Erica Monique Campbell (née, Atkins; born April 29, 1972) is an American urban contemporary gospel, Christian R&B and contemporary R&B singer and songwriter. She started her music career in 1998 with her younger sister, Tina Campbell, as part of the gospel music group, Mary Mary. Her solo music career began in 2013, and has since released two albums with Entertainment One Music, which both charted on the Billboard magazine charts. She won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album at the 57th edition of the event. Since May 2016, she has been the host of Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell with comedian Griff, that currently airs on Urban Gospel, which is owned by Radio One.
Campbell was born Erica Monique Atkins, on April 29, 1972,[1] in Inglewood, California,[2][3] the daughter of Eddie Aaron Atkins Jr. (1948–2013), originally from Merced, California, a pastor and minister, and Thomasina Andrea "Honey" Atkins (née Daniels), who is originally from Stamford, Connecticut.[4] Her paternal grandparents are Eddie Aaron Atkins, Sr. and Lavada Cruthird, and her maternal grandparents are Tommy and Ruth Daniels.[4] She had two older brothers, Andre Lavelle Atkins, who died at six years old from a combination of Down Syndrome, spinal meningitis, and a hole in his heart, while her other brother is living in Arizona, Darrell Antoine Atkins.[4] She has one older sister, Maliea Dionne Atkins, and five younger sisters, Trecina Evette "Tina" Atkins, Delisa Marie "Lisa" or "Wittle Wees" Atkins, Thomasina Andrea "Goo Goo" Atkins, Alana Ellesse "Lainz" or "Luv Luv" Atkins, and Shanta Nena Lavea Atkin
Her music career started in 1998, with her younger sister, Tina Campbell, who formed half of the gospel music duo, Mary Mary.[3] As part of Mary Mary, Campbell earned numerous Stellar Music and Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, two American Music Awards, a Soul Train Award and a BET Award. In 2008, Campbell recorded a solo track called "Stand" for the soundtrack to the independent film A Good Man Is Hard to Find. In 2011, Mary Mary received the ASCAP Golden Note Award for their extraordinary songwriting. Erica commenced her solo music recording career in 2013, by recording her first studio album, Help, that released on March 25, 2014, with Entertainment One Music. This album was her breakthrough release upon the Billboard magazine charts, while it charted on The Billboard 200, Top Gospel Albums, and Independent Albums charts, where it peaked at Nos. 6, 1, and 2, correspondingly.[5] Campbell won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album at the 57th edition of the event. The subsequent studio album, Help 2.0, was released on March 31, 2015, from Entertainment One Music.[6] This album charted on the same charts, but at Nos. 120, 1, and 12, respectively