Oleta Adams

American vocalist and jazz pianist Oleta Adams was born on May 4, 1953, in Seattle, Washington. The daughter of a preacher, she grew up listening to gospel music and took her first steps as a performer in her local church. After releasing two self-financed albums that received little to no attention from the press, she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears while she performed at Kansas City's Hyatt Hotel in 1985. Two years later, the duo asked her to collaborate with them on their next LP, The Seeds of Love, as a singer and pianist. During the recording sessions, she provided vocals for the song "Woman in Chains," which eventually became the album's standout hit single. Following the album's astounding success, Oleta Adams joined Tears for Fears on their world tour while also serving as their opening act. Co-produced by Roland Orzabal, her major-label debut Circle of One appeared in 1991 and shot straight to the top of the UK charts thanks to the success of the Brenda Russell cover "Get Here," which cracked the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic. Even though her popularity dwindled after the release of 1993's Evolution, her last Top 10 entry in the UK, Oleta Adams continued her musical journey on releases like Moving On (1995), Come Walk with Me (1997), and the R&B-inflected All the Love (2001). Third Set, a collection of cover songs from her favorite artists, appeared in early 2017.