Gospel star Yolanda Adams returns to the scene after a recording hiatus with her new CD, Day by Day She talks about the project and her upcoming tour.
ED GORDON, host: Yolanda Adams has enjoyed years of success as a gospel singer.  The      Houston native has a Grammy, an American Music Award and multiplatinum      CDs to her credit.  Scores of fans relate to the music she describes as      joyful.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) I've come through many hard trials, through      temptations on every hand...</s>ED GORDON, host: Adams joined us recently to discuss her career from singing in      the choir to her latest CD, "Day By Day."</s>ED GORDON, host: Yolanda Adams, always good to see you and talk to you.  Welcome.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Thank you so much for having me.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let's talk a little bit about--before we get into the project, I      want to talk about the growth of gospel music.  When you walked on the      stage for the first time, and I mean the stage of gospel music...</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Right.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...could you have even imagined where it would be today?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Not at all.  Because I was a kid, 16 years old, singing in a      choir that was already recording and traveling all over the world.  And I      did it just because I loved to sing, and I loved gospel music, and I      loved God with all my heart, even at a young age.  But to know today what      gospel music has done for my life and just for the world, in general, I      never could have imagined it.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) Jesus is all the world to me.</s>ED GORDON, host: You know what's fascinating to me?  And this is going to sound      strange in one sense, because religion to black folk has been so      special...</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Right.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...but there was also a time that if you were a churchgoer or      listened to gospel music, that you almost kept that in the house and you      didn't praise it as we see growing praise today.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Right.</s>ED GORDON, host: It's a banner vs. something that you keep hidden away.  What do      you think has changed?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: I think more people in the mainstream, folks like Nancy      Wilson and Luther Vandross, they have openly expressed their love for      God, and when mainstream artists start expressing their love for God      openly in their concerts and including gospel songs in their concert,      and, you know, people started embracing it.  `Well, wait a minute,      Luther's cool.  And he can love God?  OK, yeah.  Then that's cool for me,      too.'</s>ED GORDON, host: How difficult has it been for you to now deal with the celebrity      that you have?  And when you first attain it, obviously, it's something      that you want when you start a career, but it can be intrusive.  How do      you deal with that?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: One day at a time.  That's all I can say or that's the only      way that I can naturally explain it.  Of course, my faith has a lot to do      with being able to be public without being a public nuisance.  I guess,      you know, that's a great way to say it.  I was brought up by great      parents and great grandparents who told me, `Never, ever think that      you're better than anyone else or that what you do is so important that      the world won't miss you once you're gone,' and I kind of translate that      into the stardom thing.  How would I want someone who I would approach in      a mall or at a restaurant?  How would I want them to respond to me?  A      lot of times they just see you and they're like (gasps) `Yolanda Adams,      oh, my goodness.  Can I take a picture with you?'  You know?  And I      probably had just stepped out of the gym, you know, sweating and going      on, but, you know, the truth is, that person may not ever get a chance to      see me up close and personal again, so go on and oblige, you know.</s>ED GORDON, host: How much do you bring, in getting into the new project "Day By      Day," what Yolanda Adams is feeling at the particular time in her life,      to your songs?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Once again, my fans trust me, and they trust that what I say      is true.  And they also know that I'm going to be open and honest with      them about the highs, the lows, the joys, the sorrows, but they also know      that it all ends in praise, and that at the end of the day I have to go      through this, we have to go through this in order to make us better, and      in order to get to the next level.</s>ED GORDON, host: You work, once again, with two buddies of mine, and two legends      in this business, truly, Jimmy Jam...</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Yes.  Yes.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...and Terry Lewis, who you have certainly given us classic      music through and with.  Talk to me, A, about the relationship with the      two of them, and talk about some of the new music that they're bringing      to you.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Great guys.  You know them.  Loving fathers, loving husbands      and great producers.  They know how to bring the best out in you.  