Yolanda Adams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yolanda Adams
Adams in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Yolanda Yvette Adams
Also known as	Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music First Lady of Modern Gospel
Born	(1961-08-27) August 27, 1961 (age 63) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Gospel R&B soul
Occupation(s)	Singer radio host actress
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Sound of Gospel Tribute/Benson Verity Elektra Atlantic Columbia N-House

Yolanda Yvette Adams, born on August 27, 1961, is a famous American gospel singer, actress, and radio host. She hosts her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. Yolanda Adams is one of the best-selling gospel artists ever, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

She has won many important awards, including four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards, and sixteen Stellar Awards. She was the first gospel artist to win a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. She was also the first gospel artist to receive an American Music Award.

Yolanda Adams is known as the "Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music" and the "First Lady of Modern Gospel." Variety magazine even called her the "Reigning Queen of Urban Gospel." In 2009, Billboard named her the No. 1 gospel artist of the decade. This was largely thanks to her popular album Mountain High...Valley Low.

In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Adams with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work. She was welcomed into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2018, she made history as the first gospel artist to be nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the musical SpongeBob SquarePants. She received the Soul Train Music Awards Lady of Soul Award in 2019. She also opened Super Bowl LIV by singing "America the Beautiful", which was highly praised. Billboard also listed her as one of the Top Gospel Artists of the 2010s. She has had five albums reach number one on Billboard's Top Gospel Album chart. In 2022, Adams was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Education

Yolanda Adams was born in Houston, Texas. She is the oldest of six children. She finished Sterling High School in Houston in 1979.

After high school, she went to Texas Southern University. She started her career as a schoolteacher and also worked as a part-time model in Houston. Eventually, she decided to stop teaching to focus full-time on her singing career.

Musical Journey

How Her Career Started

Yolanda Adams first gained attention as a lead singer. She sang with Houston's Southeast Inspirational Choir. This choir was part of the Church of God in Christ. In 1982, the choir released a song called "For My Liberty," which featured her voice.

In 1986, she was featured on the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir's album Give Us Peace. She sang a song called "My Trust Lies in You." Later, she signed a record deal with Sound of Gospel. Her first album, Just As I Am, came out in 1987.

In 1990, producer Ben Tankard discovered her. She signed with his label, Tribute Records, and released Through The Storm. Ben Tankard wanted to create a smoother gospel/jazz sound. He featured Adams' singing on his 1994 album Play Me in Your Key. Their collaboration was popular with gospel, jazz, and "quiet storm" music fans.

A year later, Adams released Save the World. This album included her well-known song "The Battle Is The Lord's." Her next album was More Than a Melody in 1995. This album had more production work from Ben Tankard, and also included help from O'Landa Draper and BeBe Winans. The song "Gotta Have Love" from this album became popular and was her first music video.

Yolanda... Live in Washington was released the next year. It featured songs from her first three albums. The video of this performance was first released on VHS and later on DVD and CD. During this time, Tribute Records joined with Benson Music Group, which was later bought by Zomba/Verity Records.

Songs from the Heart was her last album for Verity Records. It included "Only Believe," a popular song on contemporary radio. The album also had "Still I Rise," a song dedicated to Rosa Parks. This song was inspired by a poem by Maya Angelou.

Becoming a Mainstream Star

Yolanda Adams became very well-known outside of gospel music with her album Mountain High... Valley Low in 1999. This album was released on Elektra Records. Many famous artists and producers helped create this album. These included Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, James "Big Jim" Wright, Warryn Campbell, and Keith Thomas.

The album sold over 2 million copies by 2000 and won Adams a Grammy Award. Some popular songs from the album were "Yeah", "Fragile Heart", and "Open My Heart". "Fragile Heart" was a special song dedicated to her road manager, who passed away in 1998.

In 2000, Adams released a Christmas album. In 2001, she released a live album called The Experience. This album earned Adams her second Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. Her album Believe came out in 2001 and quickly sold over 500,000 copies. It included the hit song "Never Give Up". She later sang this song at the White House for President George W. Bush. In 2001, Adams also released a collection of songs called The Divas of Gospel. This album featured the legendary Grammy winner Albertina Walker.

Adams recorded a song called "I Believe" for the 2003 movie Honey. This song played during the final dance scene in the movie. Adams also helped judge the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards. This event supports the careers of independent artists.

Day By Day and Beyond

After almost four years, Adams released her album Day By Day in 2005. This album reached higher spots on the Billboard 100 and Billboard R&B Albums charts than Mountain High...Valley Low. Popular songs from this album included "Be Blessed", "Someone Watching Over You", "This Too Shall Pass", and "Victory". The song "Victory" was featured in the movie The Gospel.

After working with Atlantic Records for a long time, Atlantic released a collection of her greatest hits called The Best of Me in May 2007. Adams then signed with Columbia Records in 2007. Columbia released What a Wonderful Time, her second holiday album, in October 2007. The song "Hold On" was the main single from this album.

Radio Show and Book

After her holiday album, Adams started her radio career with The Yolanda Adams Morning Show. This show was broadcast in over 26 different radio markets within two years. The show featured Marcus D. Wiley as Bishop Secular. The show aired for ten years and ended in 2016. It started again 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. She sang "Already Alright" from her 1999 album Mountain High...Valley Low. The host, Mo'Nique, said it was one of her favorite songs.

In 2010, Adams released her book called "Points of Power." This book was based on a part of her radio show with the same name.

Adams appeared on the 2011 BET Honors to sing "The Battle Is the Lord's" to honor Cicely Tyson. Later, Adams performed at the 53rd Grammy Awards. She was part of a tribute to Aretha Franklin with Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch, and Martina McBride. Adams sang "Spirit in the Dark", a classic song by Franklin from 1970. Aretha Franklin often said she "especially loved" Adams' performance.

Becoming and Recent Work

Adams' eleventh studio album, Becoming, was released on May 3, 2011. It was produced by Steve Bracey. The new song, "Be Still", first played on The Yolanda Adams Morning Show on April 19. Becoming was sold exclusively at Walmart. At The BET Awards 2012, Adams won the award for Best Gospel Artist for the fourth time. She has won this award more than any other artist since the first BET Awards in 2001.

In April 2013, Adams announced she was working on her twelfth studio album. She shared that gospel producers Donald Lawrence, Israel Houghton, and Kirk Franklin were helping with songwriting and production.

Adams released the album Sunny Days in 2024. Its main song, "Church Doors", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song.

Book Release

Yolanda Adams released her first book, Points of Power, in 2010. It is a Christian book that talks about living a pure and spirit-filled Christian life.

Personal Life

Yolanda Adams has one daughter, Taylor Ayanna Crawford, who was born in 2001.

Adams also served as a spokesperson for Fila Corporation's Operation Rebound. This program helped inner-city schoolchildren.

On July 8, 2018, Adams became an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

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 and Recognition

Yolanda Adams has won many awards throughout her career. She has received four Grammy Awards, sixteen Stellar Gospel Music Awards, and four Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. She also has one American Music Award, seven NAACP Image Awards, one Soul Train Music Award, and five BET Awards. In 2022, she was honored by being inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Yolanda Adams para niños

• List of best-selling gospel music artists