Bio
Erica Campbell is an American gospel singer who, with her sister Tina, forms one half of the Grammy Award-winning gospel duo Mary Mary who 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.
The Atkins sisters grew up as part of a large family of nine children in Inglewood, California. Due to their proximity in age, the two sisters grew up closer to one another than to any of their seven siblings.
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.
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.
The siblings broke through in 2000 with the pioneering crossover hit Shackles (Praise You), determined to fulfill their mission of sending uplifting messages through music and words that are relatable to everyone.
In March 2011, Mary Mary burst on to the charts in the Top 10 with Something Big - the ladies' 6th studio offering. Something Big turned out to be just that with two Grammy nominations and an NAACP Image Award Nomination and two Stellar Awards.
Erica is the wife of the group's award winning and platinum selling producer - Warryn Campbell, II. Together the duo racked up hits on the charts and awards and have three children: Krista Nicole, Warryn III and Zaya Monique.
In 2012 the sisters began appearing in their own reality series, Mary Mary.