Table of Biography
Yolanda Adams is a popular American gospel singer and actress. Yolanda Adams is best known for being the host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. Moreover, she has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling gospel performers of all time.
Early Life and Education
Yolanda Adams was born Yolanda Yvette Adams on 27th August 1961, in Houston, Texas, U.S. Her age is currently 61 years old. She was welcomed by her parents Major Adams (father) and Carolyn Jean Adams (mother). Likewise, she was the eldest child among her six siblings. She holds American nationality but her ethnicity is unknown. According to her birthdate, she was born under the sun sign Virgo.
As for her educational history, she is a graduate student. She completed her graduation from Texas Southern University. After her graduation, she started working as a part-time model and teacher in Houston. She eventually stopped teaching so that she could work as a lead singer full-time.
Musical Career
Beginnings
As a lead vocalist with Houston’s Southeast Inspirational Choir and a member of the Church of God in Christ, under the direction of Carl Preacher, Brenda Waters, and Shirley Joiner, Adams initially caught the eye of Thomas Whitfield and Sound of Gospel Records.
With her singing lead, the choir put out the single “For My Liberty” in 1982. Adams performed “My Trust Lies in You” on the Give Us Peace album by the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir, which was released in 1986. She later signed a recording deal with Sound of Gospel, and in 1987, she released her debut album, Just As I Am.
Moreover, she was founded in 1990 by keyboardist/producer Ben Tankard, who signed her to his independent label Tribute Records and helped her release Through the Storm. During this time, Tankard wanted to create a market for a more smooth gospel/jazz sound with Tribute Records.
His 1994 album Play Me in Your Key included Adams’ vocals, as did the concept video single “You Bring Out The Best in Me” from that album. Gospel, jazz, and “quiet storm” formats all gave the collaboration favorable reviews.
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The following year, Adams released Save the World, which featured “The Battle Is The Lord’s,” her first hit single. Her subsequent single, 1995’s More Than a Melody, was produced once again by Tankard with assistance from O’Landa Draper and BeBe Winans. Adams’s debut single and music video, “Gotta Have Love” from that album, which featured Tony Terry on background vocals, received widespread attention. Her final record for Verity Records, Songs from the Heart, featured “Only Believe,” a hit song on modern radio. Along with being a tribute to Rosa Parks, the song “Still I Rise” on the album was also written in her honor and was based on a poem by Maya Angelou of the same name.
Mainstream breakthrough
Adams’ debut album, Mountain High… Valley Low was released on Elektra Records in 1999, and it garnered him his first significant attention outside the urban contemporary gospel genre. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men), James “Big Jim” Wright (Mariah Carey, Nicole C. Mullen), Warryn Campbell (Mary Mary, Brandy), and Keith Thomas (BeBe & CeCe Winans) were among the well-known musicians and producers who contributed to the creation of this album.
Adams wrote the song “I Believe” for the 2003 movie Honey, and it was featured in the film’s final dance scene. Adams served as a judge for the second annual Independent Music Awards, which aided the careers of independent musicians. She’s also known as the leader of modern gospel music.
Day By Day
Adams released Day By Day in 2005, almost four years after the last album. It did not receive RIAA certification despite placing higher than Mountain High…Valley Low on the Billboard 100 and Billboard R&B Albums charts. The singles from the album included “Victory” (which was prominently featured in the film The Gospel), “Be Blessed,” “Someone Watching Over You,” “This Too Shall Pass,” and “Someone Watching Over You.”
Atlantic Records released a greatest hits collection titled The Best of Me in May 2007 after she severed her long-standing relationship with the label. In 2007, Adams committed to Columbia Records. Her second-holiday album, What a Wonderful Time, was released by Columbia in October 2007. As the album’s lead single, “Hold On” was made available.
The morning radio show and book release
Adams started her radio career with The Yolanda Adams Morning Show after the release of What a Wonderful Time, and it ran for two years in more than 26 radio markets. Bishop Secular on her radio show was played by Marcus D. Wiley. Before its cancellation in 2016, the syndicated program ran for ten years. It relaunched in September 2019 from KTSU-FM 90.9 at Texas Southern University.
