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 famous for his gospel and R&B songs. BeBe comes from Detroit, Michigan. He is part of the well-known Winans family, where many members are also gospel singers. BeBe has released many albums. He made nine solo albums and seven albums with his sister CeCe. They were known as BeBe & CeCe Winans. He also made one album with three of his brothers.
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Early Career and The PTL Club
BeBe Winans started his music career with his sister CeCe. They first sang together and later BeBe became a solo artist. A TV show called The PTL Club noticed BeBe and CeCe. They wanted them to sing background vocals for the show.
After an audition in North Carolina, they were accepted. The siblings moved to the PTL campus. They appeared on the show for about five years. During their time there, BeBe and CeCe recorded an album. It was called Lord Lift Us Up. People really liked their music on the show.
Their success led to more albums together. BeBe and CeCe left PTL to focus on their singing careers. They recorded five albums as a duo. These included BeBe & CeCe Winans and Heaven. Other albums were Different Lifestyles, First Christmas, and Relationships.
In 1995, BeBe and CeCe decided to sing on their own. But in 2009, they reunited for an album called Still. A song from that album, "Close to You," won an award. It received a Dove Award in 2010. This award was for Urban Recorded Song.
BeBe's Solo Music Journey
In 1989, BeBe Winans won his first Grammy Award. It was for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male. He earned it for his song "Abundant Life." This song was on his brother Ronald's album, Family & Friends Choir.
BeBe signed with Atlantic Records in 1996. He released his first solo album in 1997. It was simply called BeBe Winans. This album had popular songs like "In Harms' Way" and "Thank You." It also featured the international hit "I Wanna Be the Only One." This song included the British soul group Eternal. "I Wanna Be the Only One" became a number one hit. It topped the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom in May 1997.
His next album, Love & Freedom, came out in 2000. It was released with Motown Records. Many famous producers worked on this album. These included Warryn Campbell and Brian McKnight. The main song, "Coming Back Home," was a slow, smooth ballad. It featured R&B stars Brian McKnight and Joe. Another song was BeBe's version of a Stevie Wonder classic. It was called "Jesus Children of America." This song featured his older brother Marvin Winans and Stevie Wonder himself.
Two years later, BeBe released a live album. It was titled Live & Up Close. This album was recorded live at BET studios. It featured special guests like his sister Debra Winans-Lowe and Stephanie Mills. The album was available on both CD and DVD. The CD also included a studio version of "Do You Know Him?". This song was the first single from the album.
By 2003, BeBe started his own record label. It was called The Movement Group. He also partnered with Still Waters. This company focused on inspirational and gospel music. His first album under this new deal was My Christmas Prayer in 2004. This holiday album was mostly orchestral. It was first sold only at Starbucks coffee shops.
BeBe also tried acting around this time. He had a small role in a movie. It was the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. Denzel Washington starred in this film.
In 2005, BeBe released his third solo album, Dream. The album featured the song "I Have A Dream." This song included parts of the famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr. It was released to radio stations around King's birthday. The album cover shows a painting of BeBe. He is standing in front of a Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. street sign. Another song, "Miracle Of Love," was a duet with Angie Stone. It also appeared on a soundtrack for the film The Passion Of The Christ.
On September 30, 2003, BeBe performed with Anastacia. This was at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. They sang a duet for her song "Heavy on my Heart." He also sang backup for a cover of "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." This performance was for a breast cancer benefit. It was shown on TV in October 2003.
In 2008, Winans performed a duet with Eden Espinosa. This was at the Alma Awards. They sang "I Don't Know Much" to honor Linda Ronstadt. BeBe also sang "Born for This" for the Obama/Biden Inauguration. BeBe and CeCe Winans released their reunion album, Still, in 2009.
BeBe Winans also hosts his own radio show. It is called The BeBe Winans Radio Show. It is played across the country. He also starred in the Broadway musical The Color Purple. He played the character Harpo starting in January 2008. He acted alongside Chaka Khan, who played his wife, Sofia.
Since 2010, Winans has hosted a Sunday morning radio show. It is called The BeBe Experience. You can hear it on SiriusXM's Heart & Soul channel.
Winans was a judge on a gospel music TV show. It was on BET and called Sunday Best. He judged alongside the gospel duo Mary Mary. He also helped record a new version of "We Are The World." This song helped raise money for Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. BeBe, CeCe, and Mary Mary performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In 2012, Winans wrote a book. It was called The Whitney I Knew. This book was about his close friend, Whitney Houston. She had passed away earlier that year. BeBe sang at her funeral.
In March 2014, Winans joined the British pop group Eternal. They performed their hit song "I Wanna Be the Only One." This was at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. It was part of The Big Reunion live shows.
In March 2025, BeBe Winans had another number-one hit. His song "Father In Heaven (Right Now)" topped Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart. This was his third number-one solo song. He also had a number-one hit with CeCe in 2009.
BeBe Winans Albums
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
Albums with 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
Books Written by BeBe Winans
- The Whitney I Knew, 2012
See Also
