Tamela Mann

Tamela Jean Mann (née Johnson; born June 9, 1966) is an American gospel singer and actress.

She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family.

Mann was a primary vocalist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, and Bono.

She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).

Her third studio album, Best Days reached No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel albums chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

The lead single "Take Me to the King"

was a commercial success, and earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.

In 2005, Mann and her husband David created their own label, Tillymann Music Group, through which they have released several projects.

In 2005 her solo album, Gotta Keep Movin', was released.

The lead single "Speak Lord" peaked at number 4 on the US Gospel chart.

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 2007 she released her first live album, The Live Experience.

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 in and produced the Bounce TV sitcom Mann & Wife (2015–17).

Along with her Grammy Award, Mann has earned many other accolades and honors, including multiple NAACP Image Awards, a Billboard Music Award, an American Music Award, and a BET Award.

In 2022, she was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

In 2023, she broke the record for the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart, with ten of her songs topping the chart; including "Take Me to the King", which spent 25 weeks on the top.

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.

Mann's musical career began when she joined Kirk Franklin and the Family.

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?.

In 2009 her second studio album, The Master Plan, was released, adding a contemporary R&B sound.

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 the lead single "Take Me to the King" was certified platinum and had major commercial success, as well as received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.

Mann won the Stellar Award for "Best Female Gospel Artist of the Year" in 2014 and Best Gospel Artist at the 2014 BET Awards.

Her fourth studio album One Way (2016), also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart; and spawned the single "God Provides", which won her the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song in 2017.

Mann also is known as actress.

She has worked in multiple Tyler Perry productions playing the role of Cora Simmons.

In 2017, she won Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song for "God Provides".

In 2018, Mann released a duet album with her husband entitled, Us Against the World: The Love Project.

In 2019, Billboard announced that Best Days was named the Gospel Album of the Decade.

Aside from her musical and acting pursuits, Mann launched a new line of clothing, the Tamela Mann Collection, in 2019.

On August 7, 2020, Mann released the single "Touch from You" from her upcoming album.

The single spent five weeks on the top and was her seventh number 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart.

Her sixth studio album called Overcomer was released in 2021; it received positive reviews from critics.