The Story Behind CeCe Winans Biggest Songs

Every great song has a story, and CeCe Winans’ catalog is full of them — songs she almost didn’t record, songs she sat on for years waiting for the right moment, and songs that arrived at exactly the moment the world needed them. Behind the four decades of hits and the 18 Grammys are decisions, hesitations, and quiet convictions most fans never hear about. Here’s the real story behind CeCe Winans’ biggest songs.

“Alabaster Box” — the song she held for years

It’s arguably her signature song, and she almost let the moment pass.

CeCe first heard “Alabaster Box” when a friend brought her a tape of a young woman singing it in a praise service and told her she had to record it. She listened to it later that night in her tour bunk and simply began to weep. The Lord, she said, gave her the scripture the song was drawn from — John 12:3, the story of the woman who broke open a jar of costly perfume at Jesus’ feet.

But she didn’t rush it. CeCe held onto the song for several years before releasing it, waiting for the right moment. That instinct is central to how she works. “I always ask, ‘Lord, how do You want me to present this? Is this the right song? Is this the right song for right now?'”

The song, written by Janice Sjostrand, became the title track of her 1999 album — and one of the most beloved recordings of her career. She’s admitted the composition still moves her to tears.

“Goodness of God” — the anthem she almost missed

Here’s a fact that surprises people: while the whole worship world was singing “Goodness of God,” the queen of gospel music somehow hadn’t heard it.

CeCe was finally introduced to it one Sunday by the worship team at Nashville Life Church, the church she and her husband lead. Her reaction was immediate: “This is my testimony. Where did this song come from?”

She was gathering songs for Believe for It, her first-ever live album, and added it straight to her list. But her own team pushed back. Too many artists had already covered Jenn Johnson’s original, they argued — her version would just get lost in the crowd.

CeCe recorded it anyway, applying a simple rule she uses for covering other people’s songs: if it ministers to her, it will minister to others.

She was right. Her rendition became a phenomenon, racking up well over a hundred million streams and exploding on TikTok — and radio stations kept playing it for years despite it never being released as an official single.

“Believe for It” — a song for a frightened world

The title track of that same album arrived at an almost unbelievable moment.

Believe for It was recorded during the pandemic, with a live audience capped at just 50 people. It was never intended as a crossover play — the goal was simply to preserve CeCe’s live presence on record. But the song landed in a world that was scared, isolated, and desperate for hope, and it did something none of her solo work had done before: it got real airplay on Christian Adult Contemporary radio.

The results were extraordinary. “Believe for It” won Song of the Year at the 2022 Dove Awards and earned CeCe two Grammys. The album swept every Grammy category it was nominated in — a first for a gospel artist — and it turned into a sold-out national tour, her first in over a decade.

“Count on Me” — the Whitney Houston duet

Her most famous crossover moment came through friendship.

CeCe’s close relationship with Whitney Houston led to their duet on “Count on Me” for the 1995 Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. It put a gospel singer’s voice alongside one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, and it introduced CeCe to millions of listeners who had never set foot in a gospel section of a record store.

Decades later, when Houston died, CeCe was among the artists chosen to honor her at a Grammy tribute — bringing the story full circle in the most bittersweet way possible.

“That’s My King” — proof she’s still leading

Some artists coast on their catalog. CeCe keeps writing new chapters.

“That’s My King” shot to No. 1 on the gospel chart and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song — hard evidence that her newest material still competes with anything in the genre. It’s since piled up tens of millions of streams, holding its own beside her classics.

“More Than This” — recorded with 600 voices

The story behind her 2024 album is a story about a room.

Rather than record in a controlled studio, CeCe invited worship teams from churches all over the Nashville area to join her — filling the space with upwards of 600 people, a choir made of Music City’s best voices. She’s called the finished product “Heaven on Earth.”

There was a purpose behind that crowd. CeCe has been outspoken about wanting to close the gap between traditional gospel and modern Christian music, arguing the separation has been far too wide. “When you’re not together, you miss out on the good stuff,” she’s said. Filling the room with everybody was the whole point.

“Why Me Lord” — the song her son insisted on

Not every song comes from a producer or a label. Sometimes it comes from your kid.

CeCe recorded the Kris Kristofferson classic “Why Me Lord” for her vintage-soul album Let Them Fall in Love at her son’s encouragement — a reminder that even four decades in, she’s still open to being pushed somewhere new by the people closest to her.

“The Hymns” — going all the way back

For her recent hymns project, CeCe deliberately stripped everything away: just her voice, a piano, and the songs. Her prayer for it was simple — that these songs would heal, save, and set people free.

She sees hymns as a foundation of the church and a way to connect younger generations to timeless truths. The album became her 11th No. 1 gospel record. Sometimes the boldest creative move is going back to the beginning.

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The bottom line: What emerges from these stories is a pattern. CeCe Winans doesn’t chase songs — she waits for them, prays over them, and records them only when they’ve moved her first. She held “Alabaster Box” for years. She recorded “Goodness of God” over her team’s objections. She filled a room with 600 voices because unity mattered more than a clean mix. That instinct — trusting the song over the strategy — is exactly why these songs still land, decades after the world first heard them.