And      they strive for excellence every single time we're in the studio.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) I can look at my life and see all the things that      he's done to set me free, protecting me from harm.</s>Pastor DONNIE McCLURKIN: (Singing) Can't begin to show how I feel.  His      presence in my soul, yeah.  Can tell he's guiding me, I'll be safe      because...</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: We did "Lift Him Up," which features Pastor Donnie McClurkin      and Mary Mary, and that was way too much fun.  We just had way too much      fun.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) I'll give him praise.</s>MARY MARY: (Singing) Lift him up!  Each and every day.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) Whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah.</s>MARY MARY: (Singing) We celebrate that day.</s>Pastor DONNIE McCLURKIN: (Singing) Lift him up!</s>MARY MARY: (Singing) In a song of praise, thanking him for everything.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: And also "Be Blessed," which has been one of the number-one      radio hits.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) ...said he would be there for you.  I want you to      be blessed; don't live life in fear.</s>ED GORDON, host: How much does the title of the CD speak to, as you just used      this language, `day by day,' what you've been living the last few years      of your life?  Is that part of why you picked that song?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: That's exactly why we picked the song, and exactly why we      picked the title.  I let my listener know that it's a process, that once      you decide, `Look, God, I want you to lead my life, I want you to, you      know, get me around the hard stuff and take me through the hard      stuff'--once you do that, it doesn't just start automatically, and you      don't just leap like Superman to the next spiritual level.  It doesn't      work like that.  It's a day-by-day journey.</s>ED GORDON, host: You have had a part in so many modern-day gospel classics now as      you look through your career.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: Do you have a favorite?</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: I would have to say that "Open My Heart" was the one that      really, for me, signifies, you know, I'm a great writer.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) Alone in a world, it's just me and you.  I feel so      lost because I don't know what to do.</s>ED GORDON, host: When you think about songs that have gone beyond just      chart-topping--I think about, you know, "O Happy Day."</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: "O Happy Day," yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: Or some of the Winans' classics, "Tomorrow," "The Question Is."</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Definitely.  "The Question Is."  Yes.</s>ED GORDON, host: Now that you know that that song will be placed in that list,      that has to be gratifying.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Oh, definitely.  I mean, I'd be, you know, remiss to say that      `Oh, no, it's just--you know, God bless you.'  No.  That feels good.  It      feels good to know that what that song did--out of my pain came a song      that changed the world of gospel.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) I open my heart.</s>ED GORDON, host: For the fans of Yolanda Adams, you don't need to know much of      anything other than it's in stores and you want to go get it.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Yea.</s>ED GORDON, host: The CD is "Day By Day."</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: "Day By Day."</s>ED GORDON, host: And we should note that you'll be going on tour.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: I'll be going on tour.  It's called the Yolanda Today tour.      The twist to this particular tour is that I'm inviting some of my friends      from the R&B and pop world to come and sing with me and share a couple of      songs, you know.  So we're going to have a lot of fun.  And I just want      people to understand that you don't have to take it so seriously.  You      know?  God is love.  He loves everybody.  He loves you.</s>ED GORDON, host: And just enjoy life...</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: And just enjoy it.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...and you will do so by picking up this CD, I promise you, and      also do yourself a favor.  When Yolanda Today, the tour, comes to your      town, go see her.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: Yolanda, good to see you.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: Oh, good to see you, too, Ed.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) Think I'll let it show, never let it go, take      everywhere I go.  Take my hand.  I'm gonna give you spirit in my heart.      I'm going to give you spirit in my heart.</s>ED GORDON, host: That does it for the program today.  To listen to the show,      visit npr.org.  If you'd like to comment, call us at (202) 408-3330.      NEWS & NOTES was created by NPR News and the African-American Public      Radio Consortium.</s>Ms. YOLANDA ADAMS: (Singing) Sometimes I feel so inspired and other times I just      want to give up, give up.  Oh, that's when I feel your presence, giving      me confidence and trust, and I know that it came from above.  Think I'll      let it show, never let it go...</s>ED GORDON, host: I'm Ed Gordon.  This is NEWS & NOTES.