Oleta Adams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Oleta Adams | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Oleta Adams |
| Born | May 4, 1962 |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington United States |
| Genre(s) | Gospel, Soul, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Singer, Piano |
| Years active | 1980 - present |
| Label(s) | Koch Records Mercury Records |
| Associated acts | Tears for Fears |
| Website | http://www.oletaadams.com |
Oleta Adams (born 4 May 1962, Seattle, Washington is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.
Before gaining her opportunity to perform, Adams faced a great deal of rejection. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California. In California, Adams recorded a demo tape but faced the hard reality that many music executives had been consumed by the disco movement. With the advice of her singing coach, Lee Farrell, Adams moved to Kansas City where she did a variety of local gigs.
Adams started her career in the early 1980s with two self financed albums which had limited success. In 1985, she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the English pop band, Tears for Fears, whilst performing in a bar in Kansas City, Missouri. They invited her to join their band as a singer on their next album The Seeds of Love.[1]
In 1989, the album was released and the single "Woman In Chains" - sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums - became her first hit. Adams restarted her solo career in 1990, assisted by Orzabal who co-produced her new album, Circle of One. The album received much critical acclaim and she scored her biggest hit to date in 1991 with her Grammy nominated cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". 1991 also saw Adams contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me". Adams' version became another top 40 hit in the UK.
Her next album, Evolution (1993), was also a commercial success. Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Adams move more in the direction of R&B, and she also reunited with Tears For Fears for the duet "Me And My Big Ideas" the same year. Two years later she released the Christian themed album Come Walk With Me.
In 1998, she toured as a guest vocalist on Phil Collins's Big Band Jazz Tour.
Adams received some criticism in 2003 for a $15,000 fee she took for a performance at a Kansas City Missouri School District staff event.[2]
Adams released her first Christmas album on 3 October 2006, entitled Christmas Time with Oleta.[3]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Date | Title | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Going on Record | Self financed and released |
| 1990 | Circle of One | |
| 1993 | Evolution | |
| 1995 | Moving On | |
| 1996 | The Very Best of Oleta Adams | |
| 1997 | Come Walk With Me | |
| 2001 | All the Love | |
| 2004 | Ultimate Collection | |
| October 3, 2006[3] | Christmas Time with Oleta | United States, Canada, and The Netherlands only[4] |
[edit] Singles and selected songs
| Year | Song | UK | US HOT 100 | US R&B | US AC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Woman in Chains" (w/Tears for Fears) | 26 | 36 | - | - |
| 1990 | "Rhythm Of Life" | 52 | - | 9 | 21 |
| 1990 | "Circle Of One" | 95 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Get Here" | 4 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| 1991 | "You've Got To Give Me Room" | 49 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | "Circle Of One" (reissue) | 73 | - | 27 | 17 |
| 1991 | "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" | 33 | - | - | - |
| 1993 | "I Just Had To Hear Your Voice" | 42 | - | 97 | - |
| 1993 | "Window Of Hope" | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | "My Heart Won't Lie" | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | "We Will Find A Way" (w/Brenda Russell) | - | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "Never Knew Love" | 22 | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "Rhythm Of Life (remix)" | 38 | - | - | - |
| 1995 | "Me And My Big Ideas" (w/Tears for Fears) | - | - | - | - |
| 1996 | "We Will Meet Again" | 51 | - | - | - |
| 2001 | "When You Walked Into My Life" | - | - | - | - |
| 2002 | "I Can't Live A Day Without You" | - | - | - | - |
[edit] DVDs
- Oleta Adams Live in Concert (2005)
[edit] References
- ^ VH1.com Biography Oleta Adams. (Retrieved: September 15, 2006)
- ^ Singer Performs At Teacher Convocation Despite Controversy Retrieved September 5, 2007
- ^ a b Official website News 9/10/2006. Retrieved September 15, 2006
- ^ Official site Inspiration for the Christmas album. Retrieved September 15, 2006
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Complete discography (including sideworks)
- Oleta Adams Bio
- Oleta Adams at the Internet Movie Database
- Oleta Adams at Tv.com
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Adams, Oleta |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 4, 1962 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Yakima, Washington |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
