In a daytime exclusive interview on the Thursday, May 30 edition of “Tamron Hall,” Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell shared insight into her new album coming in September entitled “Testify,” announcing the title for the first time and performing “Pray For Me” for the Tam Fam. The award-winning gospel artist reflected on the rejection she felt growing up and discussed her journey to forgiveness. Campbell also explained her decision to speak publicly about the challenges she’s faced within her marriage including infidelity. More inside…
Tina Campbell on the complicated relationship with her father and her grandmother:
“My father wanted a lot of sons and he just kept on trying and he ended up with seven girls back-to-back. So he wasn’t really happy about that. But my father is like an Old Testament guy, and in the Old Testament, they are big on keeping the family name and sons and all of that, and since he didn’t have sons, he gravitated to the girls that looked like him. And I mean my dad loved all of us, but he was preferential in some respects to those girls, but it made me feel – between him and even my grandmother – it made me feel like I wasn’t special and I always had to work to prove my value.” She added, “My first experience with rejection was with my grandmother. I was trying to prove like I’m a good granddaughter too and she called me ‘bird brain’ ‘cause whatever I was doing, it didn’t work for her and she called me ‘bird brain’ and I said under my breath, ‘I hate her.’ And I think the pain of not feeling received makes you go out and fight. People should just be, not like try to do.” Tina continued, “But while I was in Tahoe recently on vacation, I decided to write down the five people that I felt like had rejected me – I decided to write down everything I felt and then tell them that I understand that you did this because you were a hurt person. You were rejected. You had an agenda that was personal to you, you weren’t trying to hurt me and it’s okay now and I forgive you. And I burned it on a rock right there in Tahoe.”
Tina Campbell on publicly sharing the challenges she’s overcome in her marriage:
“I don’t necessarily suggest that for everybody. I think certain people are called to just be open with their lives and I realize that, you know, I’m a wounded healer, if you will. For me, it’s liberating to get it all [out]. I’m a public figure, whatever I don’t tell the folks are going to find out anyway.”
Tina Campbell announces the title of her highly anticipated new album:
“The new project is called ‘Testify’ and it’s coming in September. I think if you take seven years away from the industry and you go home to reset, to renew, to recharge, to have your faith redefined and to find out what am I doing this for? Because it can become ritualistic and traditional. I’ve been doing this for a couple of decades and so I was like, what’s my why? So I had to go home and find that and figure that out…God speaks to me in music – like when I’m praying, music is just what speaks my language, so when I’m praying music comes to me like crazy. And after I ended up having all of these songs, I told my husband, I think it’s time for me to testify. He said, ‘that’s the title of your new project.’ So ‘Testify’ is coming.”
Tamron in a Victoria Beckham draped printed midi dress, cute!
(Photo Credit: DISNEY/Jeff Neira)
