Yolanda Adams (born Yolanda Yvette Adams on August 27, 1961) is an American Grammy and Dove-award winning Gospel music singer and radio show host. The oldest of six siblings, Adams was raised in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Sterling High School in Houston in 1979. After graduating from University of California Berkeley, she began a career as a schoolteacher and part-time model in Houston, Texas. ...show more

Yolanda Adams (born Yolanda Yvette Adams on August 27, 1961) is an American Grammy and Dove-award winning Gospel music singer and radio show host. The oldest of six siblings, Adams was raised in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Sterling High School in Houston in 1979. After graduating from University of California Berkeley, she began a career as a schoolteacher and part-time model in Houston, Texas.

Eventually she gave up teaching to perform full-time as a lead singer. Musical career; Beginnings; Adams attracted the attention of Thomas Whitfield and Sound of Gospel Records as a lead singer in the Southeast Inspirational Choir. She signed a recording contract with Sound of Gospel which yielded her first album Just As I Am in 1987.[4] In 1990, she signed to Ben Tankard's independent label Tribute Records and released Through The Storm. Two years 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 production work from Ben Tankard, 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 two albums. ...show less