Marvin Winans

Marvin Lawrence Winans (born March 5, 1958) is an American pastor and gospel singer, and a member of the musical Winans family. He is also known for his recurring role in the hit show Tyler Perry's House of Payne.

Life and career

Early life

Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan,^[1] the fourth of 10 children of Delores (née Ransom) and David Glenn Winans Sr., who recorded together as "Mom and Pop Winans".^[2] His siblings David II, Carvin (his fraternal twin), Benjamin (BeBe), Daniel, Michael, Ronald, Priscilla (CeCe), Deborah (Debbie), Angelique (Angie) also have careers in the music industry singing, writing and producing.

Musical career

Winans sang in the 1970s with his brothers Ronald, his twin Carvin, and Michael as The Testimonial Singers. The group also included others. Their first performance was at a high school talent show. In 1975, the group's name was changed to The Winans. Their musical careers spanned between the 1980s into the 1990s. The Winans, who were discovered by Andrae Crouch, released their first album under the new group's name, entitled Introducing The Winans, in 1981.^[3]

The Winans were greatly influenced by Albertina Walker and her group The Caravans. An organist and pianist, Marvin also wrote songs, and produced for The Winans records, for solo projects from family members, and on other gospel releases. For his vocals on the 1985 song "Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay", Winans was awarded a Grammy for Best Male Soul Gospel Performance. He and several of his siblings and family members sang The Winans' hit "Tomorrow" at Whitney Houston's funeral.^[4]

He released an album featuring the church's choir in 1992 entitled Introducing Perfected Praise. His 2007 release, Alone but Not Alone, was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. His fourth album entitled Marvin L. Winans presents The Praise + Worship Experience was released in 2012 recorded at his church-Perfecting Church through MLW Productions.

In 1997, he founded the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts ("WAPA").

In 2007, Winans released his first solo recording, Alone, But Not Alone.

On June 26, 2012, Winans released "Marvin L Winans Presents The Praise and Worship Experience" on his own label, MLW Productions Inc. The album features: Don Moen, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Mom Winans, Roderick Dixon, Bishop Paul Morton amongst others and was recorded at Winans' church in Detroit, Mi.

Pastor

He founded The Perfecting Church in Detroit, Michigan in 1989. ^[5] On Saturday, February 18, 2012, at noon (EST), Winans preached the eulogy at Whitney Houston's funeral, at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.^[6]

Personal life

Marvin was married to Dr. MaLinda Prince. Following a battle with colon cancer, which she fought into remission after her initial diagnosis, MaLinda died on September 9, 2010 – not long after learning the cancer returned. She was 43.

Dr. Sapp was born on March 1, 1967, in Mobile, Alabama, to Barroneece and Cornelius Prince.

Marvin and MaLinda met at Grand Rapids’ Alexander Elementary School, where they both attended.

“I met MaLinda in the third grade,” Marvin told TV One. “I saw this light-skinned girl running around across the street playing tag. So, I’m walking across the street to the school, and I see her, and I said, ‘I’m going to tag that up!’”

They went on to attend the same middle and high schools and sing in the community choir together. Marvin revealed that she was even his boss at their first job at Baskin Robbins!

The pair was married for 18 years before her death. MaLinda was a true treasure to her family and her community.

She and Marvin were always connected. Even prior to dating, they were great friends until she returned home from college.

“She went off to college and came back. And when she came back, immediately I saw her in a different light. And she saw me in a different light,” he explained.

After asking him where he saw himself in five years, Marvin explained that MaLinda sparked his urge to write down his five and 10-year plans.

As her husband’s manager and executive producer on numerous albums, Mrs. Sapp actively participated in his musical career. In fact, the powerful and iconic song “Never Would Have Made It” has a lot of significance and would’ve never been heard by the world had it not been for MaLinda.

According to Bishop Sapp, the single was created through a worship experience, but was never a complete song.

“It was the Sunday after I buried my father,” he shared. “That Sunday, for some strange reason, I actually thought that I was going to be strong enough to come in and just preach, like a regular Sunday service. I walked in the door, and everything was normal. Everybody was functioning normally, and I broke down.”

While his church service is typically closed out with an original up-tempo song, Marvin told us he walked up to the pulpit on that particular Sunday, stopped them from doing everything and started singing those words: “I never would have made it.’”

The 55-year-old revealed that he didn’t want to record the song, but MaLinda pushed.

Marvin formerly married to gospel singer Viviane "Vickie" Winans, née Bowman, for 16 years, until their divorce in 1995. His sons, Marvin Jr. (Coconut), Josiah Winans, and stepson Mario "Skeeter" Winans are in the music business.

Mario is a producer and R&B singer. Josiah Winans is a producer, featured on Marvin Jr.'s first solo project. Marvin Jr., once a member of Winans Phase 2, is a solo artist, a producer and Pastor of Perfecting Home Church.

Marvin Winans married Deneen Carter in April 2022.

Discography

References

External links

• Marvin Winans at IMDb

This page was last edited on 12 April 2024, at 18:23