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. The footage from this recording was released as a collection of two videos on VHS initially, and later as a single set on DVD.
Songs from the Heart was her final release for Verity Records and included "Only Believe" which was popular songs on contemporary radio. The album also included "Still I Rise," a dedication to Rosa Parks which was inspired by the Maya Angelou poem of the same name.
"Fragile Heart", was dedicated to the memory of Yolanda's long time road manager who died in 1998. Adams' first significant attention outside the urban contemporary gospel arena came with the release of Mountain High... Valley Low in 1999 on Elektra Records. Several mainstream artists and producers helped in the production of this album including 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). The album went Platinum in 2000 and won her a Grammy Award. Notable singles from the album include Yeah", "Fragile Heart", and "Open My Heart".
In 2000, Adams released a Christmas album, and in 2001 she released a live album (The Experience). The Experience netted Adams a second Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. Believe, which included the hit "Never Give Up" was released in 2001. She would later go on to perform this song at "The Salute to Gospel Music" at the White House during President George W. Bush's administration. Believe was certified Gold in 2002. The Divas Of Gospel, with Albertina Walker (queen of gospel), was also released in 2001.
Yolanda recorded a song for the 2003 film, Honey titled "I Believe" that played during the last scene in the final dance.
Adams was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
Back after break;
After nearly four years without releasing an album, Adams returned in 2005 with Day By Day. Although charting higher than Mountain High...Valley Low on the Billboard 100, and Billboard R&B Albums Chart, It didn't get a RIAA certification. The album featured the singles "Be Blessed," "Someone Watching Over You," "This Too Shall Pass", and "Victory" which was prominently featured in the movie The Gospel. After ending her long association with Atlantic Records, They released a greatest hits collection entitled The Best of Me in May 2007. Adams signed with Columbia Records in 2007. Columbia released What a Wonderful Time, her second holiday collection in October 2007. "Hold On" was released as the lead single.
2008-Present;
In 2007 after releasing her holiday album with Columbia, She stated in different interviews that she was currently in the planning stages for a new album. Her official website states that it will be a duets project including possible collaborations with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Natalie Cole, Trin-i-Tee 5:7, and Mary Mary. In a interview with Commercial Appeal. Adams stated that Chaka Khan, and Shirley Caesar might be on the new project also. In March 2009, she was interview by a FOX station in Houston, where she stated that her women's clothing line and new album is still in progress. The new album is currently untitled, and will be out in the last quarter of the year. She stated that the new album will be full of dance tracks. Adams' may do a secular album in the future.
Adams' song "Hold On" is included in a compilation in support of Barack Obama's campaign entitled 'Yes We Can: Voices of a Grass Roots Movement'.
Adams performed the National Anthem at the 2009 BCS National Championship game between the #1 University of Florida and #2 University of Oklahoma in Dolphin Stadium (Miami, Florida).
Personal life;
In 1997, Yolanda Adams married former NFL player Tim Crawford. The couple divorced in August 2004. They had one daughter, Taylor Ayanna, in 2001. Yolanda served as a spokesperson for the FILA Corporation's Operation Rebound, a program that addressed the concern of inner city schoolchildren. On October 15, 2008, Yolanda Adams' mother Carolyn Jean Adams died.
