After nearly ten years since her last album, gospel powerhouse CeCe Winans is on the verge of releasing one of her more ambitious projects to date. On Friday, Feb. 3, the artist’s Let Them Fall In Love will liven up the music scene bringing some musical directions not heard on previous releases.
With her son Alvin Love III serving as producer along with Tommy Sims (Garth Brooks, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt), Winans was persuaded to try new things and the result may well be another career-defining moment. That would be an impressive feat for someone who’s already sold more than 12 million records, including four platinum and five gold records certified by RIAA, and a winner of 10 GRAMMY Awards, 20 Dove Awards and seven Stellar Awards.
As one of the most distinctive voices and one of the most infectious personalities in the industry, Winans’ return to the airwaves is sure to be welcomed by diehard fans as well as new ones. In this exclusive interview, she explains the journey behind the new album and the long recording break . . . that wasn’t really a break.
It surprised me when I realized so much time had passed since you last released something. Was that purposeful or did time just pass by quickly?
I never said I’m just taking off and I’m going to be off for almost ten years. Life just kept moving fast. I can’t believe that much time went by, because I was still going out doing concerts, doing short tours or spot dates, going overseas, coming back. BeBe and I put out a record during that ten year period. Then (Alvin, her husband) and I started the church Nashville Life and the church definitely took all my focus. Even during that time, you’re always thinking about music, because that’s what you do. Not panicking, not worrying about it but also not realizing how much time it went by. Really when I got the rhythm of what we’re doing at the church and put things in order there —you realize it’s such an important work, because you’re looking out for people’s lives and souls —we got a little space where we felt ready. By this time, Alvin had flushed out most of his ideas and songs. We were still writing and listening to stuff, but we were close. I was like ‘Okay the time is now.’ It was not that I thought I would take all this time off. I wish that would have been it. But it was always music in between that time and time just got by.
Your son Alvin III served as producer and I think he encouraged you in new directions, right?
About five years ago, Alvin came to me with a vision of what he would like to produce a record on me. I was at the time thinking about getting back in the studio. He was telling me how he had an idea of something that was fresh, something that was different for me, but at the same time, bold gospel lyrics wrapped up in different styles, music that would connect with my old audience and connect me with a new audience. It took me a minute to put my hand around it, the idea. Then he stated writing some more of the songs and I just fell in love with the idea. I knew it would be different. At first, my mind was going toward the music that I love, worshipful music. And I was like “You know what? It’s been a long time, let’s do something different, something fun. I know what I can always do and what I love and what I’ll continue to do all my life. Let’s do it.” I asked Tommy if he would come in and oversee and be a part, because he heard it and got it and loved it right away. He played “Hey Devil!” for me. It was awesome. I love the boldness of that particular song. It’s fun, but it says a lot, reminding us of the authority that we have. He said, “Mom, it would be great to get the Clark sisters” and I said, “Let’s call and ask.” We went to Detroit and recorded it with the Clarks and it was incredible. We had a blast. I knew Alvin had great ears and he had a gift. This was the first time he had put his hand around a whole project. It was something I wanted somebody to work with him on and oversee him in doing it. I was very surprised at the level of professionalism and skill that I thought I knew he had, but it went way above what I thought he had. We had fun once we got in there. I shouldn’t say fun, because it wasn’t fun for me. He was pretty hard on me. I had to submit to him. “Mom, you gotta’ do it this way. You gotta’ do it again.” And I’m thinking “What’s wrong with this picture? Something’s wrong with this picture.” Alvin is a visionary and he knows every detail of what he knew he wanted to sound like, much more detailed that I’ve ever been. He knew what he wanted to get out of me. So it was a great experience and I’m pretty pleased with the outcome of everything. He was telling me what was in and what was out. Time keeps going. We’re blessed, we’re still here doing what we love to do and honoring God with our lives, so it’s pretty awesome.
The record is full of great songs. What are some of the ones that stand out to you?
I really love them all. “Peace from God,” when I hear “Peace from God,” I love just hearing it but when you think about our nation right now, it’s even more powerful to me. That’s the only way we’re going to experience peace is when we turn our hearts back to him. I love that one.
