Soul Train Music Awards.

Oleta Adams' Story

Early Life and Music

Oleta Angela Adams was born in 1953. Her father was a preacher, and she grew up listening to gospel music. Her family later moved to Yakima, Washington. Oleta began her musical journey by singing in church.

Before she became famous, Oleta faced many challenges. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she made a demo tape, which is a recording to show her talent. However, many music companies were only interested in disco music at the time. They did not want her style of music.

Following advice from her singing coach, Oleta moved to Kansas City, Missouri. She performed at many local shows there. In the early 1980s, she released two albums that she paid for herself. These albums had limited success. Oleta Adams also sang the National Anthem at a baseball game in 1984.

Working with Tears for Fears

In June 1985, Oleta Adams was singing at a hotel in Kansas City. Ian Stanley, a keyboard player from the British band Tears for Fears, heard her. He and other band members, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, were impressed. They decided to ask her to work on their next album, The Seeds of Love.

Oleta accepted their offer. Two years later, Orzabal and Smith invited her to join the band. She would be a singer and pianist. In 1989, the album was released. The song "Woman in Chains" was a duet between Oleta and Roland Orzabal. It became her first hit song. In 1990, Oleta toured the world with Tears for Fears. She performed her own songs first, then stayed on stage to sing and play piano for the band.

Solo Success in the 1990s

After touring with Tears for Fears, Oleta Adams got a record deal with Fontana Records. She started her solo career again in 1990. She worked with Roland Orzabal, who helped produce her new album, Circle of One. This album was highly praised and reached number one in the UK Albums Chart in 1991.

Her biggest hit was a cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". This song reached the top 5 in both the UK and the U.S. It became very popular during the 1991 Gulf War. Families of soldiers far away found comfort in the song's message of wanting someone to "get here."

In 1991, Oleta also sang on a tribute album for Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Her version of John's song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was another top 40 hit in the UK.

Her next album, Evolution (1993), was also a success. It reached the UK top 10. This album included her own song, "Window of Hope." Her 1995 album, Moving On, showed her moving more towards R&B music. She also sang with Roland Orzabal again on a Tears for Fears album. Two years later, she released Come Walk with Me, an album with Christian themes. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "Holy Is the Lamb" in 1997. In 1998, she toured as a special singer with Phil Collins's Big Band Jazz Tour.

Music in the 2000s and 2010s

In 2001, Oleta Adams released her sixth album, All the Love. This album returned to an R&B and adult contemporary sound. In 2004, she surprised fans by joining Tears for Fears on stage at a concert in Kansas City. She performed "Woman in Chains" with them.

On October 3, 2006, Oleta released her first Christmas album, called Christmas Time with Oleta. Her eighth album, Let's Stay Here, came out on April 21, 2009. After eight years, Oleta Adams released her ninth album, Third Set, on February 10, 2017.

Personal Life

In 1994, Oleta Adams married drummer John Cushon. They met in 1980 while working on one of Oleta's demo tapes. They were both Sunday School teachers at a United Methodist church in Kansas City. Oleta said she never really wanted to get married. However, after they were both in the Los Angeles earthquake on January 17, 1994, she felt it was a sign that she was ready.

Discography

• Oleta Adams (1982)
• Going on Record (1983)
• Circle of One (1990)
• Evolution (1993)
• Moving On (1995)
• Come Walk with Me (1997)
• All the Love (2001)
• Christmas Time with Oleta (2006)
• Let's Stay Here (2009)
• Third Set (2017)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Oleta Adams para niños