Vickie Winans

Vickie Winans (born Viviane Bowman; October 18, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, comedian, and actress. In 1987, she released her debut album Be Encouraged on Light Records. She departed from Light Records after her second album Total Victory (1989) was less successful than its predecessor. Her third album, The Lady (1991), was met with controversy due to its more contemporary sound. In 1994, Winans released her fourth album Vickie Winans on Intersound Records. Her career breakthrough came with the release of her live album, Live in Detroit (1997), which spawned the gospel hit "Long as I Got King Jesus". Her success continued with the release of her second live album, Live in Detroit II (1999). After a four-year hiatus, Winans returned with her fifth studio album Bringing It All Together (2003). The album spent nine weeks at number one on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, fueled by the album's lead single "Shake Yourself Loose". She followed that with her sixth album Woman to Woman: Songs of Life (2006), which also peaked at number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. In 2007, she formed her own record label, Destiny Joy Records. She released two more albums on her record label, Happy Holidays (2007) and How I Got Over (2009), the latter of which also peaked at number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Winans has earned eight Stellar Awards and been nominated for seven Grammy Awards. Her contributions and work in gospel music have credited her as 'The Hardest Working Woman in Gospel Music'.