4 minute read
CeCe Winans: Let Get Together
BY JENNIFER TAYLOR | MUSIC CONTRIBUTOR
THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THIS HOLIDAY GIVING SEASON KEEPS EVERYONE BUSY, and that’s certainly true for legendary gospel recording artist CeCe Winans, too! On top of touring her Grammy-nominated Something’s Happening! Christmas album, CeCe has also recently sung for Rev. Torry and Lois Evans’ 70th birthday celebration and on Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth. She was among an amazing list of artists to perform at the CMA Country Christmas, not to mention all she does for her family and as a pastor.
As the eighth of 10 children born to Delores and David Winans, CeCe says “Mom and Pop Winans” are her most influential people in her life. “Keeping in God’s Word, living God’s Word, and they both sang. They were ministers of music, and they actually met in a gospel choir when they were teenagers. So, they recognized the gifts we had as their children and really trained us in that.”
As far as musical influences, she thinks she can speak for all the Winans in saying that Andraé Crouch as probably the greatest musical influence for them. “We grew up on his music, and his music showed us the high bar to reach for. Andraé Crouch wasn’t just limited to the church. His music went outside the walls of the church and really touched the world,” CeCe says.
“I think his concert was probably the first concert I saw all people there. It wasn’t a white thing. It wasn’t a black thing. It wasn’t an Asian thing. It was across the board. His music was produced in such an excellent way. You could hear the gospel all throughout his music, and it was so entertaining.”
In fact, among her plans for 2020, CeCe is excited to be recording an album of Andraé Crouch’s songs. “I think 2020 will be five years since he passed and went on to be with the Lord,” she says. “I think it’ll be a good time to honor his legacy.”
And the Andraé Crouch album is just one of the projects CeCe plans to do in the coming year. She and her team are also in the early process of working on a live worship album. This will be the first live album for CeCe, which is hard to believe, but they are gathering and writing songs now. She estimates in the spring she will be doing a live night of worship and recording.
Along with her many notable performances this year, CeCe also appeared TBN’s faith-centered talk show Better Together. “It’s a message that needs to be shouted from the mountaintop until Jesus comes.
We need to keep reminding ourselves that we are better together as the body of Christ than we are separated,” CeCe says. “We have a lot of fun. It’s real talk. It’s real situations. I’ve been so blessed to meet some beautiful, incredible, powerful women of God in just the few shows I’ve done thus far. I’ve been blessed to make some divine connections.”
But as the holiday season comes and goes, and the new year quickly approaches, CeCe’s schedule isn’t just full of performances and broadcasts. She’s leaving room for divine appointments and connections as she serves alongside her husband, Alvin Love, as the senior pastors of Nashville Life Church. Around Thanksgiving, the church came together to serve their community with a program called Love Your Neighbor. Everyone in the church served in different organizations to bless those who are in unfortunate circumstances. “The Word of God is so ripe and so true, but it is more blessed to give rather than receive. You go out with the mind of blessing other people and you leave so blessed and full of the spirit of Christmas,” she says.
CeCe is also grateful for the opportunities the holiday season allows her to slow down and reflect.
“I slow down, and most mornings I’m up early and just thanking God for His presence and faithfulness. The simple things are really the biggest things in our lives, and that is the time I get to spend with my family. I’m very grateful for my husband, my two children (I should say three with my son-in-law now), and hopefully my grandkids next Christmas. That’s what I’m hoping for now. For my mom and siblings. So family is huge for us,” she says.
One of the most recent blessings CeCe is grateful for is the Grammy nomination for her Something’s Happening! Christmas album. “I’m very excited about the album because that was produced by my son, Alvin Love III,” she says.
“I am excited for him as far as the recognition that he receives from this. What excites me is when I’m in the studio and I hear the lyrics that he’s written, and I hear the faithfulness of God through every generation. The God we serve is faithful, and my prayer for my kids has been for them to love Jesus. And both are in ministry. They love God. They love telling people about Jesus. They’re bold about their salvation, and you know what? That’s all I need; that’s all I want. So, I’m very excited that he’s chosen that his gifts and talents belong to God, and he’s chosen to use them for God. I’m totally grateful.”
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