Bebe & Cece Winans

Bebe and Cece Winans emerged from Detroit, Michigan, as siblings from the esteemed Winans family, a lineage known for its gospel music legacy. The two, Benjamin “BeBe” Winans and Priscilla “CeCe” Winans-Love, began their public careers in 1982 as part of The PTL Singers on the Christian television show, “The PTL Club.” They released their first album, “Lord Lift Us Up,” as a duo under PTL Records. Their musical journey developed as they moved beyond the PTL Singers in 1987, signing with Sparrow Records and releasing their self-titled mainstream debut album, “BeBe & CeCe Winans.” This album achieved commercial success with the R&B hit “I.O.U. Me” and earned them Grammy nominations, along with Dove and Stellar Awards. CeCe Winans also received an individual Grammy for “Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female” for her song “For Always.”

Their career advanced significantly with their second LP, “Heaven,” released in 1988, which produced three R&B hit singles, including two number ones. This album made them the first Gospel artists to have an album reach No. 1 on the Billboard sales charts in 1988. “Heaven” also reached the R&B Top Ten, peaked at No. 95 on the Pop Charts, and was certified Gold. “Different Lifestyles,” released in 1991, brought critical acclaim and their greatest commercial success, featuring the chart-topping singles “Addictive Love” and a cover of The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” with Mavis Staples. This album also included a collaboration with rapper MC Hammer on “The Blood.” The duo earned their first Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album” for “Different Lifestyles” in 1991.

Following a holiday album, “First Christmas” in 1993, and another studio album, “Relationships” in 1994, Bebe and Cece Winans pursued individual solo careers in 1995. During their hiatus, they continued to collaborate occasionally, such as on CeCe’s Christmas album “His Gift” and BeBe’s album “Love & Freedom.” They reunited in 2009 to release “Still,” their first album together in over 15 years. This reunion album garnered critical recognition, earning two Grammy Awards in 2010 for “Best Gospel Performance” with the song “Grace” and “Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album” for “Still.” Their collective achievements include three Grammy Awards, nine Dove Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, two Soul Train Music Awards, multiple Stellar Awards, three Gold albums, and one Platinum album, demonstrating their broad impact on gospel and R&B music.