'Another reality'

Contemporary Christian singer Adelaide will perform songs from her album "The Bigger Picture" Sunday, June 7, during a launch party at ConnectionPoint Church.

The church, at 1506 South Farmington Road, will host the event from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

This is the 30-year-old singer's first album, which will be available for purchase through amazon.com, as well as i-Tunes and other digital platforms.

Born in Cape Town, Florida, as Laura Kelly O'Dell, Adelaide had a difficult childhood, and her family moved frequently, relocating periodically between Florida and Mississippi.

As a coping mechanism, she began to escape to the world of music.

"Music took me out of that, and it was like another reality," she said.

Her musical journey has not been short.

She started writing songs when she was 14, and she was shy about singing.

"I thought I was bad at it," she said.

One day her aunt, Sheila Horton, who was worship leader at World Outreach Ministries in Biloxi, Miss., where the family was living at the time, walked in as she was singing, and recognized her talent.

Adelaide began to pitch in with the music program at the church and gradually began leading a few songs now and then.

She spent hours listening to the music of Stacie Orrico, her favorite Christian artist.

"I would listen to her style, and replay it over and over, and try to make my voice like hers, because she has really good control over her voice," she said. "As a young person, that really got me into music. Dreaming bigger than just singing."

When she was 19, she moved to Cape Girardeau, and married her best friend, Les Respondek. The couple has four children, ages 4, 6, 9 and 10, whom Adelaide homeschools.

Initially, she used the name Laura Kelly professionally, but because the name was so similar to Broadway star Laura Michelle Kelly, the decision was made to change her stage name to Adelaide.

She chose the name for several reasons.

"It's different. It means 'of noble character,' and it's a form of my daughter Heidi's name," she said.

Adelaide said she started as an unsigned artist almost a year ago and it took about six months to record the album.

"Everything is really just getting off the ground now," Adelaide said.

Though the launch date for the entire album is June 7, the title track of the 11-song album, also called "The Bigger Picture," already is available for purchase at amazon.com, i-Tunes and dvdbaby.com.

The launch is taking place at ConnectionPoint Church, because it is Adelaide's home church, where she has been a member for 2-1/2 years.

Adelaide said going through dark times growing up influenced the music she has written and recorded on "The Bigger Picture."

"Every song taps into hope and encouragement and leveling with people," she said. "Some of it seems kind of dark at times, but we all go through dark times in our lives and that's reality."

The hope is that the music will reach people who are experiencing turmoil in their lives.

"I pray the music inspires people to pick themselves up and go at it again," she said. "No matter what you go through in this life, there is someone else who has gone through it. More importantly, there is someone else going through it with you, and I really and truly believe that is God."

Adelaide will sign her album covers at LifeWay Christian Bookstore in Cape Girardeau fromm 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 13. Her appearance there marks the five-year anniversary of the opening of the bookstore.

Albums will be on sale there and will also be available at Hastings in Cape Girardeau.

More information is available by visiting adelaidemusic.com.