A lot has changed in recent years for Erica (left) and Tina Campbell, but their sisterly bond and their singing are as strong as ever.

Most know them as the potent voices behind the smash single "Shackles," but there's much more to Mary Mary's Tina and Erica Campbell than their runaway 2000 hit. Since then, the sisters have recorded two albums (including their eponymous third effort, releasing July 19) and both have married and become mothers. Though their gospel stardom has opened incredible doors for them—platinum records, Grammy awards, and singing for President Bush—they've maintained normalcy in their lifestyle, avoiding the trappings of diva-like pretensions. In this candid interview with Christian Music Today, Erica and Tina tell us the secret behind this normalcy, and how keeping it all in the family is what does the trick for them.

You first erupted on the scene when "Shackles" exploded on the radio in 2000. Have you ever been afraid of the "one-hit-wonder" title?

Tina Campbell: We actually haven't. Our core fan base, the gospel and the CCM communities, knows us for much more than just that song. But many people do know us for "Shackles" because it was our breakout song. As long as our message is helping to change the lives of people in any community, then it's not about the one-hit wonder thing.

When your second album came out in 2002, sales had already started to wane. That album [Incredible] didn't match up to the commercial expectations set by your debut [Thankful].

Erica Campbell: Not at all. I think the music speaks for itself. Some songs get lots of attention. Some songs don't, but they still have a positive impact and really change lives. That's what it's all about. I know that's what took place on the second record. The world at large wasn't that familiar with the record. [But] popularity isn't the most important thing for us. Changing lives is.

Tina: Also, the business of music has changed drastically since the first record. There have been huge mergers, the advent of Napster, and downsizing of labels. Our second record came in the midst of all of that. When we were performing, people asked when we'd release our second album, even though it had already been out for six weeks. So I definitely think it may not have gotten the push the first one got.

Now you have a new album. In it, you explore many different sounds, including some 1920s, big band-type music. Was that your idea?

Tina: That was Warryn Campbell's idea. When he came to us with it, we were a little resistant. But I'm always up to the challenge. I want to grow with different musical styles and different challenges. Regardless, we're always talking about God, and I think these different seasons show how awesome he is.

Gospel audiences are very protective and jealous of their own. They don't like to see their favorite artists on MTV or on a secular outlet, yet this album has a lot of mainstream potential. How do you deal with that?

Erica: I think of it like this: When a mother has a son, he's always going to be her son. But when another woman comes into his life—a girlfriend, wife, whatever—the mother tends to protect him. I think that's what the gospel audience is doing—protecting their own from people who don't believe what they believe. At times it may come across as defensive and be viewed in a negative way. That's just the way it works. But it's okay as long as the music is well respected and well received for what it truly is. We don't acknowledge the negativity either way because it doesn't help our cause, which is that of Jesus Christ: his grace, his goodness, and his love.

People can be judgmental when it comes to success in mainstream culture. What do you say to convince them this is your calling?

Tina: We don't say anything to convince them. There will always be people who will try to limit us, but it's not our job to try to convince them that this is what God has called us to do. It's important for us to know that what we do lines up with the Word—God's will and purpose for us. Some might feel their ministry is supposed to be in the church or to Christian environments exclusively. But we want to take our music to every place that will open the door to us. Any time you hear Mary Mary, we're going to tell people about Jesus. That's our resolve. We don't try to defend ourselves or win anybody over. We just try to do what we do and please God in the process.

Things have also changed for you in recent years because you're both now married. How has the sister-sister dynamic changed over time?

Tina: We don't spend as much time with each other. Before we were both married, we would come off the road, back to the same home, eat the same breakfast, and do a lot of the same things. We were always together. But now our home life is much different. We've come to understand that as you grow older, more people come into your life. We still spend a lot of time with each other because we work together. We're real sisters, and we love each other. We enjoy the time we have together and try to have as much fun as possible.

