Vickie Winans
| Vickie Winans | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Viviane Bowman |
| Also known as | Vickie Winans, Vickie McLemore |
| Born | October 18, 1953 |
| Origin | Southfield, MI |
| Genres | Gospel |
| Occupation(s) | CEO, Singer-songwriter, music producer |
| Instruments | Vocals (Alto) |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Light, MCA, CGI/Intersound, Tommy Boy Gospel, Verity, Destiny Joy Records |
| Associated acts |
The Winans Mario Winans Winans family |
| Website | www.VickieWinans.com |
Vickie Winans (born Viviane Bowman; October 18, 1953) is an American Gospel recording artist.
The seventh of twelve children, Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan to Mattie A. Bowman, a housewife, and Aaron Bowman, who worked at various times as a laborer, contractor, carpenter and mason. She began singing in church – the International Gospel Center – at the age of eight, and as a teenager she sang with a group known as the International Sounds of Deliverance. Her siblings include Beverly Bouldes, Sandi Tyler, Irma Crockett, Annette Tharpe, Aaron Bowman, Jr. (deceased), Carleen Riley, Cathy Williams, Mary Sturdivant, Bryan Bowman, Lorne Bowman, and Tim Bowman.
Winans has been married three times and divorced twice. After high school, she married Bishop Ronald Brown of Faith Tabernacle Deliverance Temple in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Together they had a son, Mario Brown, now known as Mario Winans. In June 1978, she married Marvin Winans of the gospel group The Winans. With Marvin she had one son, Marvin Jr. (Coconut). In 1995, Winans and Marvin Sr. divorced after almost 18 years of marriage. The stress of the divorce caused her to develop ulcers on her esophagus, diabetes and to gain weight. Eventually, Winans regained her health and re-energized her career. At the end of 2003, Winans married businessman Joe McLemore. Vickie lost her mother, Evangelist Mattie Bowman, on December 12, 2006.
It was her marriage to Marvin that led Winans to consider a career in music. She was asked to, and joined, Winans Part II, a group that included then in-laws BeBe and CeCe Winans and brother Daniel Winans. However, the group never took off as BeBe and CeCe left to join the PTL Singers of the long-running Christian television show, The PTL Club.
The Winans became the best selling act on their record label, Light Records, and this enabled husband Marvin to secure her a recording contract. Her solo album, Be Encouraged was released in 1987 and became a major gospel hit. The LP included a cover of Dottie Rambo's, "We Shall Behold Him", as well as "First Trumpet Sound," a gospelized remake of Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia." Be Encouraged netted a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, a Stellar Award for Album of the Year, and an Excellence Award for Best Female Contemporary Artist.
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