Biography

Since the release of her platinum-selling 1990 debut album, Circle of One, Oleta Adams has inspired fans around the world with songs that draw deeply from her gospel roots while crossing into soul, R&B, jazz, and other forms of popular music. She has sold more than two-and-a-half-million records, collecting four Grammy nominations along the way.

A longtime resident of Kansas City, Kansas, Ms. Adams grew up in the Pacific Northwest, spending her formative years in Seattle and Yakima, Washington. She began singing publicly in the church where her father was minister. After high school, she eventually landed in Kansas City, where her regular gig at the Hyatt Regency was frequented by national and international touring artists.

In 1989 Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of the English synth-pop band Tears for Fears invited her to appear on an album, video, and European tour. When she returned to the United States, Ms. Adams signed a record deal for her solo debut, which Orzabal produced.

Over the years, Ms. Adams has recorded duets with Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Toots Thielemans, and Shirley Caesar, among others. Her music is featured in the movies Corrina, Corrina; Sleeping with the Enemy; and Jason’s Lyric. Her vocals in How Stella Got Her Groove Back set the tone for the film. In 2017 she received the Legends Award at the televised Black Music Honors. On June 1, 2019, she was inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.