Mary Mary

Mary Mary, the American gospel music duo, consisting of sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell and Tina Atkins-Campbell. he duo are often credited along with Kirk Franklin for broadening the fan base of urban contemporary gospel in the 2000s by introducing elements of soul music, hip hop, funk and jazz. Mary Mary broke onto the music scene with their popular song "Shackles (Praise You)" which is considered one of the pioneering songs of urban contemporary gospel music.

Their debut album Thankful (2000) was certified Platinum. The duo has released three Goldalbums: Incredible (2002), and Mary Mary (2005), which all charted #1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums.

Their current release, The Sound, again was #1 on the Top Gospel Albums; as well as #7 on theBillboard 200. It has spawned two highly successful singles: "Get Up" and "God In Me". In Spring 2009 "God In Me" began achieving crossover success (as Shackles had nine years earlier), reaching #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play.

The sisters were born Erica Atkins and Trecina Atkins. The Campbell (formerly Atkins) sisters grew up as part of a large family of nine children in Inglewood, California. Their parents are Thomasina, an evangelist and choir director at the Evangelistic Church of God in Christ, and Eddie, a youth minister.

The sisters quickly entered the world of church choirs, traveling gospel shows, and some television productions. All eight Atkins children were on the Bobby Jones Gospel show on BET.

The sisters had their sights set on making music a career and enrolled at El Camino College to study voice. There they ran up against the divide between academic music studies and the popular musical world. "We had to study classical and sing arias, which was fine," Erica told the Times, "but the teachers would tell us if we sang anything else it would damage our instrument".

The sisters toured with the 1995 Michael Matthews traveling gospel show Mama I'm Sorry and Sneaky. Each sister subsequently toured as a backup singer for a variety of R&B acts including Brandy.

Due to their proximity in age, the two singers grew up closer to one another than to any of their seven siblings. The Atkins children are Darrel (b 1965)(the only boy; the 2nd boy having died whilst as a child); Maliea (b 1967); Erica and Tina; Delisa (b 1978); Thomasina (b 1979); Alana (b 1985) and Shanta(b 1986). Thomasina and Alana sometimes sing back up for their big sisters.

Both sisters are married to unrelated men with the last name Campbell.

Tina married drummer Teddy Campbell from Chicago in August 2000. The couple has four children. Cierra (b 1993) from a previous relationship, Laiah Simone (September 9, 2003), Meela Jane (June 11, 2007), and Glendon "TJ" Campbell (October 20, 2009).

Erica married their record producer Warryn Campbell on May 26, 2001. On September, 13 2004, Erica gave birth to their first child, Krista Nicole Campbell. On April 24, 2010, she gave birth to the couple's second child, Warryn Campbell III.