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MARVIN WINANS
Back in the 1980s, The Winans – Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald – were arguably the most successful contemporary quartet in gospel music. They earned five Grammy awards, hosted two TV specials, numerous Oprah Winfrey Show appearances and even a coveted performance slot on the Grammy awards. On top of that, there were several high-profile collaborations with Anita Baker, Michael McDonald, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Michael Jackson and even R. Kelly. Whenever people thought of gospel, they thought of The Winans.

From their debut album, Introducing the Winans in 1981 to their last CD Heart & Soul in 1995, The Winans revolutionized the way the world views gospel music. Their sound was fresh, smooth and urban-flavored. A dozen of their recordings hit the Billboard R&B charts including their #5 smash "It's Time" and their Michael Jackson collaboration "Man in the Mirror" which was #1 for weeks. In the gospel world, The Winans scored hit after hit with their classics "Tomorrow", "The Question Is", "Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay", and "Ain't No Need to Worthy" with Anita Baker. Now, the group's charismatic lead vocalist and chief songwriter, Marvin Winans, is going solo for the first time with Alone But Not Alone – his first CD on his platinum-selling sister CeCe Winans' PureSprings Gospel label.

Produced by Tommy Sims (Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins), the warm urban adult contemporary styled project features Winans' classic vocal style and stellar cameos by Kim Burrell; newcomer DeShondra Rideout; Winans' brother, Carvin; and his late brother, Ronald. "This is my first solo project, so I'm alone," he confides as he explains the title. "This is the first CD since I lost my brother Ronald who was my best friend, so I'm alone. And then, there's the not alone. The obvious is that God is always with us and that there are other people singing on the album with me. But, these are songs I've lived over the last 10, 12, 15 years. Some are even older than that. I told the EMI staff another name for this album would be songs nobody would sing but me [because other artists passed up the chance to record the songs]."

Winans is a quick thinker and when he's making a serious – potentially provocative statement, he'll quickly lighten it with a laugh to make the listener know it's no big deal after all – or at least not in the present tense. He does this throughout his discussion of these poignantly personal songs. "I always write out of my own experience," he explains. "I never tried to make up a song. I lived it. That's why it's so painful."

Although, Winans channels his personal pain through these dozen songs; it's his hope that the songs will be instructive as well as entertaining. "I wanted the experience to be told," he announces. "Because I know I'm not unique in my story." He performed his radio single "Just Don't Wanna Know" – a mellow rumination on God walking him through one of his biggest ordeals - at an EMI sales meeting. "A lady came up to me afterwards," he recalls. "She said, 'I want to thank you because that's for me. I just came out of a 25 year old marriage.' I looked up and said, 'You got it!" I didn't tell her anything specific and she figured it out. The song delivers."

The whole set delivers situational, inspirational and faith-inspired messages in a style that builds on Winans' legendary Winans material within an appealing setting that should step beyond Winans' gospel base and prove attractive to smooth jazz and quiet storm radio formats as well.

His is a success story his parents could have never predicted when Winans and his twin, Carvin, became the fourth and third born respectively, of David & Delores Winans' ten children. His parents, who met when they were both members of the Lemon Gospel Chorus in the 1950s, worked an assortment of full and part-time working-class gigs to keep food on the family table. In spite of their work schedule, they always found time to ground their family in the Bible. As his dad likes to say, "We didn't send our kids to church. We took them to church with us."