Show Me
Yolanda Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That no one but You can see
And in that place I'm really insecure
I've been hurt before by that
But I'm really sure You understand
Every tear I've cried
I bet You've cried a million more
How can I get back to where my smile I had was real
And I miss Your voice so much
Lord show me Your face
I'm longing for Your presence in this place
I give You all the pieces
'Cause you made a promise
You put me back together
Better than I was before
In the coldness of the night
I'm surrounded by Your light
Even in the darkness
You tell me don't be afraid
I am not afraid
After all that I've been through
I'm still valuable to you
So I run to Your arms
Where I'm safe within Your praise
And just in case I forgot to tell You
Don't ever let me go
I'm desperate for Your touch
And I miss Your voice so much
Lord show me Your face
I'm longing for Your presence in this place
I give You all the pieces
'Cause you made a promise
You put me back together
Better than I was before
Lord, show me your will
Until you do I promise that I'll be still
So, come and take these pieces and
You made me a promise
You put me back together
Better than I was before
Before I met You
Before I knew You
My heart ached for something that I could not explain
And then, when I saw You
I finally knew what I thought love was before had changed
Lord show me Your face
I'm longing for Your presence in this place
I give You all the pieces
'Cause you made a promise
You put me back together
Better than I was before
In Yolanda Adams’s song, “Show Me,” she sings about her insecurities and past hurts that only God can see, and how she longs for His presence and touch to heal her. She acknowledges that God understands her pain and has cried with her before. She pleads with God to show her His face and to be with her always. Yolanda emphasizes that she gives God all the pieces of her life, trusting Him to put her back together better than she was before. She sings about how she was searching for something to fill the void in her heart before she met God. When she finally saw Him, she realized that the love she had known before was not as fulfilling as the love of God.
The lyrics of this song reflect the struggles and fears that many people face in their lives. It speaks to those who have experienced hurt and pain and feel like they need to be fixed or healed. Yolanda Adams’s message in this song is that God has the power to heal and restore, and all we need to do is trust Him with our brokenness. Through her heartfelt lyrics and soothing voice, Yolanda Adams encourages listeners to turn to God and find comfort and solace in His love.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place in me
A private place within the singer that only God can see
That no one but You can see
The place within the singer is hidden from all others except God
And in that place I'm really insecure
The singer is vulnerable and lacks confidence in that private place
I've been hurt before by that
Past experiences have caused the singer's feelings of insecurity
But I'm really sure You understand
The singer has faith that God empathizes with her struggles
Every tear I've cried
The singer has shed many tears in her life
I bet You've cried a million more
God understands the singer's pain and has also experienced sadness
How can I get back to where my smile I had was real
The singer wants to regain true happiness and joy in her life
I'm desperate for Your touch
The singer is longing to feel God's presence and guidance
And I miss Your voice so much
The singer misses God's guidance and loving words
Lord show me Your face
The singer asks for a revelation of God's divine presence
I'm longing for Your presence in this place
The singer desires to feel closer to God
I give You all the pieces
The singer surrenders all her brokenness to God
'Cause you made a promise
The singer trusts in God's promise of healing and restoration
You put me back together
God has the power to make the singer whole again
Better than I was before
The singer believes that she will be improved by God's healing touch
In the coldness of the night
The singer experiences fear and loneliness
I'm surrounded by Your light
God's presence brings comfort and light to the singer
Even in the darkness
God's presence is still felt even in difficult times
You tell me don't be afraid
God consoles the singer and alleviates her fears
I am not afraid
The singer has faith and courage through God's presence
After all that I've been through
The singer has endured many hardships and struggles
I'm still valuable to you
God sees the singer's worth and loves her unconditionally
So I run to Your arms
The singer seeks comfort and solace in God's embrace
Where I'm safe within Your praise
The singer feels secure and protected when praising God
And just in case I forgot to tell You
The singer wants to make sure she expresses her love and gratitude to God
Don't ever let me go
The singer asks God to never forsake or abandon her
Lord, show me your will
The singer desires to know God's plan and purpose for her life
Until you do I promise that I'll be still
The singer commits to patiently waiting for God's guidance
So, come and take these pieces and
The singer relinquishes her brokenness to God
You made me a promise
The singer trusts in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises
Before I met You
The singer's life was incomplete before knowing God
Before I knew You
The singer was ignorant of God's love and grace
My heart ached for something that I could not explain
The singer experienced a void or longing that only God could fill
And then, when I saw You
The singer encountered God's love and transformative power
I finally knew what I thought love was before had changed
The singer's perception of love was redefined by experiencing God's love
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: KIRK FRANKLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind