Gospel great CeCe Winans is heading to Sugar Land for a concert she’s hoping will leave fans entertained and inspired.
Winans has released a slew of duo and solo albums that crossed genres and boundaries and influenced a generation of gospel and secular vocalists. Her mantel today holds a staggering 10 Grammy Awards, 20 Dove Awards, and seven Stellar Awards.
She’s been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Nashville Music City Walk of Fame, in addition to being named a Trailblazer of Soul by BMI and garnering multiple NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Awards, Essence Awards, and more. She’s sold in excess of 5 million albums in the U.S. alone, topping the gospel charts repeatedly while managing to cross over.
Promoting her first solo CD in nine years, “Let Them Fall in Love,” Winans said she is going all out to make it a night to remember. She talked with the Defender about the concert, which is sponsored by Medi-Share, a healthcare sharing program.
Defender: What is the inspiration behind your new album, “Let them Fall in Love?”
CeCe Winans: I think it’s my best work to date because it has different styles of music, I have some great people signing on here with me: The Clark Sisters, Hezekiah Walker and his choir, we have a 40-piece orchestra, so it’s a lot of fun. The concert will be a journey of joy and healing and I just believe there’s something that can bless everyone that listens.
Defender: Is that what people can expect when they come to your concert?
Winans: My prayer is that when people hear the music, their hearts can be turned toward the Lord, and they will receive faith in Him. I have a song called “Peace from God.” Our nation is going through a lot of stuff right now and if we’re going to heal, it has to come from God.
What I do is more than entertainment. Will they be entertained? Yes, but it’s inspiring and they will leave with something more than just a song. The great thing about gospel music is it brings forth the gospel and makes you feel like you can fix broke places. Concert-goers are going to leave out understanding, first of all, that God loves them, but also understanding the importance of loving one another.
Defender: Why do you think you’ve been able to merge different types of gospel music?
Winans: I think it’s because I love them both. I love the contemporary and the traditional. So, when I go in the studio, I’m open to do a little bit of all it. I think most people are like that. When you hear something good it can be fast, it can be slow, it can be contemporary, or “Old Rugged Cross.” If it’s something that penetrates the heart, you can embrace it. When you listen to our music over the years, you’re going to hear some of everything.
Defender: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not spreading the gospel?
Winans: We have a church now, Macon Disciples in Nashville, so I enjoy spending a lot of time with that. But when I’m off, I enjoy doing nothing, being at home, with no makeup, just chilling and relaxing with my husband.
In Concert
CeCe Winans
Thursday, June 1
7 p.m.
Smart Financial Centre
18111 Lexington Blvd.
www.cecewinans.com