Gospel music super-couple, Tamela and David Mann are living their best life! And they should be! They’re empty nesters and recently celebrated 36 years of marriage, and if there were ever a truly inspiring rags-to-riches story, theirs is the one!
The couple met in the mid-80s when a mutual friend introduced them. Music was the common de-nominator, and they became fast friends. At the time, David had a girlfriend, and Tamela was okay in the “friend zone” …at first. However, as the relationship blossomed, they realized they wanted to be together. In 1984, one Sunday after church, they got married.
Over three-and-a half decades later, they’ve weathered life’s ups and downs personally and professionally, including a baby David fathered five years into the marriage, and health challenges Tamela endured, including a C-section and surgeries for an abdominal blockage and double knee replacement. Despite the ups and downs, they are bonded for “better or worse,” and have kept the love fires burning. “We took divorce off the table a long time ago,” Tamela says in her lovely Texas drawl.
Together, they’ve built an empire under the umbrella of Tillyman Entertainment with holdings that include a 386-acre ranch, a music/entertainment company, a YouTube channel (Mann TV) with a stable of television shows, movies, books, a clothing line, and a transportation company. They also have a real estate company. The Manns are the embodiment of the term “power couple.”
As they rattle off their long list of business ventures, David pauses and reflects. “Our entertainment career has been 31 years now. That’s like, wow!” Tamela adds, “It’s really been a blessing, and it all started out with David. He’s the mastermind of all of this.”
Indeed, the antics and comedic wit of David’s ‘Mr Brown’ character has caused millions to break out in fits of laughter, thanks to Tyler Perry’s plays and movies. From babies to boomers, almost no one in the “culture” doesn’t know Cora and Mr. Brown. “We started our first show in 1999,” David recalls.
As for the music, it’s hard to believe, but both Tamela and David confirm that in the beginning of their relationship, David saw her talent and encouraged her to make a record, but Tamela rejected the concept. “I was like, I ain’t doing no record!” she laughs. “I mean, we had a flat-out argument!” It took a lot of convincing for her to finally give in. Today, she’s glad she did. “I know it was a lot of strain on his brain,” she laughs. David describes, “It wasn’t that she didn’t have the talent, she was just fearful of having to do it on her own.”
Both David and Tamela sang with Kirk Franklin and the Family and record-ed on the “Why We Sing” megahit album. “I would tell her, ‘You’re a world class singer! You can be out front,’” David remarked. “I could see that there was more in her than just being a background singer.”
When it comes to David’s insight, his visions are massive. “I’ll be up [at night],” he explained, “and just have brainstorms about different stuff.
Both Manns are amazingly multi-talented, but beyond all the successes in music, acting, touring and business, they confirm that their marriage is their number one job. “People ask us how we balance all of the things we do,” Tamela shares, “and I tell them, ‘When you think about balancing something, you think about giving everything equal time or equal weight so that nothing will fall, but I can’t do that with our marriage. It has to outweigh everything else that we do.” David chimes in, “God first, then our marriage.”
It’s clear that they’ve discovered several keys to marital harmony that many couples fail to realize. First, there’s power in unity. The fact that they’ve been able to work together in music, theater and on film sets has allowed them to maneuver through various challenges and strengthen their bond.
Both agree that although they may have private disagreements, they don’t allow things to spill over into their professions. David affirms, “You deprive people when you bring your personal stuff on stage.”
David’s leadership as a man of God has been key to his success in marriage and family, but he also sees it as a strength in business. “When we go places we set the atmosphere,” David confirms. “As believers, we set the standard. As a Christian, you have to be a thermostat and not just a thermometer. You have to set the temperature, not just take the temperature. And that’s what we’ve done. We just go into a room and people know what we stand for.”
Tamela agrees. “What’s most important to me is to win people for the kingdom of God. I thank God for everything, but the bottom line is, how many people can we reach for the kingdom of God?”
In 2025, the Manns plan to do another relationship tour. “It’s going to be an “Evening with Tamela and David Mann,” David explains, “and it’ll
be about love, laughter, and music. It’s just going to be us sitting down telling our story.[Tamela’s] going to take us to the King and wherever else she wants to take us.” That’s MANN POWER!