Erica Campbell on Hair & Fashion (Part 5 of 5)
In this informal Sister Circle interview, host Chrystal Hurst chats with gospel artist and pastor Erica Campbell (joined by co‑host Priscilla Shirer) about a wide range of personal and professional topics. The conversation opens with Erica’s long‑standing love of hair, her experience working in a salon, and the development of her own wig line, including the naming of wigs like “Blue Baby.” They discuss the challenges of shopping as a curvy woman, the frustration of trying on clothes in stores, and the discovery of the subscription service Stitch Fix as a convenient alternative. The dialogue shifts to body confidence, humorously covering Erica’s feelings about her legs, calves, and toes, and how she builds self‑esteem. Erica then shares career updates: new Mary Mary music, an upcoming solo single “Farewell,” Grammy aspirations, her morning radio show “Get Up Mornings,” and her role as a pastor alongside her husband in a growing California church. Throughout, she emphasizes faith‑driven decision‑making, the “doors God opens,” and the importance of shepherding a congregation beyond performance. The episode closes with reflections on sisterhood, the purpose of the Sister Circle show, and gratitude for sharing personal stories that encourage listeners.
Chapters
Let's talk about some fun things. Okay. Okay. So I happen to know that you have a thing with hair. In fact, you know, all of my little things are coming from social media because you had this one post where you had a wig on a Styrofoam head.
Did you see this?
You were like, and you were doing shows with the wig. Like you were saying, is this a performance level wig? And you just went through the whole situation. So you have a hairline. Okay. So We went from you can't wear lipstick and you can't wear pants to I got nail polish and hair and lashes.
Do your wigs have names?
Yes, your wigs have names. Do you name the wigs?
Some of them. There's Blue Baby, because I have a blue one.
You don't have wigs named.
And it's peachy. See, you know, this peachy and then— yeah, some of them have names and some of them don't.
So do you— have you always naturally enjoyed the whole dress-up glam? Always.
Always.
Yeah, I did my little sister's hair. I started pressing my sister's hair when I was like 12 and she was like 7. So yeah, I was always into hair and then I went to hair school and I actually worked in a salon and I had clients. And so by the time I became, you know, an artist, I could take care of my own glam needs. I didn't have to go to a shop. That is a cost. And Tina went to makeup school, so we just kind of swap doing things. And, you know, once every now and again my sisters will go, "Can you cut my hair?" I'll go, "You know, I sing for a living now." I don't do hair anymore.
There she goes with that sweet thing.
Can you color my hair? Yeah, I've won a few awards and I travel for a living. Grammy. Grammy, Grammy, Grammy. Just bleach my hair. That's great. So yeah, but I do enjoy hair, so I have a wig line, Erica by Erica Campbell. I want to wear a wig so bad.
No hair will fit up under that.
It won't, and that's my problem.
Your heart really would love to get it. Mine will. I need performance-ready hair.
Performance-ready. You have to be able to— that's—
you got it!
I feel it!
Oh, something's happening!
We're losing her and Tina Turner!
I think we're having way much more fun than this should be now.
I've been waiting for the two of y'all to sit down and have a good conversation. This is like that.
I feel like my hair is all messed up now. So this is what she told me. We were watching Mary Mary on the phone and she said You're Tina, I'm Erica. I said, I don't know what you mean by that.
There's something about Tina, not all the way that's Chrystal, but there's something that's real, this is like earthy about Tina. She's just very like, this is what it is.
Matter of fact.
Yes, and it's you.
Take it or leave it.
It's something about her, it's you. Not her whole personality.
I mean, that's not a bad thing. I was just trying to figure out why you said that. I don't know.
I don't know why either. I just was like, oh. I don't know why either. All I knew was I've been waiting for the two of y'all to sit down because I knew we would just have a ball. I was like, we have to go have lunch.
Wait a minute. Tina started talking about you one time and I was like, that's totally not your friend. She's my friend. We're very friend territory.
We have a couple of friends like that. If they're at her house, I'll be like, oh really? How long she been over there?
Right.
Y'all just talk like that.
Oh really?
Right.
One of our friends, Shandria, I think at one point y'all were talking every day and she happened to let that slip. She said, you know, every morning when I talk to Priscilla, I said, oh really?
You talk to her every morning?
I introduced y'all. Right, right, right.
That's so cool though. That's love going around in sisterhood.
Besides sleep, what is your favorite thing to do?
Because listen, I'm always trying to figure out when is it on the schedule. I love to laugh. I love hanging out with friends. I like to read when the book is easy to read. I can't do like those challenging books to read.
Too much brain capacity required.
I think I prefer you guys' books because—
Wait a minute, I think she just scored on our books.
No, she was not saying that it wasn't challenging, she was saying that it was actually enjoyable.
It makes sense, it's enjoyable, it connects, it's good to get over. I do a lot of underlining and folding the page back.
What she said is it ministers to her in a way.
You're such a student, you really are. You are always reading books, always. But you're wanting to learn. That's what I mean. You're always absorbing and trying to gain knowledge. I really love that.
