Groundbreaking contemporary gospel crossover duo Mary Mary will perform Thursday, Oct. 16, presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
The show is set for 7 p.m., in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $68.50, $59.50 and $49.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
The powerful, pioneering creative spirit of the sisters of Mary Mary is fearless. Siblings Erica and Tina Campbell broke through in 2000 with the hit “Shackles (Praise You).” Ever since, the chart-topping sister act has not wavered from defying convention to send uplifting messages through music. Their words are relatable and inspiring.
“It’s about making music that touches both adults and young people,” Erica Campbell said in the group’s website biography. Adds Tina Campbell, “It’s about spreading good news for the world but doing it in the Mary Mary way: banging beats and melodies, intertwined voices, and messages of hope.”
Their songs resonate with a fusion of sound, including R&B, hip-hop, dance, pop, gospel and jazz, with empowering messages.
Having earned three Grammy awards, two American Music awards, an NAACP Image Award and a BET Award, the “Mary Mary way” sounds just as fresh and innovative as it did when they first dreamed of sharing their message with the world. The duo’s sixth album, “Something Big,” was released in 2011 and picked up where the group’s mainstream success story, 2008’s “The Sound” and its Grammy Award-winning smash hit “God in Me,” left off. In 2012 they scored a double Grammy nomination under the categories of Best Gospel/Contemporary Music Performance and Best Gospel Song, for their single “Go Get It,” and won the Grammy for Best Gospel Song.
| The show is set for 7 p.m., in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $68.50, $59.50 and $49.50. Call 975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org. |
Born in California to an evangelist/choir director mother and a youth minister father, the sisters grew up singing in church choirs. After studying vocal performance, the two joined traveling gospel shows and toured as backup singers for several R&B acts.
“People ask us all the time whether we’re gospel, inspirational or trying to go pop,” Erica said. “Tina and I are artists whose music fits in so many other places. That’s always been the leading force behind each of our albums. Knowing who we are, we know each album can be different from the next.”