With a growing syndication now reaching 37 markets including
New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C, The Yolanda Adams morning show, reaches a diverse group of listeners from all
walks of life. “I love the fact that people listen to us whether
they're Christians or not, or whether they go to church or not.
They just love the positivity in the broadcast, and that's what
we do everyday, we try to lift people up” states the Grammy
Award wining, first lady of modern gospel—now turned
dynamic radio show host.

Under the banner of “Faith, Family and Fun” the highly popular
morning show provides a vibrant mix of contemporary gospel,
power packed devotionals, health and fitness tips, celebrity
interviews and a provocative yet humorous look at the days
current events.

“We try to definitely make them laugh, states Adams, because
as you've probably heard on many occasions, I think it's so good
for your spirit, and your soul . . . It changes your countenance,
and the way you feel about yourself. Laughter; is a gift from
God that I want to give to everyone on a daily basis”.

And keep them laughing they do. Along side her co-host
Brother Larry Jones and the comedic antics of Marcus D. Wiley-
aka- Bishop Secular—the dynamic morning team, brings every
weekday from 6 to 10:00am a fresh and clean alternative to its mainstream counterparts. Adams, herself, a mom of an eight
year old, is acutely sensitive to the needs of parents and care-
givers— an integral part of her listening audience. And creates
for them, a safe and fun environment filled with encouragement
and inspiration suitable for the whole family.

Beyond her on-air reach, the former school teacher now turned advocate spearheads the Voice of an Angel foundation, a com-
munity outreach program designed to seek and mentor today's
youth. “I found that once kids got out of elementary school no
one was tracking, mentoring or taking care of them,” said Adams.
“If they are smart enough, they will to go to college—and hope-
fully not drop off. But what we want to do is mentor at-risk
kids from middle school all the way through college—and ask
that at the end of the program, they give us two years back in
some educational capacity. Whether by serving as a physical
Ed, computer-science, art teacher—or whatever else that
might be”

Adams, herself, the product of the watchful eye of some of
gospel's giants, also seeks to create opportunities for some of
today's emerging talent. “I am presently working on a label deal
to make sure that I mentor and nurture artists, put them on tours,
do promos for them and get them out there. There are so many
cities with rich talent, that no one ever gets a chance to hear.
And when you have this kind of platform you have to do some-
thing big for somebody—and that's what we're going to do.” Somewhat reflective, Adams muses over the role her mentors
played in shaping her illustrious career. “ If there is a young
guy or girl out there with a great voice I want to magnify that,”
she states. “In doing so, I'll be doing exactly what a Tramaine Hawkins, Shirley Caesar, Derrick Coleman, or Richard Small-
wood did for me when I was young. I met them when I was
twelve-years-old, and they have been that constant support
in my life. When you are coming up, you need someone to
call when the business is not right, or when it doesn't sound
right. You need people who can tell you don't fall for that, get
a lawyer—and that's what we're going to do for these young
people. We have the foundation already laid, and have retained
a CPA, and entertainment lawyers, she states, We have all of
these people in line to make sure that these young people get
the best care possible”.

These days, amidst balancing the roles of parent, radio
show host, business woman and spokesperson, Adams still
manages to do roughly 70 concerts a year, and shares, that
her music has evolved—and come full circle. “It's (again)
inspirational, she explains; although some may categorize it
as gospel, others as Christian, and yet others as uplifting, it
really has taken on a life of its own, because it incorporates
jazz, the African heritage, blues and R&B while still, keeping
true to the message of goodwill and hope. As a person, she
explains, I know that I have become more patient with people,
life and the evolution of music—where it's going right now. It
used to be that you could call someone at a record label and
say, “Hey I need Yolanda Adams to do so and so, and so and
so. Well she's a free agent now, and all you have to do is call
her business offices, to do business and that's really cool, I
like that evolution”.

As she continues sets her sights on new horizons, the gospel superstar shares, that she looks forward to one day orchestrating, dream collaborations with some of gospels greats. “The Caravans, the Barrett Sisters, Tramaine Hawkins, Mighty Clouds of Joy and Canton Spiritual are all pioneers who have made huge strides in gospel music. These artists she explains, “have allowed me to be
who I am, and where I am, so I think a live recording with some
of these giants would be great, if I may say so myself, it would
be absolutely off the chain!”.


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