Even though the enemy will beat you up and tell you, you're not that smart. You're just saying.
I am smart.
Merci.
Hey, fashion tips.
Fashion tips.
As a curvy girl, it is not easy. I hate shopping. She will tell you. Really? Hate it. She helps me out. I like to shop.
I hate trying on clothes.
And so what'd you say?
I like to shop, but I hate trying on clothes.
Okay, so then how do you shop? Goo goo. Well, no, no, no.
I return a lot of stuff.
You return?
I do that too.
It's so terrible.
No, it's not. It is if you just try it on in the store. What's the difference between trying it on at home and trying it on in the store?
Something in our brains tells us it's different.
It is different.
But it's not.
It is different.
Because now you have to go back and make sure you have the receipt, and sometimes you get a refund, sometimes you get store credit.
I used up all of my stress juice shopping. I don't have any left to do it because I'm going to put it on and it's going to fit except for here. I'm going to put it on and it's going to show that I grow this way and this way in the mirror. I don't need to do that in the store. I don't need to have that moment in the store.
You feel more comfortable at home.
Okay, I get that.
That makes sense.
So she's discovered Stitch Fix though.
What is that? And they make Ws now. They make Ws. So 14, I'm a 14, right now, but they make, it's wide, so it gives you extra room for curves. Like they used to not have it.
So you can get all your likes and dislikes, $20 a month, whatever, and it comes to your box.
It comes to my door, I can try it on, if I don't want it, I send it back, or I can keep whatever I like or not.
Stitch Fix?
Stitch Fix, they're out of California.
She's actually found some really great stuff that they've sent down to Georgia.
This is Stitch Fix.
That's cute.
That's cute.
Blowing you.
Forgiving.
Absolutely. Hello.
I know all about it. Yes. I don't have her arms.
I don't do push-ups.
I'm gonna do push-ups in the driveway, somebody's driveway.
Okay, I want to talk about thighs before we close because it's an important thing.
Did you say thighs? Thighs.
As in chicken thighs, you know, wings, breasts, thighs.
Yes.
Because I want you to know that we've been talking for about an hour.
Okay.
And my thighs are screaming right now. Why? Because this is an exercise in keeping them closed. The way I want to sit without thinking about it. I want to talk to you like this. That's how I want to talk to you. But I can't. So I have been keeping them closed the whole time.
What about a nice cross?
My legs won't do that. My calves are too big.
I know.
I don't like my calves.
See, look, I'm gonna need—
I can't do it.
Just slide off.
I think my upper leg is too short. And then it just doesn't—
It doesn't cross well.
I gotta put flip-flops on. What is it without the knees? I don't know. I like my knees. I like my calves. They just don't work to cross.
Tina has great legs.
She does have good legs.
And you know, I prayed and I said, Lord, I promise if you give me good legs, I won't wear shorts to church.
I think you do have good legs.
I'll tell you what you have.
Pull up your skirt.
Let me see. I'm sorry. Can I tell you what you have?
It just got real.
You do have great toes. Do I?
You do have great toes.
I do like my toes.
I'm glad you like your toes. She has a toe fetish.
Really?
She does. Like, toes are her thing. And so I spent most of my childhood— I still kind of hate my toes.
No, you have good toes.
They are itchy.
Because she has talked about them so badly for my growing up.
She's just been like, my sister's doing that.
Yes. You look a mess. And so still to this day, I'm a little—
So one of me and Warren and Tina's first interactions, Tina was talking about my toes and she was like, that second one is too long. It's longer than the other toe. And then you have two corns on the one on the right. And so Warren was like, She don't even know me like that.
Why would she tear up her sister's toes in front of me?
She knows I like her. It's just part of it.
He's so into it. Like he'll like—
Warren likes toes too.
Yes, he likes toes.
You have good feet then. You have good feet. You do. You have good feet. I know this.
And good hands.
Yeah, you do. I have man hands.
No, you do not.
All my sisters have like beautiful, like they should do ads.
I think your hands are very big.
No, who's lying to you? Because I have my dad's hands.
Girl, those are good hands.
And so that's what my sisters always said.
Toes, you know, one is not crawling off the edge.
I'm getting high self-esteem.
Yes, praise God for your toes.
Praise God for your toes. You look good.
We are so grateful that you spent time with us, but I know you've got so many things going on, and I want to make sure people know where they can find you, what you're doing, songs that you have out on TV, on the radio. Tell everybody where they can find you.
Okay, take notes. Okay, so I'm still in Mary Mary, and there's a song coming. It's called Farewell, and then I have a solo song coming.
Because people were grieving. Yeah, they were holding on to it. We love y'all individually, but it is a thing.
And my mom really put the— she put the hammer down. This is foolishness. I mean, you guys are good by yourselves, but together—
Yeah, did she?
Mommy, did she just crush my solo dreams? I want a Grammy for my solo record.
Yes, she did. I want a Grammy for my solo.
