The Robertson Treatment – Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Adams is arguably one of the hardest working women in gospel music and the genre's most transcendent ambassador. With a brand new album, a bouncing baby girl, and tons of performances and appearances already scheduled, if you thought 2001 was a busy year for Yolanda, you haven't seen anything yet!

This year, Adams has already been awarded the first ever American Music Award for "Favorite Artist Contemporary Christian," nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album," and nominated for four Stellar Awards including "Artist of the Year," for her nearly gold-certified "The Experience" album. Her latest album, "Believe," was released on December 4, 2001 and has already received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Adams was also nominated for an Image Award for "Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special" for her performance on the "2001 Essence Awards" with Donnie McClurkin.

"I'm so proud of that," shared Adams, about her numerous accomplishments. "It's a blessing, it really is."

"Believe" is Yolanda's fourth album on Elektra Records, following "The Experience," "Christmas With Yolanda Adams," and the double platinum smash "Mountain High...Valley Low." The latter album achieved much of its commercial success because of the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis single "Open My Heart." Crossover radio embraced Yolanda in the same way they embraced Kirk Franklin a few years earlier and Adams became a household name.

"The mainstream community has always known who Yolanda was, the record sales didn't show it because we didn't have the kind of machine that we have behind us with Elektra Records," explains the statuesque diva. Yolanda was signed to Elektra Records in 1997 after President and CEO Sylvia Rhone caught Adams' performance on tour with Kirk Franklin at New York's Beacon Theater. "[Sylvia's] vision was the same as mine. To let my singing do the work of reaching a broader audience," explaining why she decided not to renew her contract with former label Verity to become Elektra's first gospel act.

The year 2000 was a groundbreaking one for Yolanda, becoming Elektra's top-selling urban artist that year, a tremendous feat for the label's first gospel artist. The "Mountain High...Valley Low" album all other releases by labelmates Gerald Levert, Missy Elliott, Tamia, and Busta Rhymes.

The commercial success pleases Yolanda, because it solidifies that the "message" is getting across. "That feels wonderful, it lets me know we're doing good music and it also lets me know that the message of hope, encouragement, love, and the grace of God will always be important to people. Its not just, oh that's a nice little song, but it's, wow, I needed that," emoted Adams.

The triumph of Yolanda and other gospel acts spawned national promotion company ALW Entertainment to launch the first ever all-female gospel tour. "Sisters In The Spirit" embarked in 2000 and the sold-out tour featured Adams alongside fellow superstars Mary Mary, Shirley Caesar, and Angella Christie. The tour was not only a landmark for gospel music, but mainstream music as well as it pertained to female musicians selling out major venues nationally.

"The bottom line on [the tour] was you can't equate R&B tours with gospel tours because the whole saying in tour packaging is that 'women come to see men, they don't come to see women.' The thing about gospel is that gospel has such a strong message that it doesn't matter whose singing, women, men, or children, they are going to come out and we proved that with that tour," shared the former elementary school teacher.

Yolanda would find herself on stage with one-fourth of the "Sister In The Spirit" lineup again when she joined Mary Mary, Alicia Keys, India.Arie, and Jill Scott on a special edition of the "Oprah Winfrey" show called "Women Who Sing." "That show to me was one of the greatest musical shows of 2001," believed Yolanda, who finds humor in the old cliche, "When you've made 'Oprah,' you know you've made it!"

The Houston-bred songstress has had other high-profile appearances; she hosted and performed on "An Evening Of The Stars," the Lou Rawls telethon that benefits the United Negro College Fund; she also performed "Imagine" on TNT's "Come Together: A Night For John Lennon"; and even had an acting role on the LL Cool J sitcom "In The House," where she played "Toniah's" sister. Yolanda was also a special guest on "The View" where talk show host Star Jones proclaimed her "one of the best singers out today," and has performed numerous times on the "Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno."

In an industry based on comparisons, many have doted Yolanda "the new voice of music" and the "modern day Whitney Houston," which does not necessarily bother the singer. "It feels wonderful because [Whitney Houston] had taken over so many charts and sold so many records, she is still one of the icons of pop music. It's a great honor to be compared to that because humans really don't look at it like, she's oh doing so-and-so, and so-and-so, they have to have something to compare it to, and that's cool," explained Adams.

In comparison to her previous works, many critics are calling "Believe" Yolanda's best work yet. The singer partnered with top-notch producers like Warryn Campbell, Mike City, V. Michael McKay, and Shep Crawford on her latest effort, which also features three tracks by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis including the first single "Never Give Up." A definite standout on the project is the feel-good "Darling Girl," Adams' ode to her and husband Tim Crawford's first daughter Taylor Ayanna, who will turn 1-year old on January 26.

Hopefully "Believe" will continue to fulfill what Yolanda has always anticipated her music ministry to be. "The vision for the music is to do exactly what Christ did, take it out of the box and give it to everybody. The thing about it is, we are to encourage and uplift those who already have Christ, though we are also supposed to minister to those who don't have him. The way you do it is meet them at their needs and that is what the music does," preached Adams.

The way the masses have flocked to Yolanda's message of inspiration, it is evident that the vision is in tact and the method is effective!

• With the upcoming airing of "Middle Passage" HBO earns high marks for finally shedding light on what is perhaps the most important chapter in African American history. It¹s been stated that more than 100 million Africans lost their life during their passage to the Americas, and this documentary very effectively delivers to viewers the horrors experienced on that journey. Far to many African Americans would prefer to sweep certain periods of their history under a rug, but it's my belief that you can't truly embrace today and tomorrow, unless you understand and accept. "Middle Passage" is groundbreaking television that shouldn't be me. It airs on February 9.

• Over the weekend the NAACP hosted a special luncheon to honor nominees for the 33rd Image Awards scheduled to air March 1 on the FOX network. Held at LA's House of Blues and presided over by NAACP President, Kweisi Mfume and NAACP Image Awards Chairman, Charles Whitehead, the luncheon brought out a long list of celebrities and Hollywood insiders. Among those in attendance included Loretta Devine from "Boston Public," Dule' Hill from "The West Wing," Monique from "The Parkers," Wendy Raquel Robinson form "The Steve Harvey Show," music producer Michael Angelo, industry managers Evan Hainey and Delores Robinson and NAACP Image Award producer Suzanne DePasse.

• In honor of Black History Month, Comedy Central takes a serious look at the impact African American humor has had on the face of comedy. Entitled "The Heroes of Black Comedy," this five-part documentary provides an informative look into the lives and careers of some of the biggest names and inspirations in comedy today. For air dates and times please refer to the Comedy Central website at www.Comedycentral .com Register to Win! @ www.Robertsontreatment.com

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