BeBe Winans
A silken-voiced gospel and R&B innovator who brought spiritual music into the mainstream with soulful harmony and crossover appeal.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American gospel and R&B singer·Birthday: September 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born into Detroit's first family of gospel, Benjamin 'BeBe' Winans was never destined for a quiet life. He and his sister CeCe broke out as a duo, their voices weaving a tapestry of faith and rhythm that refused to be confined to church walls. Their partnership with producers like Keith Thomas resulted in a sound that felt both timeless and utterly contemporary, earning them Grammys and a permanent place on both gospel and R&B charts. After their duo period, BeBe launched a successful solo career, his voice maturing into a rich instrument of testimony and comfort. More than just a singer, he became a bridge, introducing the emotional depth of gospel to audiences who might never have stepped inside a sanctuary, all while maintaining an unwavering connection to his roots.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
BeBe was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When BeBe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
BeBe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won multiple Grammy Awards both as part of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans and as a solo artist.
- Helped pioneer the contemporary gospel sound of the late 1980s and 1990s with crossover hits like 'Heaven' and 'Lost Without You'.
- Released nine solo studio albums, expanding his artistic reach beyond the celebrated duo work.
- Served as a host and frequent guest on national television programs, bringing gospel music to wider audiences.
Did You Know?
He is one of ten children in the musically gifted Winans family.
He lived for a time with music icon Whitney Houston and was a close friend, singing at her funeral.
He portrayed his own father, David 'Pop' Winans, in the 2018 TV series 'Greenleaf'.
“Gospel music is the foundation of all music. It's the truth.”
