Yolanda Adams Biography
Yolanda Adams (born – Yolanda Yvette Adams) is an American Actress, Gospel Singer, Host, and Author, well-known for her many songs such as “The Battle Is Not Yours”, “Open My Heart”, “Be Blessed”, “Victory”, “Still I Rise”, “In the Midst of It All”, “Never Give Up”, and many others. She is also known for appearing in many films such as “Kingdom Business” and “Blue’s Clues & You!”.
She is famous as the “First Lady of Modern Gospel” and the “Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music”. “Variety” has even named her the “Reigning Queen of Urban Gospel.” Adams worked as a spokesperson for the Fila Corporation’s Operation Rebound, a program focused on helping inner-city schoolchildren. On July 8, 2018, she became an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Yolanda Adams Age
Adams was born on August 27, 1961, in Houston, Texas, United States. She is therefore 61 years old as of 2022. She celebrates her birthday on the 27th of August every year.
Yolanda Adams Height
Adams stands at an approximate height of 6 feet and 1 inch.
Yolanda Adams Family
Adams was born to her loving parents, Major Adams (father) and Carolyn Jean Adams (mother). She was raised alongside her 5 siblings, whose identities are unknown.
Yolanda Adams Husband
Adams is very private about her personal life therefore it is not known if she is in any relationship. However, she has been in 2 marriages, which didn’t work out well.
Yolanda Adams Ex-husbands
Adams was in a marriage with Troy Mason, for 3 years (1987 – 1990). Their marriage ended in a divorce and the reason for the divorce was spousal abuse. In the years 1997, Adams married Tim Crawford (former NFL player), but again they divorced 7 years later (in August 2004). The reason for their divorce is unknown.
Yolanda Adams Daughter
Adams and her ex-husband Tim Crawford were blessed with a daughter, Taylor Adams Crawford. Taylor is 22 years old as of 2023 having been born in the year 2001.
Yolanda Adams Net Worth
Adams has an estimated net worth of $5 Million which she has earned through her successful career as an Actress, Gospel Singer, Host, and Author.
Yolanda Adams Education
Adams is a proud 1979 alumnus of Sterling High School in Houston, Texas. She is also an alumnus of Texas Southern University. After finishing college, she started working as a schoolteacher and also did some part-time modeling in Houston. Ultimately, she decided to stop teaching and pursued a full-time career as a lead singer.
Yolanda Adams Career | Music
Early Career
Adams got noticed by Thomas Whitfield and Sound of Gospel Records when she sang with Houston’s Southeast Inspirational Choir, connected to the Church of God in Christ. The choir released a single called “For My Liberty” in the year 1982, with Adams as the featured singer. Later, she appeared on the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir’s album “Give Us Peace” in the year 1986, performing a song called “My Trust Lies in You.” After that, Adams signed a recording contract with Sound of Gospel and released her first album, “Just As I Am,” in the year 1987.
In the year 1990, Ben Tankard (keyboardist and producer) discovered Adams and signed her to his independent label, Tribute Records. Her album “Through The Storm” was released under his label. Tankard wanted to create a smoother gospel/jazz sound and featured Adams’ vocals on his own album and concept video single, “You Bring Out The Best in Me,” which received positive responses from “quiet storm” formats, jazz, and gospel.
Adams continued her music career with albums like “More Than a Melody” in the year 1995 and “Save the World” in the year 1991, which included her signature song “The Battle Is The Lord’s.” She also released a live album called “Yolanda… Live in Washington” featuring songs from her earlier albums. Her final release with Verity Records was “Songs from the Heart,” which included popular songs like “Only Believe” and a dedication to Rosa Parks called “Still I Rise”.
Her Breakthrough
Adams gained significant attention beyond the gospel music world with her album “Mountain High…Valley Low” in the year 1999 on Elektra Records. Well-known artists and producers contributed to the album’s production. It became 2× Platinum in the year 2000 and earned Adams a Grammy Award. The album had popular singles like “Open My Heart”, “Fragile Heart,” and “Yeah”. “Fragile Heart” was dedicated to Adams’ late road manager, who passed away in the year 1998.
Two years later, Adams released a Christmas album, and the following year, she put out a live album called “The Experience,” which won her a 2nd Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. Her album “Believe” was released in the year 2001 and received gold status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Adams performed the hit song “Never Give Up” at “The Salute to Gospel Music” at the White House during President George W. Bush’s administration. In the same year, she also released a compilation CD titled “The Divas of Gospel,” featuring the legendary Grammy Award winner Albertina Walker, known as the “Queen of Gospel Music” until her passing in the year 2010.
