Tamela Mann
Encyclopedia
Tamela J. Mann is an American
actress and gospel
singer, known for her role as Cora in Tyler Perry
's plays, including I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
, Madea's Family Reunion
, Madea's Class Reunion
, Meet the Browns, and What's Done in the Dark
. Mann began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family
. Mann 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 Master Plan (Her Personal Best)the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige
, Crystal Lewis
, R. Kelly
, and Bono
.
Mann has also made appearances in movies such as Kingdom Come
and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Mann recorded some songs on the soundtrack for Diary of a Mad Black Woman, including participating in the song "Father (Can You Hear Me)". Mann is the wife of David Mann, who is known for his role as "Deacon Leroy Brown" in several of Perry's plays. Tamela Mann is known for her work with Tyler Perry.
and is the youngest of 14 children. Mann and her siblings grew up in a very spiritual home which was grounded in the Church of God in Christ
(COGIC). They were properly reared by their mother whom they called “Mother Eppe.” Mother Eppe believed in and exercised solid bible principles. Mother Eppe was a psalmist in her own right. By the age of 12, Mann was singing in the church’s adult choir and often selected to sing solos. Although she was bashful, she blossomed in the local church and high school choirs.
, Mary J. Blige
, Al Green
, Celine Dion
, Bono
, R.Kelly and Fred Hammond
. 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 2005, Tamela released her solo album titled “Gotta Keep Movin” and in 2007 she released “The Live Experience.” Mann’s explosive songs "Father Can You hear Me" and "Take It To Jesus" can be heard in the movie and on the soundtrack album of Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
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. Mann went on to play in Meet the Browns, Madea's Family Reunion
, Madea's Class Reunion
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
, and What's Done in the Dark
. Mann has appeared on television shows including The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno
, BET Soundstage, 1999 Grammy Awards, Dove Awards, the United States of America World Olympics, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne
, as well as Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns
(Television Show), where she portrays Mr. Brown's (David Mann) daughter. Mann has appeared in movies, including the 2001 comedy, Kingdom Come
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
, and Meet The Browns
. She also had a role in 2009's Tyler Perry movie Madea Goes to Jail. Currently filming is David and Tamela Mann's new cooking show "Hanging with the Mann's.
Nominations:
Awards:
2011 Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year (The Master Plan)
> Soundtracks
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer, known for her role as Cora in Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
's plays, including I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (play)
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is an American stage play written and directed by Tyler Perry, which opened in the spring of 2001. It features music by Tyler Perry and Elvin D. Ross. The production starred Marva King, Tamela Mann and Tyler Perry.-Synopsis:...
, Madea's Family Reunion
Madea's Family Reunion (play)
Madea's Family Reunion is an American play written by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons, Quan Howell as Reverend Lewis, Sonya Evans as Lisa, D'Atra Hicks as Jackie and Tamela Mann as Cora.-Synopsis:...
, Madea's Class Reunion
Madea's Class Reunion
Madea's Class Reunion: The Class That Had No Class is a 2003 U.S. teleplay directed, written, and starring Tyler Perry. The live performance that was released on DVD was taped in Detroit.-Plot:...
, Meet the Browns, and What's Done in the Dark
What's Done in the Dark
What's Done in the Dark is a play written and directed by American playwright Tyler Perry. The show first opened in September 2006. The play is a mixture of comedy, drama, and music, set in a hospital emergency room, and focuses on two nurses, one of whom is a single mother and the other of whom is...
. Mann began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
. Mann 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 Master Plan (Her Personal Best)the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Crystal Lewis
Crystal Lewis
Crystal Lewis is an American contemporary Christian/Gospel vocalist, songwriter and author.-Early years:Lewis grew up singing in her father's church...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, and Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
.
Mann has also made appearances in movies such as Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (2001 film)
Kingdom Come is a 2001 comedy-drama film, written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, and directed by Doug McHenry. This film stars LL Cool J, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A...
and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Mann recorded some songs on the soundtrack for Diary of a Mad Black Woman, including participating in the song "Father (Can You Hear Me)". Mann is the wife of David Mann, who is known for his role as "Deacon Leroy Brown" in several of Perry's plays. Tamela Mann is known for her work with Tyler Perry.
