The Winans are an American R&B gospel quartet composed of four brothers whose additional siblings would also become famous gospel stars. The whole Winans legacy begins with their parents, Delores and David Winans, also known as Mom and Pop Winans, who raised their children in Detroit, Michigan in a home where participation in the Pentecostal Holiness Church constituted one's social life and gospel music reigned supreme. The Winans would become known as "the first family of gospel music."
Nine of Mom and Pop's ten children are recording artists: the four brothers, twins Marvin and Carvin, Ronald and Michael, which make up The Winans, brothers BeBe and Daniel and sisters CeCe, Angie and Debbie. Marvin's former wife Vickie Winans is also a gospel recording artist and the children of Carvin, Marvin and Michael make up a short-lived group known as Winans Phase 2.
Brothers Ronald, Carvin and Marvin made two albums in the mid 1970s without Michael under the name "The Testimonial Singers." They were discovered by
Andraé Crouch in 1979 who signed them, along with Michael, to Light Records.
Their first album Introducing The Winans was released in 1981. The album scored a hit with "The Question Is" and garnered them their first Grammy nomination. Two of their albums, Tomorrow and Return, made the list of CCM Magazine's 2001 book The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
Winner of seven Grammy Awards and have sold millions of records, The Winans have also tasted mainstream R&B success with their 1990 release Return, in the same vein as their brother/sister sibling act BeBe & CeCe Winans. They have released albums between 1981 and 1995. Sibling Ronald Winans died on June 17, 2005 due to heart complications.
More information on The Winans at Wikipedia:
Discography
Live at Carnegie Hall (1988)
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