Tamela Mann
Tamela Jean Mann (née Johnson born June 9, 1966) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, producer and actress.
Tamela Mann | |
|---|---|
 Mann in 2017 | |
| Born | Tamela Jean Johnson June 9, 1966[1] Limestone County, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer, actress |
| Spouse(s) | David Mann Sr. (m. 1988) |
| Children | 5 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Tilly Mann Music Group |
| Website | www |
Mann began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. She was a featured soloist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Don't Take Your Joy Away", "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, R. Kelly, and Bono. She released her debut studio album in 2005. Her third studio album, Best Days was certified Gold by the RIAA, and lead single "Take Me to the King" was a major commercial success, as well as receiving a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.[2] In 2017, she won Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song for "God Provides".[3] Mann is four-time NAACP Image Awards winner. She has total seven No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart singles, while "Take Me to the King" spent 25 weeks on the top.[4]
Mann also is known as actress. She worked in a many Tyler Perry productions playing the role of Cora Simmons. She appeared in films Diary of a Mad Black Woman (and recorded some songs on the soundtrack including participating in the song "Father (Can You Hear Me)"), Meet the Browns (2008), Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Madea's Big Happy Family (2011) and A Madea Homecoming (2022). On television, she starred in the TBS sitcom Meet the Browns from 2009 to 2011, and in 2020 began starring in the BET sitcom Tyler Perry's Assisted Living.She also starred and producer Bounce TV sitcom Mann & Wife (2015–17).
Aside from her musical and acting pursuits, Mann launched a new line of clothing, the Tamela Mann Collection, in 2019.[5] The brand offers a variety of athleisure and workout wear for the curvy woman.
Early life and music career
Mann was born in Fort Worth, Texas, the youngest of 14 children. She and her siblings grew up in a very spiritual home grounded in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). They were reared by their mother, "Mother Eppe," who believed in and exercised solid biblical principles.
By the age of 12, Mann was singing in the church's adult choir and was often selected to sing solos. Although she was bashful, she blossomed in the local church and high school choirs.[6]
Kirk Franklin and the Family
Mann's musical career began when she joined Kirk Franklin and the Family.[7] She has also enjoyed collaborating and performing with artists such as Yolanda Adams, Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Celine Dion, Bono, R. Kelly and Fred Hammond. "Local legends" that have collaborated with Mann include" Demarcus Williams, Myron Williams, Kermit Wells, Excell Amos, Myron Butler and a host of others. She went on to join the gospel musical cast of David E. Talbert as he directed the stage play He Say... She Say... But What Does God Say?.[1]
Solo musical career
In 2005, Mann and her husband David created their own label, Tillymann Music Group, which they have released several projects through. In 2005 her solo album, Gotta Keep Movin', was released. The lead single "Speak Lord" peaked at #4 at US Gospel chart. In 2007 she released her first live album, The Live Experience. Mann's songs "Father Can You hear Me" and "Take It To Jesus" can be heard in the movie and on the soundtrack album of 2005 comedy-drama film Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
In 2009 her second studio album, The Master Plan, was released with adding contemporary R&B sound.[1] It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Gospel Album Chart, and at number 97 on the Billboard 200.
Mann's third studio album, Best Days, was released on August 14, 2012. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, and number 14 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and lead single "Take Me to the King" was certified platinum and had a major commercial success, as well as receiving a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.[2] In 2019, Billboard announced that Best Days was named the Gospel Album of the Decade.[8]
Mann won Stellar Award's "Best Female Gospel Artist of the Year" in 2014, as well as Best Gospel Artist at the 2014 BET Awards. In 2017, she won Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song for "God Provides".[3]
In 2018, Mann released a duet album with her husband entitled, Us Against the World: The Love Project.[9]
On August 7, 2020, Mann released the single "Touch from You"[10] from her upcoming album. The single spend five weeks on the top and was her seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart.[4] Her six studio album called Overcomer was released in 2021. It received positive reviews from critics.[11][4]
Acting career
Mann began acting in 1999 when she was discovered by Tyler Perry. She debuted in the stage play I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 2000. The following year, she appeared in the comedy film Kingdom Come. She went on to act in Perrys plays Meet the Browns, Madea's Family Reunion, Madea's Class Reunion, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and What's Done in the Dark. She has appeared on television shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, BET Soundstage, the 1999 Grammy Awards, the Dove Awards, and the United States of America World Olympics.
In 2005, Mann appeared in the romantic comedy drama film Diary of a Mad Black Woman which was inspired by the play of the same name. She reprised her role in the 2008 film Meet The Browns, having more screen time. The following year, she began starring on TBS sitcom Meet the Browns, the series ran to 2011 and 140 episodes was produced. She also appeared in Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Madea's Big Happy Family (2011).