Additionally, Adams performed on The Mo’Nique Show on BET on December 25, 2009, singing “Already Alright” from her 1999 album Mountain High…Valley Low. The song is one of Mo’Nique’s favorites, she said. Based on a segment from her radio program Points of Power, Adams published her book “Points of Power” in 2010.
Moreover, Adams performed her well-known song “The Battle Is the Lord’s” during the 2011 BET Honors in memory of Cicely Tyson. Adams later made an appearance at the 53rd Grammy Awards, where she joined Martina McBride, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine, and Jennifer Hudson in a tribute to Aretha Franklin.
Franklin’s timeless 1970 song “Spirit in the Dark” was performed by Adams. Franklin mentioned how much she “especially loved” Adams’ performance on several occasions. Adams performed at the prestigious National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC, on May 29, 2011, to honor American soldiers.
Becoming
Adams’ eleventh studio album, Becoming, was produced by Steve Bracey and made public on May 3, 2011. On Tuesday, April 19, The Yolanda Adams Morning Show premiered Donald “Drathoven” Atkins, Jr.’s brand-new song, “Be Still.”
Walmart released Becoming as part of an exclusive partnership. Adams won the Best Gospel Artist award at the 2012 BET Awards for the fourth time in her career the most since the inaugural BET Awards in 2001.
Twelfth studio album: 2013
Adams revealed that she was composing her twelfth studio album on BET’s Lift Every Voice episode in April 2013. Although the album’s title and release date have not yet been disclosed, she did mention that super gospel producers Donald Lawrence, Israel Houghton, and Kirk Franklin contributed to songwriting and production.
She also mentioned a song and recording session with Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, Tina Turner, and Elton John hit songwriter Diane Warren, who has won Grammy, Billboard, and ASCAP awards.
Book Release
In 2010, Adams published Points of Power, her debut book. It is a Christian book that discusses leading a sincere, spiritual life as a Christian.
Awards
Adams has won a total of sixteen Stellar Gospel Music Awards, four Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, one American Music Award, seven NAACP Image Awards, one Soul Train Music Award, and five BET Awards in addition to four Grammy Awards. She received a star on the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Caption: Yolanda Adams receiving an award
Source: Getty Images
Personal Life
Yolanda Adams is a straight-gender person. As for her marital status, she is a divorced woman. She exchanged vows with Troy Mason from 1987 until 1990. Adams claimed that the couple’s divorce was brought on by domestic violence. Adams got married to former NFL player Tim Crawford in 1997. Their daughter Taylor Adams Crawford was born in 2001. After seven years together, the couple got divorced in August 2004.
Adams represented the Fila Corporation’s Operation Rebound, a program that catered to the needs of inner-city schoolchildren, as its spokesperson. On July 8, 2018, Adams joined the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha as an honorary member.
Caption: Yolanda Adams with her friends
Source: Instagram
Yolanda Adams – Net Worth 2023
Yolanda Adams has earned a decent amount of money throughout her career. She has a net worth of $5 million as of 2023. But she hasn’t disclosed her salary and other asset values,
Social Media
Reflecting on her social media presence, she is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Her Facebook page ‘Yolanda Adams’ has more than 3.5 million followers to date. Likewise, her Instagram account ‘@yolandaadams’ has gained more than 1.1 million followers and has shared 806 posts. Similarly, she joined Twitter in July 2009 and has more than 393K followers on her account ‘@YolandaAdams’.
Yolanda Adams – Body Measurements
Talking about her physical appearance, Yolanda Adams has a stunning body personality. She stands at a height of 6 feet 1 inch and weights 63kg. Likewise, her hip size is 34 inches, and her bra size is 40B (US). Likewise, her waist size is 24 inches. Similarly, she has a pair of black eyes with black colored hair.
Caption: Yolanda Adams taking a mirror selfie
Source: Instagram