Gospel Legend CeCe Winans Says the Best Is Yet to Come at 61: ‘I Am Loving Life!’

Looking at CeCe Winans’ bright smile and listening to her hearty laugh, it’s easy to see the award-winning gospel artist is enjoying life these days. Between her busy career and active family life, the 18-time Grammy winner is reveling in her blessings.

“I’m in a great place. I’m loving life right now,” CeCe tells Woman’s World as our cover girl (get your copy here!). “I love the authority that I walk in and the wisdom of living as long as I’ve lived now. I look back and say, ‘I used to worry about that and that! Are you kidding me?’ I care about what matters now and I think that’s a beautiful thing.”

The most awarded female artist in the history of gospel music, CeCe is a best-selling author and is also founder of Nashville Life Church with her husband Alvin. These days, she’s not slowing down one bit. Her latest album, The Hymns, released June 5 and her new book, Faith for Generations: 50 Devotions to Ignite a Passion for Christ through Love and Worship, penned by CeCe and Suzanne Gosselin, publishes July 21. 

And July 23-25 in Nashville, Tennessee, she and her daughter Ashley will also be leading the 4th annual Generations LIVE Conference, a three-day gathering designed to unite generations through powerful worship and life-giving conversations. She’s also working on new music and is excited about celebrating her mother’s 90th birthday in September.

“That’s going to be a huge celebration,” CeCe smiles. “September 22nd is her birthday and she’s doing good. She had some challenges earlier this year, but she’s doing really good and it’s going to be awesome!”

The best is yet to come for CeCe Winans

A member of the legendary Winans family of gospel singers, CeCe is one of 10 children. Born in Detroit, she sang her first solo at age 8 and began her career in a duo with her brother BeBe before becoming a successful solo artist. A member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, CeCe has won 33 Dove Awards, 19 Stellar Awards and has earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

At 61, CeCe believes the best is yet to come. “We have a responsibility. The Bible tells us as we age, we become more fruitful. You are needed,” she says. “I want to remind women and men, especially women, that you are still needed. There are too many young people coming after you—your children or other people’s children—that need your wisdom. We were on the receiving end of people who have gone before us and now we’re the mothers of the church now. I realized that it’s my turn. God is not done with us. He has so much more in store.”

CeCe Winans talks Generations LIVE Conference

CeCe is grateful for the foundation she had growing up in church, and that’s one of the reasons she’s so excited about the 4th annual Generations LIVE Conference. 

“We used to do it on Mother’s Day, but now we are doing it in July,” she says of the event. “Growing up in the church, I’m so grateful that I had that as my foundation. I had women who told me the truth, whether I wanted to hear it or not, who lived the life of Christ in front of me. So, we are creating a space where the young and old can come together to fellowship, learn from one another and love one another—a safe space for women, because a lot of women don’t have their mothers. They didn’t have a home with a mom and dad. They didn’t have people praying in their home and teaching them.”

“Generations is a place where women can come and see older women praying and people who walk out the word of God,” CeCe continues. “I’m so excited about all of our speakers, and I get excited about Generations because it’s a time for me to get poured into. I’m going to pour out, but I’m going to get poured into. I encourage people all over to come so we can be encouraged and strengthened by one another because we need one another. We’ve always needed one another, but with so many negative things happening, it’s nice to be reminded what God is doing.”

Keep an eye out for CeCe’s new book July 21

In addition to the Generations conference, CeCe is also excited about her new book, Faith for Generations: 50 Devotions to Ignite a Passion for Christ through Love and Worship, out July 21. 

“I understand the importance of being in the word daily and the importance of passing the baton, that’s just where I am,” she says of her passion to encourage the next generation. “When you’ve lived so much life—and you still have a lot in front of you—but at this time in my life, in my sixties, I’m thinking about the children coming behind me. How strong are they in the faith?”

Keeping faith alive through music

CeCe is hoping her new book will be an encouragement to younger generations, and she’s also hoping her new album will reacquaint people with the powerful hymns that have inspired believers for generations. “It’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” CeCe says of her latest album, The Hymns, a 16-song collection that features such classics as “Blessed Assurance,” “Jesus Loves Me,” “Amazing Grace,” “Just As I Am,” “Nothing By the Blood,” “I Surrender All,” “It Is Well” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” 

“It’s real important that the next generation is connected to them. You don’t want them to get lost. There are so many treasures there. They are so powerful, and they connect us to the foundation of the church. I love contemporary music. I’ve done it most of my life. It ministers and changes lives, but to me, nothing identifies the church like the hymns.”

She says “How Great Thou Art” holds a special place in her heart. “When you are singing ‘How Great Thou Art,’ you take the time to think about the creator of the universe, how great he is and how much he loves you.”

CeCe loves grandma life

When CeCe isn’t recording and touring, she loves spending time with her grandkids. “I’m just overwhelmed by the kindness of God to allow me to have four grandkids and be able to be a part of their lives,” she smiles. “Thinking back, my grandmother was my favorite person, so I’m striving to be their favorite person. She always prayed for me. She spoiled me for sure, but she prayed for me and we laughed and had a good time. I’ll always have great memories of my grandma, and so now I get the chance to help my kids to shape and mold young people who will love God for the rest of their lives, and that’s a privilege.”

Faith and family have always been the cornerstones of CeCe’s life. “My husband and I pray every day together in the morning,” she says. “Both my children are married, and they have their own lives and their children, but that’s the one thing Alvin and I try to do consistently is pray together. On Sundays we normally get together for dinner with the kids because we all still go to the same church. They are all still in town.”