In 2012, Mann appeared in the musical film Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, alongside Whitney Houston and American Idol winner and R&B singer Jordin Sparks, making her film debut. She co-starred opposite Lisa Arrindell Anderson in the 2014 drama film First Impression and starred and produced 2018 Christmas film Merry Wish-Mas with her husband. In 2021, she starred in the another holiday film, Soul Santa.[12]
From 2015 to 2017, Mann starred in the Bounce TV comedy series, Mann & Wife. The series was canceled after three seasons. In 2020, she returned to her role as Cora Simmons in the BET sitcom Tyler Perry's Assisted Living. In 2022, she appeared in A Madea Homecoming on Netflix. She later was cast in The Color Purple, a film adaptation for the screen from the 2005 stage musical of the same name.[13][14]
Personal life
Tamela is the wife of actor David Mann, known for his role as Deacon Leroy Brown in some of Tyler Perry's plays. In the Madea TV shows and movies, she plays Mr. Brown's daughter, Cora.[15] They have always worked together professionally.
David and Tamela renewed their 25th wedding vows in the spring of 2013. They raised five children together: David's daughter, Porcia, niece Sonya, David’s daughter Tiffany, and their children together, David Jr and Tia. They also have thirteen grandchildren.[16]
In January 2015, a reality show about their family, It's A Mann's World, premiered on BET. David and Tamela are devout Christians, and in this program are able to show how they have a fun-loving, balanced family, centered in godly principles and coping with real-life obstacles. In 2019, Tamela joined the WW International family as a weightloss ambassador.[17] On July 23, 2019, Tamela had double knee surgery just a couple of months after starting her weight loss journey. She recovered quickly and went on to lose 100 pounds of weight by January 1, 2020.[18]
In 2019, Mann joined the Weight Watchers community as an Ambassador.[19] She loss over 40 pounds to the end of 2019. She lost more weight in 2020 and 2021.[20][21]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Kingdom Come | Lady | |
| 2005 | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Cora Simmons | |
| 2008 | Meet the Browns | Cora Simmons | |
| 2009 | Madea Goes to Jail | Cora Simmons | |
| 2011 | Madea's Big Happy Family | Cora Simmons | |
| 2012 | Sparkle | Sarah Waters | |
| 2014 | First Impression | Sister Renee | |
| 2018 | Merry Wish-Mas | Kennie | Also producer |
| 2021 | Soul Santa | Liz | Also executive producer |
| 2022 | A Madea Homecoming | Cora Simmons | |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | First Lady |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | New York Undercover | as part of the church choir with Kirk Franklin and the Family | Episodes: "A Time of Faith" Part 1 & 2 |
| 2007-2008 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Cora Simmons | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2009-2011 | Meet the Browns | Cora Jean Simmons-Brown | Series regular, 140 episodes |
| 2013 | In the Meantime | Minnie | Television film |
| 2015-2017 | Mann & Wife | Toni Mann | Series regular, 30 episodes, also executive producer |
| 2015-2016 | It's a Mann's World | Herself | Reality series, 20 episodes |
| 2017 | The Manns | Herself | Reality series, 10 episodes |
| 2020–present | Tyler Perry's Assisted Living | Cora Simmons-Brown | Series regular |
Stage
- Madea's Farewell (2019) as Cora Simmons
- What's Done in the Dark (2007) as Cora Simmons
- Meet the Browns (2004) as Cora Simmons
- Madea's Class Reunion (2003) as Cora Simmons
- Madea's Family Reunion (2002) as Cora Simmons
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2001) as Myrtle Simmons
- I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2000) as Cora Simmons
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [22] |
US Gospel [23] |
US Indie [24] | ||||
| Gotta Keep Movin' |
|
— | 3 | 26 | ||
| The Master Plan |
|
97 | 2 | 10 | ||
| Best Days |
|
14 | 1 | 3 |
|
|
| One Way |
|
45 | 1 | 7 |
|
|
| Us Against the World: The Love Project (as David & Tamela Mann) |
|
— | 3 | 38 | ||
| Overcomer |
|
— | 3 | — | ||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | ||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [22] |
US Gospel [23] |
US Indie [24] | |||||||||||||||||
| The Live Experience |
|
— | 29 | — | |||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||||||||||||
- Soundtracks
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman
- Meet The Browns
As a lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [27] |
US Gospel [28] |
US Adult R&B [29] |
US R&B /HH [30] | ||||||
| "Speak Lord" | 2006 | — | 4 | — | — | Gotta Keep Movin' | |||
| "The Master Plan" | 2010 | — | 13 | — | 100 | The Master Plan | |||
| "Joy Of The Lord" | — | 14 | — | 96 | |||||
| "Step Aside" | — | 30 | — | — | |||||
| "Take Me to the King" | 2012 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 44 |
|
Best Days | ||
| "I Can Only Imagine" | 2014 | — | 1 | 29 | — | Best Days (Deluxe Version) | |||
| "This Place" | 2015 | — | 1 | — | — | ||||
| "God Provides" | 2016 | — | 1 | — | — | One Way | |||
