BeBe Winans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BeBe Winans |
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Winans at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Glenn |
| Born | September 17, 1962 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | |
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Benjamin "BeBe" Winans (born September 17, 1962) is an American singer. He is known for his gospel and R&B songs. BeBe comes from Detroit, Michigan. He is part of the famous Winans family. Many members of his family are also gospel singers. BeBe has released many albums. Seven of them were with his sister CeCe. They were known as BeBe & CeCe Winans. He also released one album with three of his brothers.
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Starting Out in Music
BeBe Winans began his music career with his sister CeCe. They first sang together on a TV show. It was called The PTL Club. The show's creators liked their voices. BeBe and CeCe moved to North Carolina. They sang on the show for about five years.
While on PTL, BeBe and CeCe recorded their first album. It was called Lord Lift Us Up. People really liked their music. This led to more albums together. They released five more albums as BeBe & CeCe Winans. These included BeBe & CeCe Winans and Heaven. In 1995, they decided to try singing on their own. But they reunited in 2009 for the album Still. A song from that album, "Close to You," won an award. It was a GMA Dove Award in 2010.
BeBe's Solo Journey
In 1989, BeBe won his first big award. It was a Grammy Award. He won it for a song called "Abundant Life." This song was on an album by his brother Ronald's choir.
BeBe signed with Atlantic Records in 1996. He released his first solo album in 1997. It had popular songs like "In Harms' Way" and "Thank You." Another hit was "I Wanna Be the Only One." He sang this song with a British group called Eternal. The song became number one in the United Kingdom in 1997.
Later, BeBe joined Motown Records. He released the album Love & Freedom in 2000. It featured songs with other famous singers. These included Brian McKnight and Joe. He also remade a classic song by Stevie Wonder. It was called "Jesus Children of America." BeBe sang it with Stevie Wonder and his brother Marvin.
Two years later, he released a live album. It was called Live & Up Close. This album was recorded in front of an audience. It featured guests like his sister Debra.
By 2003, BeBe started his own record company. It was called The Movement Group. His first album with this company was My Christmas Prayer in 2004. It was a holiday album. BeBe also acted in a movie around this time. He had a small part in The Manchurian Candidate.
In 2005, BeBe released his album Dream. It included the song "I Have A Dream." This song used parts of a famous speech. It was the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. The album cover showed BeBe in front of a street sign named after Martin Luther King Jr. Another song, "Miracle Of Love," was a duet with Angie Stone. It was also on a movie soundtrack.
BeBe has performed at many special events. In 2003, he sang with Anastacia. This was for a charity event for breast cancer. In 2008, he sang at the Alma Awards. He also performed for the Obama/Biden inauguration. BeBe and CeCe Winans confirmed they would release another album together in 2009.
BeBe Winans also hosts his own radio show. It is called The BeBe Winans Radio Show. He has also acted on Broadway. He played the role of Harpo in The Color Purple. He starred alongside Chaka Khan. Since 2010, he has hosted The BeBe Experience on SiriusXM.
BeBe was a judge on a gospel music TV show. It was called Sunday Best on BET. He also helped record a new version of "We Are The World." This was to help people in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. BeBe, CeCe, and Mary Mary performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In 2012, BeBe wrote a book. It was called The Whitney I Knew. The book was about his close friend, Whitney Houston. She had passed away that year. BeBe sang at her funeral. In 2014, he joined the group Eternal again. They performed their hit song "I Wanna Be the Only One" in London.
Albums and Songs
Solo Albums
- 1997: BeBe Winans
- 2000: Love & Freedom
- 2002: Live and Up Close
- 2004: My Christmas Prayer
- 2005: Dream
- 2007: Cherch
- 2012: America, America
- 2019: Need You
As BeBe & CeCe Winans
- 1984: Lord Lift Us Up
- 1987: BeBe & CeCe Winans
- 1988: Heaven
- 1991: Different Lifestyles
- 1993: First Christmas
- 1994: Relationships
- 1996: Greatest Hits
- 2006: The Best of BeBe and CeCe
- 2009: Still
Singles (Popular Songs)
- 1996: "All of Me"
- 1997: "In Harm's Way"
- 1997: "Thank You"
- 1997: "I Wanna Be the Only One" (with Eternal)
- 1997: "Stay"
- 2000: "Coming Back Home"
- 2000: "Jesus Children of America"
- 2000: "Tonight Tonight"
- 2002: "Do You Know Him"
- 2005: "I Have a Dream"
- 2005: "Safe from Harm"
- 2005: "Love Me Anyway"
- 2017: "He Promised Me"
- 2018: "Laughter"
- 2019: "Free Free"
- 2020: "In Jesus Name"
- 2020: "Black Lives Matter"
Other Songs and Appearances
BeBe Winans has also sung on many other albums and projects. He has worked with artists like The Winans, Carman, Steve Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Hezekiah Walker, Aretha Franklin, Brandy, Sandi Patty, Bob Carlisle, Clay Crosse, Willie Nelson, and Toby Keith. He was also part of the "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" song in 2010.
Books
- The Whitney I Knew, Worthy Publishing, July 2012 ISBN: 9781617950841
See also
