CECE WINANS

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Priscilla Winans Love was born in Detroit, Michigan to David and Delores ("Mom" and "Pop") Winans. She's the eighth of ten children, and the oldest of three girls.

Around the time that Winans had been accepted to college, the television show "The PTL Club" (now known as "Praise the Lord") took interest in her and her brother Benjamin (BeBe) as potential background vocalists for the show.

They were accepted after going to North Carolina to audition. BeBe and CeCe moved to the PTL campus in North Carolina, and were on the show for about five years. It was during this time that CeCe met her husband, Alvin Love, Jr. who was also from Detroit.

During their time on The PTL Club, BeBe & CeCe recorded Lord Lift Us Up on PTL's label following popular demand on the show. The success yielded another effort, "Feels Like Heaven (With You)". Eventually the success warranted another effort: a full length album.

BeBe and CeCe left PTL to pursue their singing career and recorded four more albums including Heaven, Different Lifestyles, First Christmas, and Relationships. In 1995, BeBe and CeCe split up to pursue solo careers and other interests.

However CeCe Winans' official website indicates that the two will release a reunion album in 2008. BeBe & CeCe performed their classic song "Hold Up The Light" with one of CeCe's former background vocalists, Melinda Doolittle, on the 2007 American Idol finale.

Winans co-hosted the 2008 Stellar Awards alongside Kirk Franklin and Byron Cage in January 2008.

CeCe began her solo career with the Gold certified album Alone in His Presence. It was released in 1995 and earned her a Grammy Award and 2 Dove Awards including the Female Vocalist of the Year, an award she earned again in 1997.

Winans' next release, Everlasting Love was released in 1998. The song "On That Day" from the album was written and produced by R&B singer Lauryn Hill. Later that year, Winans released His Gift a holiday album.

In 1999, Winans started her own recording company, "PureSprings Gospel". Her first album on the label was Alabaster Box in 1999. Some production of the disc was done by Gospel singer and musician, Fred Hammond.

It included a guest appearance by Take 6. In 2000 Cece released a concert VHS titled Live At The Lambs Theater in New York. The concert contained songs from her previous albums. Winans released her next album, the self titled CeCe Winans, in 2001.

The single "Anybody Wanna Pray" included a guest appearance by GRITS. The second single, "Say A Prayer" crossed over into the CCM market.

CeCe Winans took a two year break from releasing albums and returned in 2003 with Throne Room. The first 1,000 copies were issued with a bonus CD that contained exclusive interviews with the artist, the making of the CD, some touring footage, and the music video "More Than What I Wanted" (which came from the 2001 release).

In 2004, the 25 city tour Throne Room featured free admission and was followed with a DVD release of the concert recorded in Tennessee near CeCe's place of residence. Live In the Throne Room contained tracks from all of Winans' albums.

Around September 2004, Winans experienced what she thought was a flu but turned out to be a serious stomach infection and was hospitalized immediately for surgery. Due to the extended recovery time, the second half of the Throne Room Tour was postponed to early 2005.

Winans' 7th album Purified was released in 2005. Producers on board for the project were longtime BeBe & CeCe collaborator Keith Thomas, and CeCe's nephew Mario Winans. Winans' son Alvin III also co-writes several songs on the album and younger sisters Angie and Debbie Winans make an appearance as well.

CeCe's collection of Top Ten R&B radio hits include "Count on Me", her duet with Whitney Houston, from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. The single was certified Gold in the U.S. and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #8 on the Billboard R&B Singles charts.

It has been confirmed on her website that a reunion album with BeBe is scheduled for release in early 2008. In early 2006, Winans stated that she would follow Purified with a holiday album.

However, news outlets began reporting in February that Winans is planning to release a new studio album titled Thy Kingdom Come on April 1st, to feature the single "Waging War." The first single released from the album is "Thy Will Be Done," released digitally on iTunes on January 1, 2008.

CeCe has authored three books: On A Positive Note, a collection of her memoirs released August 1, 2000; and Throne Room: Ushered Into the Presence of God, a devotional released January 1, 2004 and co-authored with Claire Cloninger.

Always Sisters: Becoming the Princess You Were Created to Be, released on July 17, 2007 and co-written with Claudia Mair Burney.

CeCe now resides in Forest Hills, Tennessee (a suburb of Nashville) with her husband Alvin Love Jr and two children, Ashley and Alvin III. CeCe's children were featured in the BeBe & CeCe Winans music video "If Anything Ever Happened to You". Alvin III also appeared in the music video for "Well, Alright."

They attend Born Again Church in Nashville, where CeCe is on the worship team and her kids are involved in the drama ministry. CeCe is a good friend of Whitney Houston as well as godmother to her child.

CeCe Winans has received 9 Grammy Awards, 21 Grammy Award nominations, 20 Dove Awards and numerous Stellar Awards.

Vickie Winans is the sister-in-law of CeCe.

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