Gospel duo Mary Mary’s Erica Campbell has taken her talents to radio.
Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell debuted on radio stations across the U.S. last week. The four-hour syndicated show, airing weekdays 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, is a fresh spin on gospel and inspiration music with a mix of comedy from her co-host GRIFF.
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“I’m super excited about this new opportunity to speak to the world, to inspire church folks and non-church folks [who] want a little gospel in the morning [and] ready to respect the old but introduce the new with class and care,” Campbell told several journalists on a conference call Friday morning.
The multi-GRAMMY winner spent almost 15 years in the gospel group, Mary Mary, with her sister Tina Atkins-Campbell. She decided to pursue a solo career in 2014, releasing her first album Help, which won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album.
The sisters still have their reality TV show, Mary Mary, which began airing on WE TV in 2012. It’s currently in its fifth season.
“Where God wants me to be, I will go,” Campbell said, speaking about her career.
GRIFF is no stranger to morning radio himself. He’s done radio for about 10 years and comedy for about 21 years.
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“I think a lot of the Bible is very funny. I think church people are funny. I think people who don’t go to church are funny,” GRIFF said. “I have a very weird perspective about life. It’s fun to me.”
During the conference call, Campbell addressed the rumor that she replaced gospel singer Yolanda Adams on the radio show.
After nearly a decade on the air, “The Yolanda Adams Morning Show” was cancelled last month. When it was announced that Campbell was getting a new radio show, many people assumed that Campbell had taken Adams’s spot.
Campbell said that is far from the truth. Reach Media is the company behind both shows.
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“[Adams] said transitioned so I will go with that word. She transitioned and now I’m here with the new show,” Campbell explained. “They didn’t just take her name of and put my name on. It’s a different a name. It’s a different show. It’s a different vibe. It’s something new and I’m really excited about that. I pray that I have her blessing.”
Meanwhile, Campbell’s show will play old and new styles of gospel. She is doing this, she said, out of the respect she has for grandmothers, mothers and the kids who all come to her concerts and dance to her music.
“I think there is a way to respect the old and still embrace the new as long as you let the mature fans know we haven’t forgotten about you,” Campbell said. “We won’t just disrespect you. We understand that we have a lot to learn from you.”
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