Erica Atkins-Campbell and Trecina Atkins-Campbell were born in Inglewood,
California. 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). Because of their proximity in age, the two singers 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 nine 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 tours 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.
A meeting with producer Warryn Campbell led to their song publishing deal with the giant EMI music conglomerate and a series of songs that landed on the soundtracks. They wrote "Dance" and performed it with Robin S. for the soundtrack to the 1998 film Dr. Dolittle; "Let Go, Let God" for The Prince of Egypt Inspirational, one of three soundtrack albums for the film; and songs of theirs were recorded by Yolanda Adams and 702. At the same time, Mary Mary as a musical entity took shape.
The sisters' profile in the gospel industry was raised when their songs "Time To Change" and "Yeah" were recorded by Yolanda Adams on the Mountain High... Valley Low CD. The duo was subsequently signed to Columbia Records/C2 Records and decided to perform under the name Mary Mary, honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. They were first gospel act to record for the industry giant Columbia Records since Tramaine Hawkins in the mid-1990s. Their first single, "Shackles (Praise You)" became a crossover hit, being popular with gospel, R&B, and pop audiences. It was a Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became the first gospel song in five years to crack the R&B top ten and gained wide exposure on the MTV video cable channel. The album was a huge success because it offered a younger, hipper version of gospel that audiences could relate to.
Their first album, Thankful (Mary Mary Album) in May 2000, which would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, and a second single, "I Sings". Peaking at #1 on the Gospel album chart and at #59 of the overall Top 200 chart, Thankful was certified Platinum for sales of 1 million copies in the USA. Both singles were also hits in the UK and Europe, and to this day remain popular with Christian youths in the US, Latin America, and Europe.
With their second album Incredible, the duo was able to maintain their success. The record, soon after its release, went to #1 on the Gospel chart, and was able to enter the Top 20 of the Top 200 album chart. Incredible was later certified Gold for 500,000 copies sold in the United States. The album's singles In The Morning and I Try became relatively large hits within the contemporary gospel nation.
After taking time off to have children, their third album Mary Mary appeared. It became the duo's first album to enter the Top 10 on Billboard and was later on certified Gold for sales of 500,000 copies. The first single "Heaven" containing a sample from seventies soul trio the Honey Cone's "Want Ads". Heaven made history and broke chart records as it had an unprecedented 9 week run as the #1 record on Billboard's Gospel Radio chart. The second single, "Yesterday", also became a hit, especially on the Adult R&B charts where it peaked at #10. On the R&B/Hip Hop chart, the song became their second biggest hit since "Shackles" in 2000, reaching the #53 spot so far.
On October 10, 2006`, the recording group released their most recent album inspired by Christmas songs and is called A Mary Mary Christmas.
In the Morning
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the morning the sun's gonna shine
In the morning no clouds in the sky
When it's dark in your light just wait for the
daylight
Someone tell me what's wrong
Why my nights last so long
You can hear me
Then you give me a sign
That You heard me pray
You let me know
This dark night won't last always
In the morning you'll be alright
In the morning the sun's gonna shine
In the morning no clouds in the sky
When it's dark in your light just wait for the
daylight
So many ups and downs
You don't know where to start
So many nights you cried
Life was breakin' your heart
It may seem real hard
Ain't no help in sight
But don't you worry
About it tonight `cause
In the morning you'll be alright
In the morning the sun's gonna shine
In the morning no clouds in the sky
When it's dark in your light just wait for the
daylight
There's gonna be a day
It's gonna get cloudy
You can't see clear {You can't see clearly, no}
But don't you stop prayin'
Prayin' for the day
When the sun will shine (Shine) again
The song "In The Morning" by Mary Mary is about hope and positivity despite the challenges and struggles that life brings. The lyrics remind the listener that no matter how dark the night may seem, in the morning everything will be alright. It speaks of having faith and believing that God hears your prayers and will provide relief from the pain and hardships. The chorus of the song is a message of reassurance and encouragement to keep going and wait for the dawn.
The songwriter begins by describing the difficulties that have kept her up at night and how she has been struggling to find a way out of her troubles. She is seeking answers and wondering why her nights feel so long. However, she then reminds herself that if she has faith and trusts in God, he will give her a sign that he has heard her prayers and will help her through the tough times. The songwriter talks about how life can be tough and overwhelming with so many ups and downs, making it hard to know where to begin or how to handle it all. But, she encourages her listeners not to give up and to keep holding on to their faith because even during the darkest moments, the sun will shine again.
Overall, "In The Morning" is a beautiful reminder to keep the faith and believe that there is always hope, even in the toughest moments of life.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning you'll be alright
Everything will be okay tomorrow
In the morning the sun's gonna shine
Tomorrow will be a better day
In the morning no clouds in the sky
Tomorrow will bring clarity and happiness
When it's dark in your light just wait for the daylight
Hold on until things get better
Someone tell me what's wrong
I need help figuring out my problems
Why my nights last so long
I am struggling to find peace during difficult times
It's gettin' hard to believe You can hear me
I feel like my prayers are not being heard
Then you give me a sign That You heard me pray
I have faith that my prayers will be answered
You let me know This dark night won't last always
I am reassured that this difficult period is only temporary
So many ups and downs
Life has been full of highs and lows
You don't know where to start
You feel lost and unsure of how to move forward
So many nights you cried Life was breakin' your heart
The emotional pain has been overwhelming
It may seem real hard
The situation seems impossible
Ain't no help in sight
You feel like there is no one to turn to
But don't you worry About it tonight `cause
Don't stress too much right now
There's gonna be a day
There will be a time in the future
It's gonna get cloudy You can't see clear {You can't see clearly, no}
Things will become difficult to understand
But don't you stop prayin' Prayin' for the day
Continue to have faith and hope in the future
When the sun will shine (Shine) again
There will come a time when things will be better
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERICA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, ERICA MONIQUE ATKINS-CAMPBELL, TRECINA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, JOI CAMPBELL, WARRYN CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lanetteallen143
I have a son who was sick with leukemia. I am a GOD fearing woman. . I trusted God to heal my son. Well God worked in a MIRACULOUS way. My so became cancer free!. My son is now 26 years old and 24 years cancer free! HALLELUJAH
@jerrellgrimes
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️ blessings
@justicejohnson8957
Hallelujah
@canon6363
Glory to God!
@Renee_nf094e
🙏🏾♥️🙏🏾♥️
@tanyarowell1670
God bless u, ur son and ur family...prayers up
@368carameldelux
Weeping may endureth for a night but joy comes in the morning. Thank you Father, in Jesus's name........
@carolannewray5705
❤
@KenyaDenise22
Can we bring back this kind of gospel!!!
@habcenter4987
Hey Guess What My Dad Died Keep Him In My Prayers.