Ever since her late-Eighties debut, \u201cJust as I Am,\u201d Yolanda Adams has triumphantly carried the torch for contemporary gospel and inspirational music via a dozen glorious albums. Stunningly beautiful, exceptionally educated, filled with the spirit and blessed with one of the most powerful voices in any genre of music, this former schoolteacher is a stately beacon of God\u2019s light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Houston on August 27, 1961, Yolanda has earned numerous accolades for her shining efforts, including the first American Music Award for Contemporary Gospel Artist and four Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. Among the highlights of her career was winning five Grammy Awards which includes 1999\u2032s Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for \u201cMountain High\u2026Valley Low\u201d featuring her crossover breakthrough hit \u201cOpen My Heart,\u201d and 2005\u2032s Best Gospel Song, co-written by Ms. Adams herself, \u201cBe Blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christened \u201cThe First Lady of Modern Gospel,\u201d Yolanda\u2019s pioneering blend of gospel with R&B infused with a touch of jazz continues to inspire her fans and transform the musical landscape. \u201cThe Yolanda Adams Morning Show\u201d can currently be heard on radio stations all across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of Yolanda\u2019s fans know that she was once a schoolteacher; less known is the fact that she earned her college degree in Radio\/Television Broadcasting. Joined by her distinguished co-hosts, the hilarious Marcus Wiley, and insightful Anthony Valary, Yolanda\u2019s show is all about waking up in the sandbox every morning and having F-U-N!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a great morning show,\u201d Yolanda says, beaming. \u201cIt\u2019s not a gospel show or an inspirational show, but a versatile program. I wanted to create a clean, alternative morning show for people of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith, Love, Forgiveness, Protection and Praise! These are just five of the ten gifts explored in Yolanda Adams new power-filled inaugural book, \u201cPoints of Power.\u201d Inspired by the Points of Power segment from her morning show, Yolanda reveals her own personal experiences to show how the Bible will enlighten readers and provide them with insight and understanding to respond positively to life\u2019s challenges. \u201cPoints of Power\u201d provides the tools, the wisdom and spiritual guidance for living a praise-filled, prayerful, and joyful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, she talks about her life and career, and about hosting Verizon\u2019s \u201cHow Sweet the Sound,\u201d the country\u2019s most prestigious gospel music celebration and competition. Now, in its fifth year of celebrating the community and the power of gospel music, \u201cHow Sweet the Sound\u2019s\u201d national finale will be staged in New York on November 4th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kam Williams: Hi Yolanda, I\u2019m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yolanda Adams: It\u2019s great to talk to you, Kam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What interested you in How Sweet the Sound?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: First of all, it gave me an opportunity to spend time with my great friends Donald Lawrence, CeCe Winans, Erica Campbell, Fred Hammond and Hezekiah Walker. Whenever we can hang out, it\u2019s wonderful. Unless we\u2019re on tour together, we usually don\u2019t have a lot of opportunities to see each other, other than at something special like award shows. So, I was excited to do this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What\u2019s it been like judging How Sweet the Sound? Is it similar to the job you do on BET\u2019s Sunday Best?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: No, I actually co-hosted with Donald this year. So, I didn\u2019t have to face the difficult challenge of judging these great choirs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Do you care to share which choir you think is going to win?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: The crazy part is that the finalists are the top choirs from all of the cities that we chose. So, there are no duds left in this selection of choirs. These really are just the cream of the crop, the best choirs in the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: How is picking the best Gospel group different from picking the best singer from a show like American Idol or The Voice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: The only difference is whether you can feel the heart of the song, the heart of what they\u2019re trying to convey. You still have to be professional. The choir\u2019s moves still have to in sync. So, you\u2019re looking at the same criteria you\u2019d find on American Idol or Sunday Best.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: I told my readers I\u2019d be interviewing you, so I\u2019m going to mix-in their questions with some of my own. Larry Greenberg says, I just listened to \u201cVictory\u201d and I was truly blown away and inspired. Do you mind if I listen to it every time I start a new project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Not at all. Thank you so much, Larry. I appreciate it. [Laughs]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: Which of your songs has the most personal meaning for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: That\u2019s like asking: Which of your children is the most precious? When I write a song, it comes from the heart and is based on a specific experience. You can\u2019t really say that one experience is greater than another, because all of your experiences take you through life on this journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Harriet also asks: Which one do you think has the biggest emotional impact on your audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Wow! I have no idea. Some days it may be \u201cJust a Prayer Away.\u201d Some audiences want \u201cVictory,\u201d like Larry. Others want \u201cThe Battle Is the Lord\u2019s.\u201d I have so many songs that have impacted people in different ways. \u201cFragile Heart\u201d is one that really took off years ago in South Africa when I had 20,000 people singing along with me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Finally, Harriet asks: Do you ever feel that the spiritual essence of a Gospel song\u2019s message is transformed when you sing in a secular arena instead of a church?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: No. No. Unh-uh. The message is still the same. The delivery is still the same. You have to understand that everyone has a heart, and when it hits, the emotion is there.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Editor\/Legist Patricia Turnier says: You have a great voice. Have you ever sung in French?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Thank you very much. No, I haven\u2019t, but we are definitely looking at doing an album in French, and another one in Spanish.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Patricia would also like to know if you are interested in writing your autobiography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Nah, not yet. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s time yet. I still have a few more things I want to accomplish first. Maybe in another ten years.