Tamela Mann made a name for herself by leaving a significant impact in different faculties of the entertainment industry. She is an American gospel singer and actress who is known for her numerous works in both gospel music and in the contemporary movie world.
Mann started out with Kirk Franklin’s gospel music group ‘Kirk Franklin and the Family’ in the early 90s and gradually broadened her horizon to greater heights. Her TV stints are mostly with Tyler Perry’s productions including; Diary of a Mad Balck Woman, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, and the Madea productions. Apart from her life on the screens, there is so much to know about the singer and actress, and here are lesser-known facts about Tamela Mann.
Tamela Mann Bio, Age
She was born on June 9, 1966, in Fort Worth, Texas into a large family of 14 children of which she is the youngest of all. Mann was intensively nurtured in the tenets of Christianity alongside her siblings who all grew up with their mother, a staunch Christian believer. She was a member of her church choir where she started to exhibit a forte in music as she would sing solos and lead the church choir during service. Tamela had the choir as her second home all through high school, before she crossed paths with the Grammy award-winning gospel group; Kirk Franklin and the Family.
Career
She started singing with the group in the 90s. Her experience with them ushered her into the limelight and she was soon spotted by movie stakeholders. Tamela’s stint with the Kirk Franklin group led to her acting career and also her solo music career.
She left the gospel group and featured in He Say…She Says…But What Does God Say? by David E. Talbert. Her first stage play was I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 1999 when she was discovered by Tyler Perry. This was followed by other Tyler Perry productions including Meet The Browns, Madea’s Class Reunion, Madea’s Family Reunion, and many others. Apart from her movie appearances, Mann has also made appearances on TV. She has appeared on ‘The Tonight Show’, ‘BET Soundstage’, the Grammy Awards of 1999, ‘Tyler Perry’s House of Payne’, and many other TV shows.
Tamela Mann began her solo music career in 2005 when she created the label Tillyman Music Group, together with her husband. That same year she dished out her solo album, ‘Gotta Keep Movin’. It was followed by her live album, ‘The Live Experience’. Mann’s second album, ‘The Master Plan’ came in 2009 and made it to number 2 on the Billboard Gospel Album Chart.
Three years later, she released her third studio album, ‘Best Days’ which did so much better than the first two. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart and was number 14 on the Billboard 200. Mann’s uplifting and inspiring tracks earned her lots of recognition and accolades including Best Female Gospel Artiste of the Year at the 2014 Stellar Awards, as well as 2014 BET Awards’ best Gospel Artist.
Mann made her film debut in 2012 when she appeared in Sparkle alongside Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks.
Her Net Worth
Tamela Mann sits on an estimated net worth of $3.5 million. The singer and actress have her music stints as well as her film appearances to thank for her financial status. A larger part of her income comes from her music endeavors which were where she shot to fame.
Personal Life – Husband, Children,
Tamela Mann does not only live out her Christian life on TV but also upholds Christian values in reality. The talented singer is a traditional family woman who strongly upholds the value of marriage and togetherness. She is married to David Mann, who is also an actor. The couple has been married for over 25 years, becoming an inspiration to many young couples. David and Tamela were brought together by the wind of fate in their high school days. For those not in the know, Tamela’s husband David plays the role of Deacon Leroy Brown in Tyler Perry’s plays.
The couple has two children together; David Jr and Tia. Tamela is a stepmother to David’s two daughters; Porcia and Tiffany, from a previous relationship. The couple raised the four children alongside Tamela’s niece, Sonya.
Tamela’s Weight Loss Journey
Anyone who knows Tamela from the 90s and early 2000s would testify to her conspicuous weight loss. The gospel singer made the news in 2017 after showing off her impressive weight loss. Mann went from a 30/32 to an 18/20 in 2017 to the surprise of her numerous fans.
The singer opted for a healthier lifestyle after her husband David was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The determined couple soon embarked on a ‘daunting’ journey that required them to eat healthier, keep fit, and adopt a generally healthier lifestyle. Tamela and David are now advocates for the American Diabetes Association and encourage others to live healthily.
