Vickie Winans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vickie Winans
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Winans in 2000
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Viviane Bowman |
| Also known as | Vickie Winans, Vickie McLemore |
| Born | October 18, 1953 |
| Origin | Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Light, MCA, CGI/Intersound, Tommy Boy Gospel, Verity, Destiny Joy Records |
| Associated acts | The Winans Mario Winans Winans family |
Vickie Winans (born Viviane Bowman; October 18, 1953) is an American gospel singer. She is known for her powerful voice and energetic performances.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Vickie Winans was born in Michigan on October 18, 1953. She was the seventh of twelve children. Her mother, Mattie A. Bowman, was a homemaker. Her father, Aaron Bowman, worked in different jobs like a laborer and carpenter.
Vickie started singing in church when she was just eight years old. As a teenager, she sang with a group called the International Sounds of Deliverance. Her siblings include Beverly Bouldes, Sandi Tyler, Irma Crockett, Annette Tharpe, Carleen Riley, Cathy Williams, Mary Sturdivant, Bryan Bowman, Lorne Bowman, and Tim Bowman.
Family and Personal Journey
Vickie Winans has two sons. Her first son, Mario Brown, is now known as Mario Winans. Later, she married Marvin Winans from the gospel group The Winans. They had a son named Marvin Jr. (Coconut).
Vickie faced some health challenges but worked hard to get back to her best. In 2003, she married businessman Joe McLemore. Vickie also experienced the loss of her mother, Evangelist Mattie Bowman, on December 12, 2006.
Musical Career Highlights
Vickie's marriage to Marvin Winans helped her think about a music career. She was asked to join a group called Winans Part II. This group included BeBe and CeCe Winans, and her brother Daniel Winans. However, the group didn't fully take off because BeBe and CeCe joined the PTL Singers.
Early Success with Light Records
The group The Winans became very popular on their record label, Light Records. This helped Marvin secure a recording contract for Vickie. Her first solo album, Be Encouraged, was released in 1987. It became a big hit in gospel music.
The album featured a song called "We Shall Behold Him." Be Encouraged earned a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female. It also won a Stellar Award for Album of the Year.
Her next album, Total Victory, was not as successful. This was partly because Light Records faced challenges after The Winans group left the label.
Challenges with MCA Records
In 1990, Vickie signed with Geffen Records. Later, her contract moved to MCA Records. She felt that the company wanted her to change the Christian message in her music. Vickie said she never wanted to be in that situation again. She felt that the name of Jesus should always be part of her music.
Her 1991 MCA album, The Lady, included songs produced by R. Kelly and her son Mario. The album did not use the name Jesus. It also included a song from the musical West Side Story, which was unusual for gospel music. MCA also sent Vickie to the Stellar Awards with dancers. This surprised some in the Christian community.
Because of these events, the gospel community did not fully support the album. MCA eventually dropped Vickie from their label. However, The Lady still received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.
Finding Her Way with Intersound/CGI
After three years without a recording contract, Vickie signed with Intersound Records. Her album Vickie Winans reached #10 on the gospel charts. It featured popular songs like "Work It Out" and "We Shall Behold Him."
Live in Detroit Album
In 1997, Vickie released a live album called Live In Detroit. It was recorded at Bishop Andrew Merrit's Straight Gate Church. The album featured a classic song from the 1960s called "Long As I Got King Jesus." This song became a huge hit.
The album also included simple versions of other well-known songs like "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "Because He Lives." A music video for "Long As I Got King Jesus" helped the album sell over 200,000 copies. The album earned Vickie a Grammy nomination and two Stellar Award nominations.
Intersound/CGI planned to release three of Vickie's albums in 1999. Live In Detroit II was released in May and was very successful. It reached #3 on the gospel charts.
Share the Laughter, a comedy album, was released in July. While it didn't sell as much, it did well for a comedy album.
New Beginnings with Verity Records
After some time without a record deal, Vickie signed with Verity Records in 2002. This was at the invitation of her friend Max Siegel.
In 2003, Vickie released Bringing It All Together. This album featured "Shake Yourself Loose," written by her son, Mario. Vickie invested her own money to promote the album. She created five music videos and went on a 50-city concert tour.
This effort paid off! The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard gospel music charts. It stayed at #1 for nine weeks and in the Top 10 for a whole year. The album also received eight Stellar Award nominations, winning five, and a Grammy nomination.
Her album Woman to Woman: Songs of Life was released on August 8, 2006.
How I Got Over
How I Got Over was a self-produced CD released on August 25, 2009. It combined traditional and modern gospel songs. The first song, "How I Got Over," tells Vickie's personal story of faith and overcoming challenges. The music video for this song was filmed in her home. This album earned Vickie another Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Gospel Album.
Other Projects and Ventures
Destiny Joy Records
Vickie Winans started her own record label called Destiny Joy Records. She named the label after a baby girl she had lost. She had planned to name her daughter Destiny Joy Winans.
Through Destiny Joy Records, Vickie planned to release a fitness DVD called Laugh While You Lose. She also planned a comedy DVD and a Christmas album.
Television and Film Appearances
Vickie's appearance on BET's Sunday morning TV show "Lift Every Voice" was very popular. It was the most-watched episode in the show's history.
BET also signed Vickie to host a new comedy TV series called "A Time to Laugh." The show was meant to feature clean, family-friendly comedy. Vickie began taping 30 episodes with other comedians and inspirational music. The series was planned to start in January 2010 but did not air.
In 2011, Vickie released a new video for her song "Release It." Also in 2011, she was cast in the 2012 film Sparkle.
Discography
Albums
- Be Encouraged (Light, 1985)
- Total Victory (Light, 1989)
- Best of All (Light, 1991)
- The Lady (Selah/MCA, 1991)
- Vickie Winans (Intersound, 1994)
- Live In Detroit (CGI, 1997)
- Live In Detroit II (CGI, 1999)
- Share the Laughter (CGI/Platinum, 1999)
- Best of Vickie Winans (CGI/Platinum, 2002)
- Bringing It All Together (Verity platinum, 2003)
- Greatest Hits (Light/Artemis, 2005)
- Woman to Woman: Songs of Life (Verity, 2006)
- Happy Holidays from Vickie Winans (Destiny Joy, 2007)
- Praise & Worship (Verity, 2008)
- How I Got Over (Destiny Joy, 2009)
- How I Got Over Remix (Destiny Joy, 2010)
- Radio One Family Comdedy Tour, Vol.1 (Destiny Joy, 2010)
- Vickie Winans "Unplugged and Hilarious" Comedy DVD Vol.1 (Destiny Joy, 2012)
- Vickie Winans "Unplugged and Hilarious" Comedy DVD Vol.2 (Destiny Joy, 2012)
Notable singles
- "Don't Throw Your Life Away"
- "We Shall Behold Him"
- "Just When (featuring Marvin Winans)"
- "Work It Out"
- "Shake Yourself Loose"
- "It's Alright"
- "Special Day"
- "The Rainbow"
- "Kids Love Jesus Too"
- "How I Got Over"
- "Holiday Jam"
- "Release it"
- "Long As I Got King Jesus"