Early life
Mann was born in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and is the youngest of 14 children. Mann and her siblings grew up in a very spiritual home which was grounded in the Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
(COGIC). They were properly reared by their mother whom they called “Mother Eppe.” Mother Eppe believed in and exercised solid bible principles. Mother Eppe was a psalmist in her own right. By the age of 12, Mann was singing in the church’s adult choir and often selected to sing solos. Although she was bashful, she blossomed in the local church and high school choirs.
Career
Tamela’s musical career began when she joined up with the multi-grammy award winning and double platinum gospel phenomenon Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann has also enjoyed collaborating and performing with numerous artists such as Yolanda AdamsYolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, R.Kelly and Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
. She went on to join the gospel musical cast of David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert is an American playwright.. Talbert is a graduate of Morgan State University and attended the New York University film program....
as he directed the stage play He Say…She Say…But What Does God Say? In 2005, Tamela released her solo album titled “Gotta Keep Movin” and in 2007 she released “The Live Experience.” Mann’s explosive songs "Father Can You hear Me" and "Take It To Jesus" can be heard in the movie and on the soundtrack album of Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Mann began acting in 1999 when she was discovered by Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
. She debuted in the stage play, I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Mann went on to play in Meet the Browns, Madea's Family Reunion
Madea's Family Reunion
Madea's Family Reunion is a 2006 comedy-drama film adaptation of the stage production of the same name written by Tyler Perry and sequel to Diary of a Mad Black Woman. It was written and directed by Perry, who also played several characters, including Mabel "Madea" Simmons...
, Madea's Class Reunion
Madea's Class Reunion
Madea's Class Reunion: The Class That Had No Class is a 2003 U.S. teleplay directed, written, and starring Tyler Perry. The live performance that was released on DVD was taped in Detroit.-Plot:...
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (play)
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is an American stage play written and directed by Tyler Perry, which opened in the spring of 2001. It features music by Tyler Perry and Elvin D. Ross. The production starred Marva King, Tamela Mann and Tyler Perry.-Synopsis:...
, and What's Done in the Dark
What's Done in the Dark
What's Done in the Dark is a play written and directed by American playwright Tyler Perry. The show first opened in September 2006. The play is a mixture of comedy, drama, and music, set in a hospital emergency room, and focuses on two nurses, one of whom is a single mother and the other of whom is...
. Mann has appeared on television shows including The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, BET Soundstage, 1999 Grammy Awards, Dove Awards, the United States of America World Olympics, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne is an American comedy-drama television series created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella...
, as well as Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns
Meet the Browns
Meet the Browns is a play written by Tyler Perry in 2004. In it, Cora and Mr. Brown are headed to Brown's side of the family. In Madea's Class Reunion, it is revealed that Brown is actually Cora's father, so he is taking his new daughter to his family...
(Television Show), where she portrays Mr. Brown's (David Mann) daughter. Mann has appeared in movies, including the 2001 comedy, Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (2001 film)
Kingdom Come is a 2001 comedy-drama film, written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, and directed by Doug McHenry. This film stars LL Cool J, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A...
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 romantic comedy-drama film written by and starring Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. It is the first film in the Tyler Perry "Madea" film franchise. Directed by Darren Grant, the film was released in the US on February 25, 2005...
, and Meet The Browns
Meet the Browns
Meet the Browns is a play written by Tyler Perry in 2004. In it, Cora and Mr. Brown are headed to Brown's side of the family. In Madea's Class Reunion, it is revealed that Brown is actually Cora's father, so he is taking his new daughter to his family...
. She also had a role in 2009's Tyler Perry movie Madea Goes to Jail. Currently filming is David and Tamela Mann's new cooking show "Hanging with the Mann's.