Yeah, so there's a Mary Mary song coming. There's an Erica Campbell song coming.
You not doing a solo career.
Listen, Tina's putting out a record. I have my radio show, Get Up Mornings, which I love doing.
You do love it?
I do. It's so early in the morning. I was out of town, and so I had a few co-hosts like Marvin Sapp and a few people, and they kept going, how do you wake up this early all the time? But I don't know, I just do.
I really do.
I love that kind of stuff. I was nothing for her.
She didn't even ask. We live here in Dallas, where are they going to get something? That's okay, that's okay.
Listen, my next—
I did, I did.
I was like, that's kind of, you can't ask them that, they up here.
Yeah, it's good. And you, I know we're so off task, you're supposed to be going down your list.
I am.
But you interviewed, I want to say, this might have been the interview with Vicki Yogi, but there's something else I'm thinking too that I can't get to. She was just in a firestorm. People were beating her up. Girl, you kept everybody centered on the word of God. It was very clear you had pre-thought through scriptures to make sure everybody thought through the lens of grace and forgiveness. Girl, I was like, go Erica, lead us to Jesus.
I just don't believe in bashing people. People make mistakes.
But you asked hard questions.
You did.
I thought you were masterful. I'm so grateful for that. Thank you. You did a great job for us.
Thank you. I'm loving this space that I'm in. It is a busy space, but I know that God has given me the grace to do it. I used to say for years, "Whatever door God will open for me, I'll walk through it." I mean, I said that in interview after interview because people would ask, "What's coming next?" and there really wasn't nothing next, so I had to come with like a nice deep response. Whatever door God opens, I'll walk through. But now—
But you mean that.
I meant it. And he started opening doors. He started really, you know, putting me in the presence of these great people. And I just feel so humbled and honored to do what I do. So whether it's being a first lady—
there, there, that was the part I was getting to.
In all of this, she is—
she and her husband are pastoring a thriving, growing church in—
it's an adjustment.
California.
She's like, I love it. Oh my gosh, it's a lot though.
It's a lot.
It's a lot because you're shepherding people. You're not just going in and singing and leaving.
You gotta live with them. Yeah, and then like, you know, you give people tools and they don't use them and then they ask you again. I go, mm-hmm, didn't I talk about this before, right?
We had a conversation last week.
Yeah, so that's interesting, you know.
But I don't understand. In the door, Jesus. Oh, we're still going over that?
Okay, alright. So I'm like, Lord, don't, I don't, you know, just because I've grown to a certain level, I don't want to beat up people with my faith. I want to be sensitive to where they are. That's one of the doors.
It's a door. It is a door. You said any door that he opened.
Any door.
So he said this one, door number 3.
Thank you, Jesus. But at first I was like, we had a conversation. I said, a producer who loves Jesus, not a preacher or a pastor. So when my husband started going to seminary school, I'm going to hang out with Bishop Omer and we're going to go to King's in London.
I was like, for what?
What are we going to church? So he started studying with some of his other preacher friends. I was like, "But where are your producer friends?
What is this?" Yeah, you're supposed to be making music.
And the Bible study started and church started. But honestly, I enjoy it. I really, really do. They cover us, they love us. We have some great volunteers who are so invested. We were out of the country and when I say the service was amazing, and it gave us such a great level of peace and comfort knowing that this is a real church body that doesn't just cling to me anymore.
Good. And you know, you look kind of first lady-ish. Do I? You have that first lady thing on you. Oh God.
I have been told that.
You do. You kind of have a first lady thing on you. You do. You watched your gorgeous mother. You said, how do I get it off?
How do I get it off?
Shut up. Shut up.
No, I'm just kidding.
Shut up.
Shut up.
Oh God. You are such a treat in so many different ways, in so many different ways, and I'm grateful that you you had an opportunity to share with me and my co-host sister Priscilla Shire. You did a good job. You did a great job.
I appreciate it.
You guys are the best.
Well, because I'm excited about all that God's doing in your life. I'm excited about your book. I'm excited about He's Still There.
Please.
Oh my God, you want to read this.
Yeah.
I'll just underline it.
Receive it. She's still there. She's choked up.
She got shame.
Too much.
No, man, this is so, so good.
Do you see how that matches y'all's outfits?
Look right there in the middle.
Look, we've been twinsies all day.
Come on, come on.
Oh, I'm so happy for you.
Yeah, it's so good, Chrissy.
It's a lot of work, but you know about a lot of work.
Yes.
We put what God puts in our heart out there.
Yes.
We pray that God does what he wants to do to bless people the way he wants to bless them. Absolutely. And we do it in different ways, and then we just, we just just leave it to him.
So that's great.
Thank you for all the things that you have left to him because you are being a huge blessing in so many different ways. But ultimately we know it's because you have made yourself available. Yeah, that's what the Sister Circle Show is all about. Women who don't mind saying, hey, this is me, this is God in me, and if I can share a little bit of my life with you, then so be it if it helps. So I appreciate you being able to do that. My complete pleasure and honor.
