By Janice Malone
NASHVILLE, TN -— David and Tamela Mann are one of entertainment’s most beloved married power couples. The multi-talented, award-winning husband and wife dynamic duo has proven to their millions of fans that they can handle it all, having found success in film, television, and music.
They recently wrapped up their national ‘Mann’s World Family Tour’ along with starring in their own hit TV series. From starring in the No. 1 TV and film franchise, Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns together, to their current television hits, ‘The Manns’ (TV One) and ‘Mann & Wife’ (Bounce TV). Tamela and David continue to make audiences laugh with their wholesome brand of comedy.
David and Tamela have been married for 20-plus years and say their secret to such an enduring marriage is really quite simple. “We really like each other,” says David while looking at his wife very adoringly. “And we’re in love. We enjoy each other’s company,” adds Tamela.
The Manns were in town for a performance recently, and they shared with the Tribune one of their many holiday gift-giving memories from the last two decades and then some of since they’ve been husband and wife.
Tamela: “I’m just really grateful that whatever I kind of ask for, David kind of makes happen. It’s really been a blessing. But we just learned to try to outdo the other person, when it comes to doing for each other. So, all the gifts, to me, are important. I had to learn that at first because there were a couple gifts that he got me that I wasn’t too excited enough for.”
TRIBUNE: Such as?
Tamela: “He once got me this perfume. I won’t say the name, but I wasn’t really into it like that.”
David: “It was like a big–name designer perfume too.”
Tamela: “Yeah, and he was really excited so when I opened it, I was like – uhhhh.”
David: “But you have to understand why. Because I do a lot of picking of gifts, so I went out and I got this gift. I got each little individual piece. I was thinking, ‘Wow, she’s going to be really blown away by this,’ But when she opened it, she said, ‘Who is this?’ I said, ‘You don’t know? I was devastated.’
Tamela: “But I wasn’t into like fashion and stuff back then. I’m a little bit more now than I was then. I really know who the designer is now.”
TRIBUNE: Was the perfume stinky or something?
Tamela: “No, it wasn’t that it was stinking. I just didn’t know who the designer was – you know. All perfume doesn’t fit everyone’s skin.”
David: “She ended up giving it to my mom.”
Tamela: “It was a big perfume gift set too– a really big set. But it all worked out because his mom was very happy with it.”