| "Change Me" | 2017 | — | 1 | — | — | ||||
| "Through It All" (featuring Timbaland) |
2018 | — | 3 | — | — | ||||
| "Potter" | 2019 | — | 5 | — | — | ||||
| "Good Love" | — | 14 | 18 | — | Us Against the World: The Love Project | ||||
| "Ups & Downs" | — | 22 | 21 | — | |||||
| "Touch from You" | 2020 | — | 1 | — | — | Overcomer | |||
| "Help Me" (featuring The Fellas) |
2021 | — | 9 | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
As a featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel [28] | |||||||||
| "My World Needs You" (Kirk Franklin featuring Sarah Reeves, Tasha Cobbs & Tamela Mann) |
2017 | 1 | Losing My Religion | ||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
Soundtrack and promotional singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel [28] | |||||||||
| "Father Can You Hear Me" (with Tiffany Evans, Terrell Carter and Cheryl Pepsii Riley) |
2005 | 21 | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | ||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel Digital [31] | |||||||||
| "You're the Lifter" (Ricky Dillard featuring Tamela Mann) |
2020 | 4 | Choirmaster | ||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||
Awards and nominations
- Stellar Awards nominations:[32]
- 2006: Gospel Album of the Year – Gotta Keep Movin'
- 2008: Female Vocalist of the Year – The Live Experience
- 2008: Contemporary Female Artist of The Year – The Live Experience
- Dove Awards nominations:
- Traditional Gospel Record Song of the Year – The Master Plan
- Traditional Gospel Album of the Year – The Master Plan: winner
- 2013 Traditional Gospel Album of the Year Best Days: winner
- 2013 NAACP Image Awards nominations:
- Gospel Album of the Year – Best Days
- 2017 Grammy Awards nominations:
- 2017 Best Gospel Song/Performance - God Provides: winner
- 2013 Grammy Awards nominations:
- 2013 Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance – "Take Me to the King"
- 2014 Stellar Awards nominations:
- Praise and Worship CD of the Year: winner
- Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year: winner
- CD of the Year: winner
- Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year: winner
- CD of the Year Award: winner
- 2014 BET Awards nominations:
- Best Gospel Artist: winner
References
- "Tamela Mann Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- "Tamela Mann". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- https://www.grammy.com/artists/tamela-mann/4223
- Price, Deborah Evans; Price, Deborah Evans (August 5, 2021). "Gospel Superstar Tamela Mann Talks 'Overcomer' and the Blessings of Staying Independent".
- "Tamela Mann Launches Plus Size Active Apparel". April 16, 2019.
- "Homepage". Tamelamann.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- "The Leading Tamela Mann Site on the Net". tamelamann.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- "The Decade in Gospel Charts: Hezekiah Walker Deserves 'Praise' and Tamela Mann is 'Best'".
- "David and Tamela Mann Drop First Collaboration Album "Us Against the World: The Love Project" November 9". September 12, 2018.
- "Touch from You by Tamela Mann on Apple Music". Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Apple Music.
- "StackPath". www.ccmmagazine.com.
- "David and Tamela Mann talk BET+ Original 'Soul Santa'". December 4, 2021.
- Abraham, Mya (March 23, 2022). "Ciara, Deon Cole, Louis Gossett Jr., Tamela Mann, & More Join Cast Of 'The Color Purple' Musical Movie".
- "Tamela Mann Added To The Cast of "The Color Purple" Remake". March 23, 2022.
- Christian, Margena. "Husband and wife, David and Tamela Mann, keep Madea on her toes in Meet the Browns." Jet Magazine. 118.2. August 27, 2007: 34.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Ref: https://www.essence.com/feature/tamela-mann-weight-watchers-new-ambassador/
- "Everything You Need to Know about Tamela Mann Weight Loss! | Star Studds".
- Natale, Nicol (November 14, 2019). "Gospel Singer Tamela Mann Lost 40 Pounds by Overhauling Her Lifestyle". Prevention.
- "'I Was In A Lot of Pain': Gospel Star Tamela Mann Shares Details About Her Impressive Weight Loss Journey, Working with Tyler Perry and the Secret to Her Long-Lasting Marriage". Atlanta Black Star. August 2, 2021.
- "Tamela Mann On Her Weight Loss Journey: "I've Lost Over 50 Pounds" | Girlfriends Check In | OWN" – via www.youtube.com.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History | Billboard (Billboard 200)". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History | Billboard (Gospel Albums)". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History | Billboard (Independent Albums)". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- Arbet, DeVante (September 25, 2014). "Lecrae's 'Anomaly' Remains #1 On Billboard". The Gospel Guru. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History: Adult R&B". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- "Tamela Mann Chart History: Gospel Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- "The Official 23rd Annual Stellar Award WINNERS (2008) – brought to you by". Gospelflava.com. January 12, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