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Lastly, Patricia\u2019s says: You served as spokesperson for Operation Rebound, a program that addressed the concern of inner-city schoolchildren. Many young people want to make it in the music business and do not see the value of education. You worked in the past as a schoolteacher while you were modeling. Can you share with us the importance of education and how it helped you in the music business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Education helps you to be a well-rounded person, period. It teaches you how to take in information and data, process it, and use it for life building. Education was key in my family. You were going to college. Unfortunately, I think what\u2019s happening nowadays is that many young people think they don\u2019t need to avail themselves of higher education because a lot of music stars left high school before graduating. Kam, you and I both know that you can be hot today in the music business and then nobody knows who you are tomorrow. So, you always have to have a good education. I am a stickler for that.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: And some of those rappers are college-educated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Yeah, nobody talks about how Puffy went to Howard University or about Lil Wayne attending the University of Houston. All the young kids know is what they see on the videos. They don\u2019t realize that these guys have taken managerial and business courses, and know how to brand and how to market themselves. They\u2019re very smart.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Kim Burrell\u2019s \u201cSweeter.\u201d That was the last one we played before signing off today. http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/B004XLZVT2\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: I know Tasha very well. She\u2019s so fearless, I would never see her as afraid. Fear? Wow! I don\u2019t call it fear. I call it awareness. I only think fear comes when you\u2019re unsure or in danger, but I\u2019ve never been put in a dangerous situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Oh, yes!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: About fifteen minutes ago with my daughter. She\u2019s hilarious! [LOL]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: My guiltiest pleasure must be watching Ru Paul\u2019s Drag U.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: The Law of Confession by Bill Winston.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1606834088\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Omigosh! Kam, I just love to cook. Some of my favorites are saut\u00e9ed kale, shrimp scampi and lobster risotto.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Wow! That\u2019s a great question. New challenges, especially doing things that people think are impossible for a Gospel artist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Me! I have my own fashion line that can be found at http:\/\/yolandaadamslive.com\/yacollection.com\/.<\/a> I also definitely like Mark Bouwer, Donna Karan and Kevan Hall, and I\u2019ve really been into Etro these days.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Dante Lee, author of \u201cBlack Business Secrets,\u201d asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: My best was to own everything that belongs to me. My worst was once making a spur of the moment decision because I needed the money.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: I see a very happy mom who is in love with life and in love.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: I know everybody says world peace but, seriously, world peace. I really wish we could have world peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Probably an eagle. I respect the eagle so much.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Having lots of fun and laughter in the house with my mom, dad and siblings. I didn\u2019t grow up in one of those restrictive Christian households where you couldn\u2019t do this or that. We were brought up with a great collection of good morals and good values, but we also had fun. We\u2019d go to church on Sunday, but then have ice cream, roller skate or play in the park afterwards.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Guess that would\u2019ve had to be in the third gray when Michael Gray said he didn\u2019t like me. [Laughs] It was puppy love, and the pain of the rejection left me convinced I was never going to share my feelings with anybody ever again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Determination!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Mahalia Jackson.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: I have several. I love St. Jude\u2019s and The Children\u2019s Defense Fund. And I have my own, The Voice of an Angel Foundation. We mentor kids from 9th grade all the way through college.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Hone your craft, study the history of the music, and sing anywhere that you can.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: What was it like to be invited to participate in Oprah\u2019s Legends Ball?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: It was amazing! First of all, I felt quite honored to be acknowledged as one of the younguns with Shirley Caesar serving as my legend. Oprah was very adamant that she wanted to celebrate the people who had made a difference in her life. I had no idea that I had impacted her that deeply. My invitation came at one of the lowest points of my life. No one knows this, so you\u2019re getting an exclusive, Kam. I was going through a divorce proceeding. And then to get an invitation saying that you\u2019ve made a difference in someone else\u2019s life when your own is going down the tubes relationship and family-wise, can you imagine where I was in that space? So, I had to make a decision, do I go, even though I might not feel up to participating, knowing what\u2019s going on at home with the lawyers? How do I deal with this? Then a soft voice whispered to me, \u201cGo, and be blessed!\u201d And I was like, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m going.\u201d It was the best decision I could have ever made, because there were so many wonderful women there who had impacted my life since I was a little girl: Dionne Warwick, Leontyne Price, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Caesar, Gladys Knight, and many others. It was almost as if Oprah knew how they had affected my life. I was just overwhelmed! God told me to dream bigger that day. And listen, Kam, I have not let go of that. I am trying to do everything I possibly can and I don\u2019t do anything that I don\u2019t absolutely love. Isn\u2019t that a great place to be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Absolutely! How did the mike come to be passed during the Gospel brunch?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: BeBe Winans has this knack for getting people to sing when they\u2019re supposed to be on vacation. [LOL] And he\u2019s very persuasive. He\u2019s such a great friend. Everybody loves BeBe Winans. He just started passing the mike and seven or eight people sang.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Wow! I want to be remembered as a person who loved and cared for people and who genuinely wanted the best for them. As a nice all-around person. That is my goal for my daughter. I\u2019ve been teaching her that since she was in the womb. People deserve your kindness. They deserve your best. If you\u2019re giving them less than that, it\u2019s almost like you\u2019re robbing God of the chance to show who He is.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW: Thanks for such a great interview, Yolanda. It actually gave me goose bumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n YA: Thank you, Kam. You\u2019re so sweet. You have a wonderful day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To see Yolanda participating in Oprah\u2019s Gospel Brunch, visit: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QNmIW5hKV5E<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n To see Yolanda singing Victory, visit: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B3mINTjVyEw<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n