April 10, 2009

By By Jason Lipshutz, N.Y.

David "Pop" Winans Sr., singer and patriarch of the Winans gospel music family, died April 8 at a hospice in Nashville, from complications of a heart attack and a stroke. He was 74.

Born on April 20, 1934, in Detroit, Winans was the son of a pastor and began singing in the gospel quartet the Nobelaires at the age of 18. He met his wife, Delores, while both were singing in the Lemon Gospel Choir, and the two were married in 1953. While Winans held down various entrepreneurial jobs to support his wife and their 10 children, he remained active in the community and began preaching sermons at a Detroit Pentecostal church in the late 1960's.

Winans' children, who were forbidden from listening to any music other than gospel, also developed an affinity for singing. When gospel legend Andrae Crouch offered four of them (Michael, Marvin, Carvin and Ronald) a record contract as all-male quartet the Winans, David became their manager. The Winans recorded gospel hits such as the 1987 Anita Baker collaboration "Ain't No Need to Worry" and earned six Grammy nominations. Two of Winans' other children, BeBe and CeCe, later formed a singing duo and recorded R&B/gospel crossover hits "Addictive Love" and "I'll Take You There".

Following the success of their children, David and Delores released their debut album, "Mom & Pop Winans," in 1989 on Sparrow Records and garnered a Grammy nomination. David earned rave reviews and another Grammy nod for "Uncensored," his blues-influenced solo debut released in 1999. Recently, David and Delores Winans had regularly appeared on The Trinity Broadcasting Network's "Praise the Lord" program and at Benny Hinn crusades.

Winans is survived by his wife, Delores, and by nine children.

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