Adriana Evans
Adriana Evans, also known as Adriana Madera, was born in San Francisco, California and was one of the first Neo-Soul artists. She released her self-titled debut album in 1997 on RCA Records.
Adriana Evans was immersed in music from a young age, with her mother Mary Stallings singing with jazz artists like Count Basie, and her godfather being saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. As such, Evans finds a great deal of her musical upbringing in jazz music.
At the age of 18, Adriana moved to Los Angeles where she planned to attend college. While living in the city, she met Dred Scott and the two quickly became friends. As their friendship grew, the two began working together in music. Because of this relationship, Adriana Evans appeared on Dred Scott's "Check the Vibe" in 1993 and Evans relied heavily on Scott for production on her debut album.
Paul Stewart, CEO of PMP records, played a crucial role in helping Adriana Evans get a deal with Capitol Records during the 1990s. Stewart was attracted to Evans after hearing a demo featuring her and having seen her in the video for Scott's "Check the Vibe." As Capitol Records folded, Stewart brought Evans onto his PMP Records where she released her self-titled debut album.
Adriana's self-titled debut album featured two singles, "Love Is All Around" and "Seein Is Believing." The two singles charted, with the former reaching #65 on the R&B charts and the latter reaching #50.
In total, Adriana has released four albums. Besides her self-titled debut, she released Nomadic in 2004, Kismet in 2005 and El Camino in 2007.