CeCe Winans is one the most unique, respected and admired artists of this generation.
Priscilla Marie Winans Love (better known as CeCe Winans) is the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time. She’s the eighth of ten Winans siblings, and over the last four decades, has graced stages in mainstream, gospel and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) settings. She’s also a wife, mother, grandmother, CEO, and preacher. And somehow, she makes everything seem fun and easy.
This year, as she crosses into her sixth decade of life, CeCe can also look back over 44 spectacular years in the gospel music industry. She, along with brother, BeBe, have long breathed the “rare air” of the few gospel artists that have crossed into both mainstream and CCM music lanes without backlash or setbacks. In fact, CeCe remains one of the most unique, respected and admired artists out there. And she’s got receipts.
Her 2021 release, “Believe For It” was recorded during the Pandemic. The plan was to do a live recording, but due to precautions surrounding COVID-19, the “live audience” aspect was severely limited. Adding to that, the release came at a time when touring was impossible because venues, auditoriums and churches were shuttered. Undaunted, CeCe began promoting the project online. On one occasion, she participated in a virtual concert with C_o_m_p_a_s_s_i_o_n_ _I_n_t_e_r_n_a_t_i_o_n_a_l_;_ _she also ramped up promotion of her Y_o_u_t_u_b_e_ _show, “Generations.”
Despite the obstacles, “Believe For It” broke through, and fans fell in love with the song, but the timing was impeccable. “Believe for it came out at a time when people really needed it,” she recalls. “There was such desperation, we began praying and just asking God to anoint us to create a collection of songs that would encourage people that were isolated and were literally fighting for their lives. I think the prayer behind that record is continuing to touch people in a way that only God can, and I love that. I love it when we work as a team—myself, the management company, and the record label, because God does it in such a way that nobody can take the credit,” she laughs. “And we all recognize that!”
Artists with CeCe’s longevity are few and far between. What’s her secret? “Keeping the main thing the main thing,” she advises. “It’s easy to get sidetracked. It’s easy to look at other markers to determine your success. Good success to me is doing what God told me to do. Sometimes that shows up as number one on the charts and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you touch a person’s heart, or save a life that was contemplating suicide. So, I think it’s understanding and staying focused on the main thing. I have to do what God has anointed me to do, and make sure I’m lining up with his plan for my life.”
Speaking of aligning with God’s plan, CeCe and her husband, Alvin Love, Sr. founded N_a_s_h_v_i_l_l_e_ _L_i_f_e_ _(church), 12 years ago. At first, they were the lead pastors, but now their son is at the helm.
“Nashville Life continues to grow,” she shared, “We’re still working on the foundation. It’s been 12 years now, and my son [Alvin Love, II] has been lead pastor for three years. When we started the church, the Lord spoke to Pastor Love Sr., and told him that Alvin II would be the successor for the church. So, all along, Alvin II has been in leadership with us. We didn’t know how long it would be. We were hoping it would be shorter!” she laughs. “When the time came, we talked to the leaders and our overseers, and they were in agreement. That’s when we passed the baton. He’s taken it to another level. And I am just so grateful to God and I’m extremely proud of him.”
Although she’s no longer the lead pastor, CeCe is still actively shepherding souls. Her Generations Live women’s conference (held annually on Mother’s Day weekend) is blessing thousands of women each year. Of course, much of what she learned and now imparts to others was passed to her by her mother, Delores “Mom” Winans.
“My mom loves people. She’s the mother to the nations!” CeCe laughs. “She has the heart of a true mother. My prayer is that I would just be half the mother that she is! My mother understands that everybody is valuable. She taught us that. She’d ask me, ‘CeCe, did you call so and so?’ And I’m like, well, who is so-and-so, Mom? ‘Well, you call her right now! And you need to go sing for [these people] and you need to do this.’ I mean, she just loves everybody! And that’s the heart of God, you know? She taught me to take out time with people, and slow down. She’d say, ‘You can’t be that busy! Talk to people. Go see people, tell people ‘Thank you.’ Let them know that they’re loved.’”
Indeed, CeCe is following her mom’s advice and that advice is blessing generations!