Erica: When we used to live together and it was time to work, I only had to walk a few steps and tell my sister, "Let's write." Now we have to make the effort to get together or try to work it out over the phone. I miss being able to bounce ideas off each other at any time during the day.

Is there anything more "sisterly" that you used to do together before you were married that you can't do now?

Tina: We still shop! We still go to the movies and eat together. There are just a few more people in the mix now. We have five other sisters, so it's a whole lot of juggling when it comes to what movie we're going to, what time, and what restaurant we're eating at. But it's all fine.

Now that you have children, how do you balance motherhood with your busy professional lives? Do you keep those responsibilities separate, or do they intermingle?

Tina: Our worlds definitely intermingle. We're passionate about everything we're a part of, and everything we do is an extension of who we are. We're also very fortunate to have our husbands involved in our careers. Erica's husband Warryn is our producer and he's very involved in the creative process. My husband Teddy plays a lot on our CDs and helps put our live show together. So having them involved in our music helps everything intertwine. Our children travel with us too. When our music comes on the radio, they stop, turn, and start clapping. You can tell they're familiar with it and they like it.

Our families go to church together and love the Lord together. We eat after church together. Our sisters are our best friends, so when we have downtime, we get together and laugh with each other. Everything we do is pretty much intertwined.

I know your kids are still very young, but are they musically inclined like you? Do you see them going on the career path you chose?

Erica: Yeah, they're both musically inclined. It's funny, when someone starts singing they'll turn their heads around so fast to listen and see if it's something they like. Tina's baby Leah knows all the lyrics to all our songs, and she puts on that intent-looking singing face. It's the cutest thing ever.

Tina: I don't know about them having careers in music. It's much too early to say that. But they're definitely musically inclined.

Would you mind if they chose to do what you do?

Tina: I'm going to make sure I raise my daughter in the right way so no matter what she does in life, she'll make good choices with good judgment. This industry can be very treacherous. It's not easy, and it takes a lot of strength, courage, focus, and self-assurance. But I'm going to make sure to give her whatever I think she needs.

With you being in the spotlight, maybe you'd wish for your kids to have a more "normal" life and not have to deal with the hectic pace of it all?

Tina: You know, I feel like my life is normal. I still cook for my husband and wash clothes. I change diapers and give my baby baths. When I drive to the grocery store, I'm not getting hounded. I still put my pants on one leg at a time. The only difference is that the world is paying a little more attention to me when I sing.

Erica: I think people assume that since you're out front you do things differently. I still get stuck in traffic, and I still have very sad days. Our lives are still the same in many ways.

Tina: We work hard to maintain a sense of normalcy with the limited celebrity we have. When you isolate yourself from the public and you have an assistant to do all those normal things, then you become more removed from reality. It's important for us to do the regular stuff. We haven't stopped being parents to our children or cooking for our husbands. Yes, we have some advantages others don't have, but we aren't removing ourselves from the basic responsibilities. It allows us to maintain normalcy.

Do you think that's the sort of stuff that keeps you from becoming "divas"?

Erica: Remembering that I'm a servant of God—and not God myself—definitely helps me to remain grounded. I may be gifted, but I'm not the gift. I know I'm blessed, but I'm not the blessing. I think that allows me to look in the mirror and say, "God, thank you for another day," instead of saying, "I'm so blessed to be here another day."

There's a difference between simply enjoying what we do and being appreciative of having a gift to give. Reality would come crashing down hard if we lifted ourselves above the normal life. That wouldn't be in the spirit of Christ. He knew who he was, but he realized that as the Son of God, it was necessary for him to love and serve others. Likewise, we try to maintain our humility when people want to elevate us. If we did something other than that, we wouldn't be representing Christ.

For more about Mary Mary, visit our artist page for the duo. Look for our forthcoming review of their self-titled album, which is in stores July 19. Check out the sound clips and buy their music at Christianbook.com.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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