CeCe Winans
CeCe Winans Bio
It’s virtually impossible to talk about CeCe Winans without
acknowledging her artistic influence on an entire musical genre
and the groundbreaking achievements she’s accomplished
over the past two decades. Blessed with one of the music industry’s
greatest voices, CeCe has crossed all stylistic, social and
age barriers with her inspirational delivery and powerful music.
CeCe’s personality, inviting warmth and genuine love
for God transcends her music and has earned her millions of
loyal fans around the world. Her industry accolades, nearly
too numerous to count, include five Grammy Awards, 18 Gospel
Music Association Dove Awards and several gold and platinum-selling
albums. CeCe’s collection of Top Ten R&B radio hits
include “Count on Me,” her powerhouse duet with
Whitney Houston, from the multi-platinum Waiting to Exhale
soundtrack. The multi-format smash single sold 2 million copies
and hit the Top Ten on pop, R&B and adult contemporary
charts. Her successful music career has also landed her in
the national media spotlight with television appearances on
“Oprah,” “The Tonight Show,” “The
Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “Live with Regis &
Kathie Lee”, the White House and many more.
Following the release of her critically-acclaimed, gold certified,
Grammy-winning 2001 album, self-titled CeCe Winans, CeCe wowed
packed out venues across the nation, visiting major markets
on a co-billed tour with gospel great Donnie McClurkin, followed
later by the crowd-pleasing Winans Family Tour with her celebrated
musical family. CeCe donned her acting hat in 2002 for special
guest-starring roles on The WB Network’s “7th Heaven”
and PAX Television’s “Doc,” continuing to explore
new territory in her expanding career.
“It’s always a lot of fun when I get to experiment
in different arenas,” CeCe admits. “These were great
experiences and gave me the opportunity to meet some incredible
people. It’s always humbling to see when doors begin
to open and allow you to reach an even broader audience than
before.”
And those opportunities continue to grow with the release
of CeCe’s brand new CD, Throne Room, her first in a new
recording agreement that brings together INO Records and CeCe’s
own Wellspring Gospel label with mainstream giant Epic Records,
a division of Sony Music (she’s already working on her
second project, a pop record, due out in the spring of 2004).
Throne Room is a project decidedly personal, encompassing
a collection of worship songs CeCe was deeply passionate about
recording.
“Worship is probably my favorite kind of music,”
CeCe explains. “For some time, I’ve really felt
like God was telling me to record a very special project that
would encourage people to worship. As I was completing the
new record deal with Epic, I told them, ‘I’ve got
to do this worship album before I can do anything else.’
It may make no natural sense to do this record right now in
my career, but for the past two years I have had confirmation
after confirmation that this is absolutely the right time.
I know it’s all in God’s timing, and it’s what
He wants me to do right now. If you are a worshipper this
project will take you there, and if you’re not it will
certainly give you peace.”
Produced by Victor and Cedric Caldwell (Whitney Houston),
Throne Room offers listeners a full-length CD packed with
some of the most captivating and spiritually stirring music
of CeCe’s career. From simple, piano-based melodies,
lush strings and accompanying sounds of CeCe’s home church
choir, the 16 songs cover a range of musical timbres. At the
same time, the simple, poignant words paint a powerful picture
and communicate a message that is paramount to everything
else.
“This album is really transparent,” CeCe admits.
“I have changed because of it, and I just want to give
people what I know. The times we’re living in are tough,
and we’ve got to learn how to worship because that will
be our refuge. If we will learn to worship, then we’ll
be okay. Worship is not about us – it’s not about
our circumstances or about what we need. It’s just about
worshipping God for who he is. Period. When we learn how to
do that, then we’ll create that atmosphere in which God
can work in our lives.”
While CeCe wrote or co-wrote almost every song on the project,
Throne Room brought her together with her close friend, gospel
legend Andraé Crouch, for the album’s title cut.
“God has given Andraé songs like water running
out of a faucet,” says CeCe. “When I sat with him
at the piano as he began playing the music to ‘Throne
Room,’ I just began to cry. I knew it was a song I had
to work on with him, so I brought it back home with me and
finished it. It expressed precisely what I wanted to say on
this album, and it became the title song.”
Another emotionally-charged moment on the album is the Greg
Long-penned “Mercy Said No,” a song CeCe says immediately
took her back to the miraculous battle for her brother Ronald’s
life as he lay on the operating table undergoing heart surgery
a few years ago. “We were in that hospital desperately
praying for him to come back,” CeCe recalls. “And
this song says, ‘Life and death stood face to face, and
God said no.’ It’s an incredible song – something
everybody needs to hear.”
Whether it’s through the quiet, intimate brush strokes
of the worship melodies, or the powerfully delivered inspirational
lyrics, CeCe has once again crafted a project that demonstrates
the spiritual maturity and growth of an artist who has consistently
triumphed as a multi-talented songwriter and performer. She
is an ambassador to those who have been touched by her life
and her music, while allowing her faith to remain at the forefront
of everything she does.
“I’ve got to be who I am,” CeCe declares.
“I can’t change who I am. I can’t worship any
differently. I have to stay true to myself. I have a love
for God – that’s why I keep doing what I’m
doing. If it were just about the music, I would have quit
a long time ago. It’s got to be about more than that.
I thank God for my voice, but I recognize that I can’t
do any of this without him. Without him, I would be just another
voice singing just another song. I’m just grateful that
he’s able to use me.” Courtesy of Wellspring/INO
Records
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