Powerful, Genuine and Life-changing--These Words Not Only Describe
Yolanda Adams' Music, But the 
Relationship Behind the Music that 
Sustains Her Through Life's Storms

A Keeping Family First Exclusive Interview
by Anita S. Lane  

Yolanda Adams is definitely the most celebrated voice to come out of her beloved town of Houston , Texas .  Since her 1988 debut, Yolanda has been wowing gospel audiences all over the world.  In 2000, Yolanda received a Grammy for her album, Mountain High…Valley Low.  The album went multi-platinum and garnered her the first American Music Award for Inspirational Artist of the Year. 

A former elementary school teacher, Yolanda loves children and eagerly embraces the social responsibility that comes with the blessings of success. She served as a spokesperson for the FILA Corporation's Operation Rebound program, which address the concerns of inner city school children.   Yolanda has also advanced children’s causes on collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, The Children’s Defense Fund, and The Escape Center in Houston .  Now, Yolanda is laying the groundwork for her Voice of an Angel Foundation, which will focus on mentoring high school students nationwide in order to help them find a career in education. 

Immensely personal, Yolanda’s latest CD, Day by Day is a phenomenal collection of soul-stirring, comforting songs that are a testimony to her own personal ability to persevere through life’s storms.

In an exclusive interview with Keeping Family First editor, Anita S. Lane , Yolanda shares her passion…

Yolanda, when did you first know you were called to minister in song full-time?
Full-time…I probably knew in 1990, but I didn’t go into it until 1991.

Describe your very first time singing in front of an audience. 
I was about four years old.   It was in my mom’s den.  I was eight years old when I sang my first solo in church in front of about 150 people.

You were a school teacher when you launched your career as a vocalist—
Actually, I was always singing.  I never stopped singing from the time I started with the Southeast Inspirational Choir as a teenager.  I kept singing with the choir as I finished my education at Texas Southern University and then I started teaching after college. 

Did you always desire to have a singing career?
No, I just thought that I would sing on the weekends.  Singing would be my weekend thing—I would record some records and do all the things related to singing on the weekends and become either a reporter or a radio personality for my “day job.”

When did you realize that this could become a full-time career for your?
When I couldn’t get back to school on Mondays in time.  That happened in 1990.

You became a mother well into your career.  How has motherhood changed your life and impacted your career? 
Wow…it’s changed my life for the better.  Like all mothers, you become so engrossed in making sure your child has a great start in life and has those values and morals that you’ve had all your life and that you really cherish from your own mom and grandparents.

And as far as the career is concerned, it really didn’t impact my career because she went everywhere with me.  She would get on the plane and I’d have either my sister or my sitter come with me.  Now she’s in Kindergarten and she stays home during the week and comes out on the weekends.  I try to make sure that whenever I’m gone for a long period of time, that she can catch a flight on Friday and come and see me and get back in time to get bathed and ready for Monday morning.

Does she sing?
Yes.  She sings, dances and writes music.  She’s just a joy.

You are a very busy woman.  How do you Keep Family First?
Oh my goodness…it’s the first thing that comes to mind.  It’s the first thing I think about—especially with my schedule.  I make time for it.  I never say that the “schedule” or the “ministry” comes before the family.

Simply because as a single mom, you have to reassure your child that you are always there and that they can depend on you.  It’s what I do.  As moms we do what we do.  The sacrifices come—we all know that.  So of course, the child is first and we place the tours and promotional dates around the the child.

Sometimes we as Christian women feel as though ministry ends after divorce and we wonder if God can ever really use us in a powerful way.   How do you muster the strength and courage to move beyond shame and guilt and begin to move in the level of confidence that you do now?
Oh my goodness…ministry doesn’t end, it simply starts.  What happens is that you have to move on—particularly when a child is involved because you have to be strong for that child, those that you minister to and strong for yourself…especially when things happen the way they do in life. 

You can’t make people love you—no matter who you are.  You create this environment of safety for your child that you think is in an environment of safety and then all of a sudden something changes.  So the child can’t be punished for that change.  As a matter of fact, you have to step up and become all that God has anointed you to be.

So, in reference to it, no one wants to get a divorce. No one wants to be alone.  And of course the first thing that we as women feel is that we’ve failed.  But you know, you can’t make people love you.  You can’t make people want to stay with you. And you can’t make people want what God has appointed you to do.  And if they feel that this is hampering their manhood, then there is nothing you can do.  You have to allow that person to go.

