Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Six-time Grammy winning Gospel music icon BeBe Winans is gearing up to release his first solo project in five years. The album is titled, Born For This and is inspired by his highly successful musical, “Born For This: The BeBe Winans Story.” The musical is making its West Coast Premiere today (July 11) through August 6th.
As previously reported, “Born For This” boasts an esteemed creative team triumvirate, with a book written by Winans, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown: The Musical, “Greenleaf”), with music supervision by Donald Lawrence. It is an emotional journey that chronicles Winans’ early years as the youngest son born to a family whose name is synonymous with Gospel music, and depicts his rise to superstardom and his internal conflicts between faith and fame. Broadway World declares, “This spectacular musical is impossible not to enjoy.” The captivating production begins in the Winans family’s humble home in Detroit, MI, and follows Winans as he travels the unexpected and unparalleled road toward his destiny.
The musical documents the inception of BeBe and CeCe Winans, played with eerie accuracy by Winans’ nephew and niece, Juan Winans and Deborah Joy Winans (“Greenleaf”), respectively, their unconventional beginnings as cast members of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s televangelistic phenomenon, “Praise the Lord,” their chance meeting and subsequent friendship with Whitney Houston, and their relationship with their older brothers, the legendary Gospel quartet, The Winans.
Born For This, the album will feature guest appearances by Tramaine Hawkins, Tobbi & Tommi, Debra Winans-Lowe, Margaret Bell, Pastor Marvin Winans, and Mom Winans, as well as newcomer Kiandra Richardson, who stuns in her portrayal of Houston in the live production.
Click here to see photos from the Atlanta Premiere of the show and watch a clip below:
