Who is CeCe Winans? CeCe Winans, born Priscilla Marie Winans in 1964 in Detroit, is an American gospel singer from the famous Winans family. First performing as a duo with her brother BeBe Winans in the 1980s, she has led a solo career since 1995 celebrated with eighteen Grammy Awards, the record for a gospel singer.
The eighth of ten children raised in the Church of God in Christ in Detroit, CeCe Winans grew up in a family where gospel music was everywhere: the Winans family would go on to produce several generations of artists. Discovered alongside her brother BeBe on the Christian television show The PTL Club in the early 1980s, she formed the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans with him, whose album Different Lifestyles earned them a Grammy in 1991.
Her solo career began in 1995 with Alone in His Presence, a platinum record that became only the third gospel album to sell over a million copies. Since then, she has released one award-winning album after another, up to More Than This in 2024, named Best Gospel Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. With eighteen Grammy Awards, she is the most awarded gospel singer in the history of the ceremony.
- Hometown
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Style
- Traditional gospel and contemporary worship
- Active since
- Early 1980s as a duo, solo since 1995
- Good to know
- Eighteen Grammy Awards, a record for a gospel singer
How did CeCe Winans get started?
Born Priscilla Marie Winans in 1964 in Detroit, CeCe Winans grew up in the Winans family, one of the best-known names in American gospel, in a household where only religious music was allowed. Discovered alongside her brother BeBe on the Christian television show The PTL Club, she recorded their first album together, Lord Lift Us Up, in 1984.
The duo BeBe & CeCe Winans released one notable album after another throughout the 1980s, culminating in Different Lifestyles in 1991, which won a Grammy Award. This success opened the door to CeCe's solo career, launched in 1995 with Alone in His Presence, an album that introduced her to the wider gospel audience.
What makes CeCe Winans unique?
CeCe Winans has skillfully bridged traditional African American gospel and contemporary worship, performing classic hymns like Amazing Grace and Great Is Thy Faithfulness alongside more recent songs such as Worthy Of It All, recorded with the worship group Elevation Worship. This ability to connect generations and styles helps explain her eighteen Grammy Awards, an all-time record for a gospel singer.
Her fame also extends beyond the gospel world: in 1996 she performed the duet Count On Me with Whitney Houston on the soundtrack of the film Waiting to Exhale, a hit that introduced her to a much wider audience than churchgoers alone.
Where should you start with CeCe Winans?
Great Is Thy Faithfulness, a great hymn of the evangelical repertoire translated and sung in many French-speaking churches, is a wonderful entry point into her worship catalog. Amazing Grace shows the full range of her voice on a text everyone knows, while Worthy Of It All, with Elevation Worship, reflects her place within contemporary worship.
songs
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
a rendition of a great hymn from the evangelical repertoire, also known and translated in French-speaking churches.
Amazing Grace
a performance of the world's best-known hymn, carried by CeCe Winans's vocal power.
Worthy Of It All
a collaboration with the worship group Elevation Worship, blending gospel and contemporary worship.
Discography
- 2024More Than This· live album, Best Gospel Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards
- 2021Believe For It
- 2017Let Them Fall in Love
- 2008Thy Kingdom Come
- 2005Purified
- 2003Throne Room
- 2001CeCe Winans
- 1999Alabaster Box
- 1995Alone in His Presence
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is CeCe Winans?
CeCe Winans, born Priscilla Marie Winans in 1964 in Detroit, is an American gospel singer from the Winans family. First performing as a duo with her brother BeBe, she has led a solo career since 1995 that has made her the most awarded gospel singer at the Grammy Awards.
Is CeCe Winans a Christian?
Yes. CeCe Winans grew up in the Church of God in Christ, and her entire musical career, from the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans to her solo albums, is rooted in gospel and Christian worship.
What is CeCe Winans's best-known song?
She is especially known for her performances of hymns like Amazing Grace and Great Is Thy Faithfulness, as well as for the duet Count On Me, recorded with Whitney Houston in 1996.
Did CeCe Winans sing with Whitney Houston?
Yes, CeCe Winans performed the duet Count On Me with Whitney Houston in 1996, on the soundtrack of the film Waiting to Exhale.
How many Grammy Awards has CeCe Winans won?
CeCe Winans has won eighteen Grammy Awards over the course of her career, making her the most awarded gospel singer in the history of the ceremony.
Where can you listen to CeCe Winans?
Her discography is available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, as well as on her official YouTube channel and her website, cecewinans.com.