First Listen: Oleta Adams mesmerizes us on "Long and Lonely Hours"

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    Raised the daughter of a Baptist minister in small Yakima, Washington, Oleta Adams was somewhat of a child prodigy, playing piano at an early age and directing choirs by the time she was a teen.  At 18 she made a decision to forego a college scholarship and instead headed to Los Angeles seeking a musical career.  When her jazzy, torchy style didn't fit the dance oriented sound of the mid to late 70s, she moved to Kansas City, where she slowly gathered a following singing and playing piano at local nightclubs, with her show eventually becoming a regular stopping ground for visiting celebrities. Read full Oleta Adams biography.

    Raised the daughter of a Baptist minister in small Yakima, Washington, Oleta Adams was somewhat of a child prodigy, playing piano at an early age and directing choirs by the time she was a teen.  At 18 she made a decision to forego a college scholarship and instead headed to Los Angeles seeking a musical career.  When her jazzy, torchy style didn't fit the dance oriented sound of the mid to late 70s, she moved to Kansas City, where she slowly gathered a following singing and playing piano at local nightclubs, with her show eventually becoming a regular stopping ground for visiting celebrities. Read full Oleta Adams biography.

    That was the beginning of a career that has won for Oleta Adams millions of fans and a number of memorable hits. We haven't heard from Oleta in a few years, but this week she released a new single that is just beautiful. Oleta has been performing "Long and Lonely Hours" for a few years in concert, but fans haven't been able to enjoy the gentle ballad on record until now. The simple piano arrangement lets her sit out front and deliver another career moment, in the form of a simple prayer. No word on when an accompanying album will be coming, but this song is just so welcome. Listen and enjoy.

    Oleta Adams - "Long and Lonely Hours"