CeCe Winans among BMI trailblazer honorees

The 10th annual BMI Trailblazers will highlight the musical careers of a few gospel greats, including Elbertina “Twinkie” Clark, Donald Lawrence, and CeCe Winans, Friday in Nashville. Kirk Franklin, Faith Evans, Karen Clark-Sheard, Donnie McClurkin, Kiki Sheard, Kim Burrell, DeWayne Woods, Crystal Lewis, Lalah Hathaway and Heather Headley have been tapped to pay homage to gospel’s finest.

Clark reigns from a musical lineage including her mother, the late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. The master keyboardist has composed, produced and sang with her siblings, the famed Clark Sisters, for decades. The popular gospel classic, You Brought the Sunshine, is still played on secular radio. Their reunion CD, produced by Donald Lawrence, garnered several Stellar and Grammy Awards last year.

Lawrence’s influence on contemporary gospel music is unparalleled. Until recently, he recorded with the Tri-City Singers choir and composed a litany of songs, including When Sunday Comes, The Best is Yet to Come and Encourage Yourself. The CEO of Quietwater Entertainment has penned numerous songs for Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Kirk Franklin and Karen Clark Sheard. His new CD, entitled Kingdom Principles, will hit shelves this month.

Of course, Winans hails from the first family of contemporary gospel. Her musical career dates back to Praise the Lord (PTL) network with Jim and Tammy Baker. Later, she performed with big brother Bebe Winans to produce classics like Heaven, Addictive Love and Lost Without You. The celebrity wife and mother is among a handful of female executives to own a record label, Well Springs Gospel. Winans’ stellar solo career has belted out tunes like Pray, Alabaster Box and Well Alright.

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