Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Adams (born in 1964) is an African-American singer, one of the most popular gospel music artists of the contemporary period. Along with Kirk Franklin, Adams is one of the first artists to blend R

Yolanda Adams (born in 1964) is an African-American singer, one of the most popular gospel music artists of the contemporary period. Along with Kirk Franklin, Adams is one of the first artists to blend R&B and gospel music, an achievement which, while it initially caused criticism among the conservative Christian church, later helped gospel gain airplay in secular venues.

Adams originally worked as a schoolteacher and part-time model in Houston, Texas. Inspired by her mother, Adams turned to music and released her first album, Just as I Am, in 1988. By the mid-1990s, Adams was a popular and well-known performer, and in 1999 signed a major-label deal with Elektra Records, resulting in a number of successful albums.