Contemporary gospel singer Tamela Mann, known for her strong and powerful soprano singing voice, was born on June 9, 1966 in Fort Worth, Texas, the youngest of 14 children. Mann’s childhood was centered by the presence of the Church of God in Christ (where her mother often served as psalmist). She was singing in the church’s adult choir by the time she was 12, often as a soloist, and continued singing in choirs throughout high school.
Her professional singing career began in the ’90s, when she joined Kirk Franklin & the Family’s gospel organization, eventually spotlighted on several tracks. The experience led to an acting career, as well as successful solo recordings acknowledged through numerous Dove, Stellar, and Grammy award nominations.
After she left Franklin’s organization, Mann’s acting career began with a role in David E. Talbert’s He Say
She Say
But What Does God Say?, a gospel musical. Mann moved on to play the character Cora Simmons in several Tyler Perry stage, film, and television projects, including I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and Meet the Browns, the last of which developed into a television series that featured her and husband David Mann.
Busy as she was, Mann established a solo career with Gotta Keep Movin’ (2005) and the concert CD/DVD The Live Experience (2007), then updated her faith-based gospel sound with contemporary R&B touches on The Master Plan (2009). Best Days (2012), her most popular release, debuted at number one on the Billboard Gospel chart and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200. After the conclusion of the second season of her comedic series Mann and Wife, Mann released her fourth solo album, One Way, another gospel-chart topper. ~ Steve Leggett & Andy Kellman, Rovi