That reminds me of a statement of by Charles Stanley that I’ve never forgotten and that is, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.”
That’s all you can do.  All you can do is walk in your purpose and your calling.  And in doing that a lot of times, you make a lot of people uncomfortable.  And it’s sad that some of the people that envy your ministry are right in your house. 

So how do you draw the strength to keep doing what you need to do in those tough times?
You don’t make that person your God.  As wives we tend to do that.  We tend to give the love, the devotion, the passion and dedication, to our spouses, children and people in our lives, when that place is only for God.  And you have to be faithful in the position that, “God gets this type of devotion and my family gets another type of devotion.”  

If the structure changes, then all of a sudden it’s like, “Okay God that changed, it doesn’t feel good.  This hurts, but you still hold the ultimate place in my life. So you have to help me and you have to protect me.  You have to build me up. You have to keep me— and all of these things that I’m asking you to do you’ve already promised in your word that you’ll do them for me.  So I’m just reminding you of what you said.  So since you said it, I believe everything you say, now you have to do it for me.”

And when you present His word back to Him, that is when He gives you everything you can dream of and desire.  I’m not going to say the walk is easy or effortless, but when you lay your total weight on him, all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh, okay I feel where you’re taking me and I do not take it for granted."

Do you aspire to find love again?
Yeah, but when it happens it happens.  I just believe that given the kind of person that I am, I have a lot to bring to a relationship—to a marriage.  I am one of those people who deeply and strongly believes in the bond of marriage.  It is one of the most sacred bonds—other than the bond of motherhood, and I know that it’s ordained of God.  I’m just waiting for His ordination.

You’re not afraid to try it again…
No, you can’t live your life afraid.  If you live your life afraid you don’t have faith.  And they cannot coexist.  Now you can doubt.  But fear cannot exist where faith exists.

I noticed you’ve stayed close to home. Is that intentional?
I still live in my home town of Houston , Texas , the greatest city in the world!

Well, I guess you won’t be moving from there…And in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, you all have shown such wonderful hospitality, now everyone knows that Houston is the greatest city in the world.
I’m telling you!  We have the greatest mayor.  He is one of the most phenomenal people I know.

He’s come across that way. I’ve even thought, “He’s an awesome man. He should be commended for all of this…”
He really is. He’s a strong believer and he loves his people.  And it’s so obvious.  He love’s God’s people.  It’s so obvious in the way that he presents himself politically as well as spiritually.  I have the privilege of knowing him personally and I can definitely say that he is for the betterment of all people.

That is wonderful.  Now you perform in the movie, The Gospel with Boris Kodjoe, Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond and others.  Was this your first feature film?
This was my second feature film and third film where I actually perform.  The first was “Fighting Temptations.” 

What was the movie-making experience like for you?
It was a twenty-four hour day.  And I tell you, the next couple of days I think I slept.  But it was good.  I absolutely love acting.  I love performing and I got a chance to act and perform in this particular movie. 

What role do you play?
I play myself.  It was easy.  I didn’t have to stretch too far.

It was practice...practice for the heavier roles…
Right, right, right…Those come later.  I have three lines and I perform the song, “Victory.”

Which song on your latest CD was the most fun for you to record? 

Wow…all of them.  I tell you all of them because everyday I was in a place of expectancy and waiting for God to do something special in the recording process…and He did.  Every single song that you hear on that CD is a testimony of the last two years of my life.  And that was through the merger of the new record company, through the separation and divorce, through coming out victorious…and realizing that when God says “it’s time,” it’s just “time.”

I was going to ask why the four-year gap between projects…
Well, the four-year gap really happened because after “Believe,” we became so busy—we had three tour—the Hopeville Tour with Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin.  There was the Pantene Tour and Sisters in the Spirit—so between 2001 and 2005 there was so much I had to do that I was like, “Oh, we’ve got to get in here and a get an album done.”

Wow, and you did that in the midst of everything else that was going on personally.
Oh, yeah. Well, you know…work strengthens you.

You’re right.  That’s the thing; you never really know what’s going on behind the scenes.  You just see people and you think, “They have it so easy…”

Right, right.  People have to know that we deal with things just like everybody else.  We deal with them on a more public level and you have to make sure that you are very discreet and very secretive about some of the things that are going on.  I have a daughter and a step-daughter that have to grow up, and they see how I react to different things.  The last thing I want to do is trash their father in the public, you know.  Especially, first of all, I’m a godly woman.  And being a minister of the gospel through song and through the word, there are just certain things you just don’t let the public know.

Which song was most personal to you? 

Well, the most freeing song would be, “Alwaysness.”  The song came so quickly.  The young man was playing the music and I was like, “Oh my goodness, I love that,” and I just started singing the verse.  Terry Lewis was like, “Get a microphone!  Get a microphone! …We gotta’ do this.  Just sing what you feel…” and that’s how it happened.