I love “He’s Never Failed Me Yet”
You know what? You’re the best! That’s my favorite of the whole record!
It’s got that great cool music but the lyrics are so good!
I agree with you. When my son played me that one, I was just in tears. He wrote that and as a parent, I just said, “He’s got it.” I couldn’t have written it better myself as far as speaking the sentiments of my heart. When I heard it, I was like “Alvin!” The lyrics that said, “The Hebrew boys took their faith to flame.”
You talk about a message that people need to hear! You’re never at a loss of people who need encouragement.
Yes, he’s never failed us. I think it’s a very strong record musically, all live musicians, old school but the lyrics are bold. “Lowly” is talking about humility, a fun way to talk about humility and the danger of pride. “Let them fall in love,” I love the male chorus. It’s truly my prayer for the whole record. I knew that would be the title before we had the record done. Coming back in, I just knew I wanted it to count. I wanted people to fall in love with Jesus. Then of course “Marvelous,” “what a wonderful thing you’re doing . . . ,” then the choir comes in.
“Run To Him”. . .
I love the lyrics to that, the Supremes sounding song. But again, when you listen to the lyrics of it, inside all the fun, it’s really talking about how many people you’re going to take with you. I think as believers and now being a pastor ore than ever, we’re always encouraging people to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We as believers, for some reason, we become believers and its like we all of a sudden we hold onto it like a secret. But God commissioned us all to go out and make disciples. So I want to take people with me. It’s not just me.
“Why Me, Lord?”
I didn’t even know this song existed. They were doing a taping with Kris Kristofferson and they asked me to come sing this song with them and I had to listen to it. I thought, ‘This is a gospel song!” I’d never heard it before. I got sick that week and had to call them and tell them I couldn’t come. Alvin heard it while I was learning it and said “Mom, you know we want to do a remake and this is it.” I said ‘Okay . . . Why me Lord?” I laughed a few times because I thought, ‘This is really, really country.’
Yeah! But you do country well. I don’t know if you know that.
It was so much fun and I’ve sang it a few times now and it’s so powerful. Oh my goodness. It’s proven to me to be even more powerful live and again, I didn’t know so many people had recorded it and covered, everywhere from Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley. When I heard some of their recordings, I was like “Wow, this is pretty awesome.” It ended up being more gospel than what I thought it would be. I love a lot of the country artists. They’re very close to gospel music, especially the traditional country music. It’s more pop now, but you have some great singers and songs that were full of meaning. So I hope that they embrace it. We’ll see what happens. Maybe, I don’t know, maybe I’ll be singing on the CMA Awards (laughs).
So how is life as a pastor’s wife?
It’s been an awesome journey. It wasn’t in our plans to do. It started in our home with a Bible study my son asked us to put for his friends. We did that on and off. We started getting prophecies and people would pray over us and see us pastoring, and that was probably 15-20 years ago. But we didn’t see it, we didn’t feel it, we just knew that was not God’s will for our lives. We never even thought about it and then the lord birthed it out in our home with all these young people meeting Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit,, and their lives being changed and not having a place to worship at. It was birthed out. We just realized and looked at each other, like “Oh my God, this is what God has been telling us down through the years.” It’s been work but it’s been so rewarding. It’s changed our whole lives. We thought we were at the age about to cut back, moving to California and just chilling out. I knew I would always sing and go speak here and there. Then this happens. Even though we’ve been in church all our lives, from this position of pastoring and being shepherds, it’s a whole new thing. We’ve had to learn. God never calls you to a place without equipping you and without having people there to escort you and help you so we’ve had incredible pastors, men and women of integrity, that have helped us every step of the way. One thing about us starting a work older is that you have more wisdom, and that you’re not trying prove anything to anyone but God. It’s time consuming. Coming out now as the pastor, a pastor and being an artist, I don’t know how I’m going to work that out exactly. We’re going to come up with some strategic plan just for me. But it’s changed our lives in a way that we’re humbled and honored to be in this position. We understand the seriousness of it. But God is with us. It’s pretty amazing to see lives changed on a weekly basis and discipling people. It’s pretty awesome.
Let Them Fall In Love releases Friday, Feb. 3 from Puresprings Gospel/Thirty Tigers music.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In