Cece Winans

CeCe Winans, born Priscilla Marie Winans, is an American gospel singer, songwriter, author and worship leader whose career has helped shape contemporary gospel music for more than four decades. Born on October 8, 1964, in Detroit, Michigan, she comes from the celebrated Winans family, one of the most influential families in gospel music. Her music combines traditional gospel with contemporary Christian music, R&B, pop and worship, while her powerful and expressive voice has made her one of the most recognisable singers in Christian music.

Winans first became widely known as one half of the brother-sister duo BeBe & CeCe Winans, alongside her brother Benjamin “BeBe” Winans. The pair helped bring gospel music to a broader mainstream audience during the 1980s and 1990s before CeCe began a successful solo career in 1995. Since then, she has become one of the most awarded artists in gospel music, with 18 Grammy Awards according to the Recording Academy. Her catalogue includes influential songs such as “Alabaster Box”, “Believe For It”, “Never Lost”, “Goodness of God” and “That’s My King”.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Musical Family

CeCe Winans was born into a large musical family in Detroit, Michigan. She is the eighth of ten children of Delores and David Winans, a family whose influence would become deeply connected to the history of modern gospel music. Several members of the Winans family went on to become professional musicians, making music a natural part of CeCe’s upbringing.

Her early exposure to church and gospel music gave her a strong musical foundation. She developed her voice within a Christian environment while growing up around siblings who were also becoming accomplished musicians. This combination of family, church and professional musical influences eventually led her to perform alongside her younger brother BeBe.

The partnership between CeCe and BeBe became the starting point for her professional recording career and introduced her to audiences well beyond the traditional gospel market.

BeBe & CeCe Winans

CeCe’s first major success came as part of BeBe & CeCe Winans. The siblings became one of the most successful brother-sister acts in gospel music, helping establish a crossover sound that incorporated contemporary R&B and pop influences without abandoning their Christian message. Their work played an important role in bringing gospel music to listeners who may not have traditionally followed the genre.

The duo’s music produced a number of successful recordings and earned major industry recognition. Their ability to combine polished contemporary production with gospel themes helped make them important figures during a period when Christian music was increasingly crossing into the mainstream.

One of their most visible crossover moments came through the song “Count on Me”, CeCe’s collaboration with Whitney Houston for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. The song became a major commercial success, reaching the Top 10 on several American charts and further demonstrating Winans’ ability to move between gospel and mainstream music.

Her work with BeBe also established the musical foundation for the solo career that followed.

Solo Career and Breakthrough

CeCe Winans began her solo career in 1995 with the release of Alone in His Presence. The album marked an important transition from her work as part of a duo to becoming a leading solo voice in gospel music. It also earned her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

Her solo work allowed her to explore a broader range of musical ideas while maintaining the spiritual focus that had defined her earlier career. Albums such as Everlasting Love, Throne Room, Alabaster Box and Purified helped establish a catalogue that crossed traditional gospel, contemporary Christian music and R&B.

Songs from this period, including “Well Alright”, “Slippin'”, “Alabaster Box” and “Throne Room”, became important parts of her repertoire. Her ability to deliver intimate worship songs alongside more contemporary recordings helped her maintain a wide audience across different generations of Christian music listeners. The Recording Academy notes that her solo career began with Alone in His Presence and that Everlasting Love produced the Billboard-charting singles “Well Alright” and “Slippin’.”

Musical Style and Influences

Winans’ music has always existed at the meeting point of gospel and contemporary popular music. Her vocal style is rooted in the church, but her recordings have incorporated elements of R&B, soul, pop and contemporary worship.

Rather than treating gospel and mainstream music as completely separate worlds, she has frequently allowed them to influence one another. This approach was already evident during her years with BeBe and became even more pronounced throughout her solo career.

Her voice is one of the defining features of her music. She is known for a combination of vocal power, clarity and emotional restraint, allowing her to move from intimate worship performances to technically demanding gospel arrangements. Her long career has also made her an influence on younger generations of gospel and Christian vocalists.

Notable Songs and Albums

Across her solo catalogue, several releases have become particularly associated with Winans’ career. Alone in His Presence introduced her as a solo artist, while later projects including Everlasting Love, Throne Room, Alabaster Box, Purified and Let Them Fall in Love expanded her reputation.

Her more recent work has introduced her music to a new generation of worship listeners. The 2021 live album Believe For It became one of the defining releases of her later career, featuring songs such as “Believe For It” and “Never Lost”. The album won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2022, while “Never Lost” also won Best Gospel Performance/Song.

In 2024, she released More Than This, another live-focused project that continued her emphasis on worship and contemporary gospel. The album won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album, while its song “That’s My King” won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

Her catalogue also includes collaborations with artists from outside traditional gospel. Her work with Whitney Houston remains one of the clearest examples of her crossover appeal, while her more recent recordings have connected her with contemporary Christian and worship artists.

Awards and Recognition

CeCe Winans has received an extraordinary number of honours during her career. The Recording Academy currently lists her with 18 Grammy wins and 35 nominations, making her one of the most decorated artists in Grammy history within gospel and contemporary Christian music. Her Grammy achievements span several decades, beginning with her first win in 1987.

Her recent Grammy success has been particularly notable. Believe For It won Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2022, while “Never Lost” won Best Gospel Performance/Song. In 2025, More Than This won Best Gospel Album and “That’s My King” won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

Her official website also lists numerous Dove and Stellar Awards among her career honours. Beyond music awards, she has received recognition for her broader contribution to music and culture, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.

Personal Life and Current Career

Winans married Alvin Love II, and together they have built a life that combines family, ministry and music. In 2012, CeCe and her husband founded Nashville Life Church in Nashville, Tennessee. She has also written several books, including On a Positive Note, Throne Room and Always Sisters, the latter co-written with Claire Cloninger.

In recent years, Winans has remained highly active as both a recording artist and worship leader. Her official website lists The Hymns as a recent album, returning to traditional Christian hymns while presenting them through her distinctive vocal and production style. She has also continued performing live and developing projects that connect worship, music and community.

In 2026, she announced the Come Worship! Tour, described as her largest headlining tour to date, while also continuing the Christmas Together performances with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Her ongoing work demonstrates that, decades after her professional debut, she remains an active and influential presence in contemporary gospel and Christian music.

CeCe Winans’ legacy is rooted not only in her remarkable voice and extensive catalogue, but also in the role she has played in expanding the reach of gospel music. From her groundbreaking work with BeBe Winans to her long-running solo career, she has consistently connected church music with contemporary musical culture. Her ability to remain relevant across generations, while keeping faith at the centre of her work, has made her one of the defining figures in modern gospel music.