Personal life
Tamela is the wife of actor David Mann, who is known for his role as “Deacon Leroy Brown” in some of Tyler Perry’s plays. They have always worked together professionally. David and Tamela have been married for 23 years, and have four children together: three daughters and one son. In the Madea T.V. shows and movies, she plays as Mr. Brown's daughter, Cora.Films
- Madea's Big Happy Family (film)Madea's Big Happy Family (film)Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family is a 2011 comedy-drama film based on Tyler Perry's 2010 play of the same name and the eleventh film in the Tyler Perry film franchise, and the fifth in the Madea franchise.-Plot:...
(2011) as Cora Simmons - Madea Goes to Jail (film) (2009) as Cora Simmons
- Meet the Browns (film)Meet the Browns (film)Meet the Browns is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film released by Lionsgate on March 21, 2008. The film was based on the play of the same name by Tyler Perry.-Plot:...
(2008) as Cora Simmons - Diary of a Mad Black Woman (film) (2005) as Cora Simmons
- Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (2001 film)Kingdom Come is a 2001 comedy-drama film, written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, and directed by Doug McHenry. This film stars LL Cool J, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A...
(2001) as Lady #2
Television
- Meet the BrownsMeet the BrownsMeet the Browns is a play written by Tyler Perry in 2004. In it, Cora and Mr. Brown are headed to Brown's side of the family. In Madea's Class Reunion, it is revealed that Brown is actually Cora's father, so he is taking his new daughter to his family...
as Cora Simmons (82 Episodes 2008–2010) - House of Payne as Cora Simmons (3 Episodes 2007)
- Down Home with the NeelysDown Home with the NeelysDown Home with the Neelys is a Food Network show hosted by Patrick and Gina Neely. In the show, they share the secrets behind their favorite dishes and their passion for food. Videotaped in their Memphis home surrounded by family and friends, the show now airs seven days a week on Food Network...
as Tamela Mann (1 Episode 2010)
Plays
- A Madea ChristmasA Madea ChristmasA Madea Christmas is a 2011 American musical play created, written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons and Cassi Davis as Aunt Bam.-Plot:...
(2010) as Cora Simmons - What's Done in the DarkWhat's Done in the DarkWhat's Done in the Dark is a play written and directed by American playwright Tyler Perry. The show first opened in September 2006. The play is a mixture of comedy, drama, and music, set in a hospital emergency room, and focuses on two nurses, one of whom is a single mother and the other of whom is...
(2006–2007) as Cora Simmons - Meet the Browns (2004–2005) as Cora Simmons
- Madea's Class ReunionMadea's Class ReunionMadea's Class Reunion: The Class That Had No Class is a 2003 U.S. teleplay directed, written, and starring Tyler Perry. The live performance that was released on DVD was taped in Detroit.-Plot:...
(2003) as Cora Simmons - Madea's Family ReunionMadea's Family Reunion (play)Madea's Family Reunion is an American play written by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons, Quan Howell as Reverend Lewis, Sonya Evans as Lisa, D'Atra Hicks as Jackie and Tamela Mann as Cora.-Synopsis:...
(2002) as Cora Simmons - Diary of a Mad Black WomanDiary of a Mad Black Woman (play)Diary of a Mad Black Woman is an American stage play written and directed by Tyler Perry, which opened in the spring of 2001. It features music by Tyler Perry and Elvin D. Ross. The production starred Marva King, Tamela Mann and Tyler Perry.-Synopsis:...
(2001) as Myrtle - I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2000) as Cora Simmons
Awards/nominations
Stellar AwardsStellar Awards
The Stellar Awards is the first Gospel Music Awards show in the country, honoring Gospel Music Artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards ranks high in status as the only Gospel Music television awards program syndicated in...
Nominations:
- 2008: Female Vocalist of the Year (The Live Experience)
- 2008: Contemporary Female Artist of The Year (The Live Experience)514
Awards:
2011 Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year (The Master Plan)
Discography
- Gotta Keep Movin' [2005]
- The Live Experience [2007]
- The Master Plan [2009]
> Soundtracks
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman
- Meet The Browns