Oleta Adams (born May 4, 1953) is an American soul and gospel singer and pianist. 　　Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised listening to gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth. She got her musical start in the church. 　　Before gaining her opportunity to perform, Adams faced a great deal of rejection. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she recorded a demo tape. However, many music executives were exclusively interested in disco music rather than Adams' preferred style. 　　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.