Previous Artist Features

2002 Dove Awards!

ARTIST FEATURE - CeCe Winans

CeCe Winans, one of the most celebrated singers in contemporary music has the loyalty of her fans, the respect of her peers… and an armload of gold and platinum records, awards, honors and chart-topping hits to prove it. Now with her deepest, most diverse collection of music to date, CeCe sets out to extend the reach of her music and her message, offering an irresistible invitation in the form of CeCe Winans, her second release on Wellspring Gospel and follow-up to '99's gold-certified Alabaster Box-which brought CeCe her sixteenth Grammy nomination (four wins), and her sixteenth Dove Award for the title track.

CeCe is very clear about the direction of her self-titled album: "I just knew this album would be totally different than Alabaster Box. With this album, we wanted to reach the world. I want people to feel encouragement and passion from this record," she enthuses.

CeCe Winans' carefully chosen 13 genre-spanning tracks-six written by CeCe herself-are infused with an atmosphere of spunk and fire that comes through not only in the music but also in CeCe's delivery, attitude and fresh new look. Songs encompass pop, R&B, urban, contemporary Christian, Gospel and inspirational and include both dance and romance, captivating rhythms and lush strings, lyrical depth and melodic richness.

Created with an arrow straight to the heart, songs such as "Anybody Wanna Pray," "Say A Prayer," "More Than What I Wanted," and "Looking Back At You," are power-packed and perfectly display CeCe's vocal insight and interpretive range.

Producers on the album include Tommy Sims (The Neville Brothers, Newsboys, Michael Bolton, Taylor Dane) and Brown Bannister (Avalon, Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith).

Sims not only produced five tracks, but contributed "More Than What I Wanted," a certain AC hit and the ultimate love song, and co-wrote three songs with CeCe. He previously worked with CeCe on '98's Everlasting Love and she has nothing but praise for his talent. "He's always given me great, rich music. What a deep writer." Among other inspired writers on CeCe Winans are Cedric and Victor Caldwell, Margaret Bell, Wendy Waldman, Adrian Gervitz and Babby Mason.

Although CeCe Winans is her most expansive and inclusive album to date, CeCe and her music have always had a broad reach. Born the eighth of ten children in what is literally a musical dynasty- headed up by Mom & Pop Winans and including, among her siblings, famed gospel quartet The Winans (brothers Marvin, Carvin, Ronald and Michael)-CeCe began eight years of recording as a duo with her brother BeBe in '85 with their platinum Lord Lift Us Up and its hit title-track released on PTL.

Their self-titled major label debut on Capitol in '87 initiated a series of five albums (including Heaven, Different Lifestyles, First Christmas and Relationships) and a string of R&B, pop, gospel and contemporary Christian hits. Topping Christian radio charts were "For Always," "Don't Cry For Me," and "Count It All Joy," with the first two garnering CeCe Grammys for Best Soul Gospel, Female in '87 and '89 respectively. 1991's Different Lifestyles not only went platinum, but also garnered the duo Grammy, Dove and Image Awards and two No. 1 hit singles: "I'll Take You There," and "Addictive Love," (the former selling gold and the latter platinum).

In '95, BeBe and CeCe each decided to move into solo territory. CeCe's first venture Alone In His Presence captured yet another Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. That same year, she and close friend Whitney Houston topped charts with the hit single and Grammy- nominated "Count On Me," a duet from the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack, produced by Kenneth Babyface Edmonds. Three more solo albums followed: the Christmas CD, His Gift; Everlasting Love; and '99's award winning Alabaster Box. Her accumulated award count for a decade-and-a-half of recording totals four Grammys, ten Doves, five Stellar Awards, three Image Awards, two Motor City Music Awards and one Soul Train Music award.

If all of these musical triumphs were not enough, CeCe has hosted her own variety series, CeCe's Place; penned an inspirational memoir entitled On A Positive Note for Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books division; and she has created a non-profit organization, Sharing The Vision, which not only serves the community, but also provides support to other non-profits. Currently, she is a spokesman for K-Mart and Black History Month. In 2000, she was a featured performer at World Youth Day at The Vatican, where she had an audience with the current pope, His Holiness John Paul, II. CeCe is also actively involved in the Initiative Teen organization, which focuses on teen suicide prevention. She is in the midst of screening material and artists for her personally owned and operated Wellspring Entertainment, with the hope of producing a touring musical play and signing a new artist by the beginning of 2002. Add to that her responsibilities as a wife and mother, which she takes extremely seriously, a committed relationship with her local church (Born Again, in Nashville), plus ongoing touring and ministry, and her radiant new release CeCe Winans becomes even more remarkable.

The album opens with the fervent "Heavenly Father." Next, brimming with infectious rhythms, "Anybody Wanna Pray" features The Grits on an energetic Spirit-driven rap. "I was able to work with Tommy Sims on this particular song and I asked him to just do what he felt. Tommy went in and, boy, when I heard those backgrounds and how he had rearranged it, I loved it."

CeCe Winans celebrates the divine romance on intensely relational songs: "More Than Just A Friend," with layered harmonies, dynamic horn arrangements and tasty background vocals; the emotionally lavish "More Than What I Wanted"; and "Looking Back At You." She discloses, "When we finished 'Looking Back At You' I was so pleased. One of the co-writers had a little studio next door and he said 'Let's just go in and lay it down really quickly.' I went in the sound booth and as I was singing, I looked out and they were crying…the guys were crying, and I was like, 'Oh my goodness.'"

"Out My House" takes spiritual warfare to a new level with churban flavor. CeCe recalls "I told Tommy, 'You have to produce this with an attitude!' When he actually came up with the music, I was like 'wait a minute, now this is scaring me. Maybe it's too much.' And then I listened again; I said 'no, this is exactly the way I need it to sound.' I love 'Out My House' and I love the message. I want people to get it and hopefully that will change their lives."

Two other songs with messages close to CeCe's heart are "It's Gonna Get Better," and a cover of The Winans' "Let's Bring Back the Days of Yea & Nay." The former she says was "definitely written for a teen suicide prevention program," while the latter, an impassioned duet with Marvin (who wrote the song) "talks about parents having a responsibility, once again, of being the parent and training the children. Our children are longing for that."

CeCe crystallizes her purpose in music and in life with her compelling new release CeCe Winans, a bright and beautiful reflection of the artist, created with a very clear end in mind: to reach the world with both "passion and encouragement." No one can accuse CeCe of thinking too small. But with her history and God's help, why should she?

 

For more information, go to:
Sparrow Records

Check out the Editor's Top 10 Albums of 2001 here!