NEW YORK (Columbia Records/ www.mary-mary.com) - The Grammy-winning R&B/gospel duo
Mary Mary has crossed over into Top 10 pop territory as the group's self-titled new album debuts at No 8 on the Billboard Top 200 best-selling album chart.
Mary Mary has also bulleted from No 137 to No 4 on the R&B album sales chart and debuted at No 1 on Billboard's Gospel album sales chart and Contemporary Christian
Music charts.
Released on July 19,
Mary Mary has already achieved the highest chart position on the Top 200 in the group's career. Mary Mary's previous albums -- 2000's Thankful and 2002's Incredible -- peaked at No 59 and No 20, respectively.
With first week's sales of 56,887, according to SoundScan,
Mary Mary has achieved the best sales week of the duo's career and, as it debuts at No 1 on the Billboard Gospel chart, becomes the best-selling Gospel debut of 2005.
"Heaven," the first single from Mary Mary, has been making history and breaking chart records, most notably an unprecedented 9 week run as the No 1 record on Billboard's Gospel
Radio chart, the first and only single to run 8 consecutive weeks or longer at No 1. "
Heaven" was also a No 1 R&R Gospel
Radio Single and hit the No 3 slot on the Billboard Bubbling Under -- Hot R&B Singles chart.
Erica and Tina Campbell are Mary Mary, two real-life sisters who have brought revolutionary R&B, urban and hip-hop elements to the world of contemporary gospel music.
Mary Mary, the duo's new album, features guest artist Kirk Franklin. The album's first single is "Heaven," produced by Warryn Campbell. (Erica's husband, Warryn Campbell helmed the first two
Mary Mary albums, the RIAA gold- and platinum-certified Thankful and the RIAA gold-certified Incredible).
Growing up in Inglewood, California, Erica and Tina first sang publicly in the local church choir and received their first break in 1998 with a song on the "Prince of Egypt" soundtrack.
In 2000, Mary Mary's platinum debut album, Thankful -- featuring the hit "Shackles (Praise You)" -- earned numerous awards including a Grammy for Best Contemporary Gospel Album and three Dove Awards, six
Stellar Awards, a Lady of Soul Award, a Soul
Train Award. Incredible, their second album, became the nation's No 1 Top Christian Album in 2002 and featured the Dove Award-winning hits "
In The Morning" and "Thank You," featuring Kirk Franklin.
