Major Gospel awards are not new to artist Tamela Mann. She has garnered Grammy, Stellar, Dove, and American Music Awards, respectively.
Mann established a Gospel music record recently when she became the first artist to score 10 No. 1 singles under the gospel radio format.
Her current single, “Finished,” co-written with singer-songwriter, Travis Greene, is the fourth song to ascend to No. 1. It is included on the Tillymann Entertainment CD, Overcomer.
“Finished” set an industry record this week when it scored a No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Radio Airplay chart, notching her 10th No. 1 at the format.
In addition, the track also landed at No. 1 on the Mediabase Gospel chart this week. Tamela’s historic gospel radio chart honor is the culmination of her Billboard Gospel Radio Airplay chart success. Her first chart-topper was in 2012.
In addition to “Finished,” Overcomer’s No. 1’s include “He Did It For Me,” “Help Me (feat. the Fellas),” and “Touch From You.” Best Days’ lead single and RIAA certified Gold track, “Take Me To The King,” One Way’s “God Provides,” and “My World Needs You,” were written by gospel icon Kirk Franklin. Other fan-favorite chart-toppers include “This Place” from Best Days, “I Can Only Imagine” from Best Days Deluxe, and “Change Me” from One Way.
“Thank you to everybody who listened, streamed, and made this possible,” said Mann said in a release published on the Journal of Gospel Music website.
“An extra special thank you from the bottom of my heart to gospel radio for making me a part of your music family and always believing in me. With your love and support we did it – ten #1’s! To God be the glory!”
Mann’s husband and manager David Mann said, “I am so proud of Tamela and all her accomplishments. The continued recognition for her music is truly a gift from God and the fans.”
According to her biography, Mann was born June 9, 1966, in Fort Worth, Texas, the youngest of 14 children. Mann was singing in the Holy Tabernacle Church [COGIC] adult choir at just 12 years old.
I’m a true Texan. I don’t want to live anywhere else, but Texas. I’ve been singing since I was 8 – started in church,” she recently told NBC Dallas.
Her career gained a boost when Kirk Franklin selected her to sing with his group, The Family, and she sang on five of Franklin albums.
She would later star in David E. Talbert’s gospel musical ‘He Say…She Say…But What Does God Say?’ In 2000, she starred as Cora Brown in Tyler Perry’s stage play, ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself,’ appeared in several of his movies, and was a regular character on Meet The Browns.
Mann said she and her husband return to their old Fort Worth neighborhood when their schedules allow.
“To me, it gives inspiration for kids to say – ‘if I did it, you can do it too.’ And that’s the goal that you want to reach to inspire them,” she said.
“Just because you live in this box doesn’t mean you have to stay in this box.”
The Manns were recently honored during the 2023 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards in Atlanta for accomplishments as songwriters, artists and actors.