Eddie Levert, Chaka Khan, Kirk Whalum and Mary Mary are scheduled to join you on your tour for this CD.  You’ve mentioned before that you’ve been “trying for years to bridge the gap between what people think are churched and non-churched people.”   You state that many of us would be surprised that “many of these R & B artists are also people of faith!" I have to ask you though, should it be a surprise?  Don’t artists’ lyrics and their lifestyles speak for themselves? 

Well, I think that the reason I said that it would be a surprise is because of some of their past “public” experiences.  Especially with Chaka Khan knowing that she had a bout with drugs.  She says today that she is still in recovery because all thought she is an “ex” drug addict everyday is a walk of faith for her.  She has to believe that God is holding her and that she won’t go back into that same old rut that she did before she believed that God could take care of her.

I understand the concept of including such individuals to widen concert audiences—to potentially reach more unchurched individuals...

Yes, because that is our mission…

So is that the primary reason—to try and reach more folks?

There are several reasons that I did it.  Our churches are places of ex this and “ex” that.  Why can’t the music scene be the same thing?

But I guess the question would be, “they don’t appear to be “ex” this and “ex” that.  They are still primarily doing secular music…

Yeah, but what kind of secular music?   And once again, we cannot be so judgmental that we do not listen to their testimony.  We have to give folks an opportunity to share.  One of the things that I’ve found that the church does is, after a person becomes saved we expect them to stop doing what they do and immediately go into some type of service in the church.  That’s not what Jesus said.  He didn’t say that they should stop what they’re doing.  As a matter of fact, they are more effective now because the audience they used to sing to needs them even more.

What is the most challenging aspect of your career?

The biggest challenge has come this year with my daughter being in kindergarten and her not being here by my side all the time.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?

The most rewarding is being able to afford to bring her up every weekend or escape to Hawaii with her.

What accomplishment or success in your career were you must surprised by?
There are a couple of them.  I was most surprised by the fact that I have a huge following in Africa that I never knew that I had until recently.  We never spent a lot of time there. 

Also, in 2002 we received the first American Music Award for Inspirational Artist of the Year.  When that happened, that was like, tremendous. 

You’ve accomplished so much in such a short period of time.  What goals do you yet have to achieve?
The Oscar, the Emmy, Grammies, production, promotion,--just everything that can generate more revenue for the body and also generate more revenue for young people.    Folks are saying, “Jobs are going to be scarce…”  I think we create opportunities for them to live out their purpose and that’s definitely one of the things I want to do as an African American businesswoman.   I strive very hard to keep dollars in the community and broaden the horizon of young people.

Might you create jobs for some of the individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina? 
Well, I don’t know.  I have to get home, first of all.  But I’m working very closely with my pastor, Dr.  Ed Montgomery of the Abundant life Cathedral Church in Houston , where we have placed of least 300 families in the adopt-a-family program.  We’ve gotten them housing, clothes and jobs. So it’s easy to say that I will be working closely with the city of Houston and whatever they need me to do. We also have few concerts lined up to raise funds for the survivors as well.   Nobody is getting paid.  We don’t have sponsors paying the artists to appear..  It’s just totally out of the kindness and love of our hearts for the people.  Folks are passing out Bibles and prayer journals.   A lot of people lost their Bibles and journals.  We housed, clothed and fed them.  Now we have to give them faith and hope again.

What do you want people to remember most about your career?That I was dedicated to the cause of Christ, but I did it in such a way that I didn’t isolate anyone.

For your parting words, I would just like you to take a moment and speak a word of encouragement to our audience of moms (and Dads—but primarily moms) out there who may have gifts and talents, desires and dreams that they are just sitting on.
First of all, go for it.   Go for it and allow God to give you guidance and direction.  There are so many things that moms and dads can do to better their families and make a better world.  So pray and ask the God, “What am I supposed to do enhance not just my lifestyle but the lifestyle of people around me so that they can benefit from this wonderful gift that you’ve given me?”

And once He says, “This is what I have for you,” then you just have to do it.   You’ve got go for it.    Don’t be ashamed.  Don’t be afraid.  Just do it no holds barred because what happens is God gives you the ability and the finances to do what you have to do.  Sometimes you can’t go in and get a million dollar loan from the bank but God will put people around you that believe in your vision and will invest in your vision.

Yolanda, thank you so very much for sharing your passion with us.  You are such a blessing to so many.  I pray for continued success in your ministry!

Thank you so much.  God bless you.

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