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“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>When gospel duo BeBe and CeCe Winans broke through urban adult contemporary radio airwaves with their album
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Heaven something not even they could have imagined happened. The title song shot to number one and the album made its way into Billboard’s Top 10 R&B albums.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The last time an inspirational record had done so was when Aretha Franklin returned to her gospel roots back in 1972.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It was definitely not a planned situation,” BeBe said, referring to how that song crumbled the barriers between gospel and mainstream music. “We didn’t chart the course that way; it just happened. It was wonderful to see what happens if you don’t place limitations on yourself – or God.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The difference between Franklin’s chart success and BeBe and CeCe’s was that their success was not a double-back, but a cross-over. And it changed the landscape of spiritual music with respect to being embraced by the mainstream.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BeBe and CeCe are the younger siblings of The Winans – a beloved gospel singing group that had been on the scene several years before BeBe and CeCe started singing with Jim and Tammy Faye Baker’s PTL singers back in the 1980s.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But thanks to the instant connection with an entirely new audience, the duo never existed in the shadow of their famous brothers – but in their own light.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I’m excited about what we do because it shows that when the Word goes out, it accomplishes what it is supposed to do,” CeCe said. “God had a plan and a purpose – for our music and our lives.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Now BeBe and CeCe have seen a staying power that is unmatched. They catapulted the Contemporary Gospel niche to new heights and have gold and platinum plaques, Grammy Awards and recognition in both gospel and secular music. In October, BeBe and CeCe will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In the meantime, BeBe and CeCe will hit the road for the first time in 15 years with the Still Something Big Tour, which comes to St. Louis on Sunday. They’ll sing alongside Mary Mary – another sibling act whose success in the hip-hop generation in many ways mirrors what BeBe and CeCe did with the R&B scene.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I’m just happy I get to see Mary Mary every night,” CeCe Winans said as she talked about the highlights of hitting the road with her brother.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>There would probably be no Mary Mary had it not been for BeBe and CeCe. They paved the way for them and the likes of Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Smokie Norful and many other spiritual artists who have made a name in the secular scene.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“You can’t help but realize the blessing this whole journey has been,” BeBe said. “Plenty have come and gone – some gone quicker than they came. The whole experience has been rewarding and is something we don’t take for granted.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It’s also something that they’ve worked to hone. BeBe said that good music – a good song with impeccable production and a simple, heartfelt message – has been as crucial to reaching the masses as spreading “The Good News.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Our records hit no slack – there is nothing lacking,” BeBe said. “It’s the same as with any other genre.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Their music took ministry outside of the church and delivered the message into the hands and hearts of the people who needed it most.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I was sitting in a restaurant with my husband several years ago and this man – a Caucasian man – came up to me to said, ‘Aren’t you CeCe Winans?’” CeCe said. “He then went on to tell me that he first heard our music when he was on the dance floor. I didn’t know how I felt about that at first, but then he continued with his story. He said, ‘I didn’t know what you were talking about as I danced to it, but that song followed me home. And today I stand before you as a believer.’”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>There legacy continues with a new generation thanks to their latest hit, last year’s “Close to You,” and their album
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“mso-spacerun: yes;”> it has been a joy to sing what we sing and say what we say – and live what we sing about.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The excitement and joy for BeBe and CeCe will continue when they take to the stage in St. Louis.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Expect to see us on stage together having a ball,” BeBe said. “And expect to join in on the fun.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We want you to not just be entertained – but changed,” CeCe said. “We hope that you came in happy, but we want you to leave happier than you came.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>BeBe and CeCe Winans and Mary Mary’s Still Something Big Tour will come to the Fox Theatre on Sunday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit
“http://www.metrotix.com/”>www.metrotix.com