Adams also recorded a song for the 2003 film “Honey” called “I Believe,” which played during the final dance scene. She served in the second annual Independent Music Awards as a judge to help independent artists’ careers. She is celebrated as the Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music.
Radio Career | Audio Books
After releasing “What a Wonderful Time,” Adams started a radio career with The Yolanda Adams Morning Show, which aired in more than 26 radio markets within 2 years. Her radio show featured Marcus D. Wiley as Bishop Secular. It continued for a decade until it ended in the year 2016. However, it was relaunched in September 2019 on Texas Southern University’s KTSU-FM 90.9.
On December 25, 2009, Adams performed “Already Alright” from her album “Mountain High…Valley Low” on BET’s The Mo’Nique Show. Mo’Nique, the host, mentioned that it was among her favorite song. In the year 2010, Adams wrote a book called “Points of Power,” based on a segment of her radio show of the same name.
Adams appeared on the 2011 BET Honors to sing her signature song, “The Battle Is the Lord’s,” as a tribute to Cicely Tyson. Later, she took part in a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the 53rd Grammy Awards, where she performed “Spirit in the Dark,” one of Franklin’s classics from the year 1970. Franklin praised Adams’ performance, saying she loved it. On May 29, 2011, Adams sang at the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington to honor United States soldiers.
Yolanda Adams Awards and Honors
Throughout her career, she has won many accolades and honors for her remarkable work. She is a very successful gospel artist and has sold more than 10 million albums all around the world. She has achieved multi-platinum status, which means many people bought her albums. Not only that, she has received many prestigious awards for her amazing music.
Adams won 4 Grammy Awards, 5 BET Awards, 4 Dove Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, 2 BMI Awards, 6 Soul Train Music Awards, and 16 Stellar Awards. She was the 1st gospel artist to receive an American Music Award, which is a big honor. She also has 4 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association.
In the year 2009, Billboard named Adams the top gospel artist of the decade because her album “Mountain High…Valley Low” was a big hit and reached No. 1 on the charts. In the year 2016, Obama recognized her volunteer work by awarding her the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. The Gospel Music Association inducted her into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in the year 2017. In the year 2018, she made history as the first gospel artist nominated for a Tony Award for her contributions to SpongeBob SquarePants.
In the year 2019, she received lots of praise for her performance of “America the Beautiful” at the opening of Super Bowl LIV. Billboard also listed her as one of the Top Gospel Artists of the 2010s, and she achieved five number-one albums on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album chart. In the year 2022, Adams was honored by being inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Yolanda Adams Albums
Yolanda Adams Becoming – Album
Adams released her 11th album, “Becoming”, on May 3, 2011. The album’s new single, “Be Still,” premiered on The Yolanda Adams Morning Show on Tuesday, April 19. The album was exclusively available at Walmart. At The BET Awards 2012, Adams won the Best Gospel Artist award for the 4th time, making her the artist with the most wins in this category since the first BET Awards in the year 2001.
Yolanda Adams Day By Day – Album
In the year 2005, Adams released an album called “Day By Day.” This album did better on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and the Billboard 100, compared to “Mountain High…Valley Low,” but it didn’t receive certification from RIAA. Some of the singles from this album were “Victory,” “Be Blessed,” “This Too Shall Pass,” and “Someone Watching Over You,” which was featured in the movie “The Gospel.”
Later on, Adams ended her long partnership with Atlantic Records. They put out a collection of her greatest hits called “The Best of Me” in May 2007. After that, Adams signed with Columbia Records in 2007. In October of the same year, Columbia released her 2nd-holiday collection titled “What a Wonderful Time,” with the lead single “Hold On.”
Other Albums
Below are Adams’s other albums;
- Just as I Am
- Save the World
- Through the Storm
- More Than a Melody
- Songs from the Heart
- Yolanda… Live in Washington
- Mountain High… Valley Low
- The Experience
- Christmas with Yolanda Adams
- Believe
- What a Wonderful Time
Yolanda Adams Book
In the year 2010, Adams published her very 1st book called “Points of Power.” It is a Christian book that talks about living a pure and spirit-filled Christian life.
Yolanda Adams Movies/Films
Adams has appeared in several films;
- Kingdom Business
- Blue’s Clues & You!
- The Passion: New Orleans
- Ride Along 2
- The Gospel (film)
- The Parkers
- In the House
Yolanda Adams Social Media Platforms
She is active on her social media accounts and is often seen posting on her Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. She has over 1.1M followers on Instagram.
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