Genre: Pop/Rock, R&B/Urban, Traditional/Contemporary Gospel
For fans of: Luther Vandross, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, CeCe Winans
Label: Sparrow Records

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Shaken. Experiences in our lives, be they of our own doing or not, often leave us shaken. But for those with a solid foundation of family, friends and a relationship with Christ, those times do not have to leave us broken, but instead can be used to bring about new creation.

BeBe Winans has experienced some shaking. Some were of his own doing: he and sister/recording partner CeCe taking time off to pursue their own artistic dreams, BeBe's manifesting themselves as production projects and acting roles. Some were planned for and cherished: the birth of his daughter Miya Destiny, as one example. And some threatened he and his family with something they had never faced before. In 1996, BeBe's older brother Ron was diagnosed with heart disease so pronounced that doctors told the Winans family that Ron would not leave the hospital alive, a diagnosis that left BeBe shaken to his very soul. "When I stood at my brother's bedside, and with the pain that I felt, I was willing to give my life for him, because it hurt too much. That love hurt," BeBe says.

The Winans family experiences a bond that goes beyond simple blood relations, one that winds its way through a love and talent for music, through to the spiritual link their love for God provides. BeBe knew growing up he could depend on his brothers for support and protection, but now one of them was being threatened. "My father taught us to protect each other, and we could always depend on Ron and the older clan to be there," BeBe says. "There wasn't that much trouble for us in school because everybody knew we had a thousand brothers, and that really helped a whole lot."

But out of those dire circumstances, something unexpected happened that shook not only BeBe's life, but the lives of his family. Through the process of risky heart surgery, aided by the power of a family united in prayer, Ron recovered, and BeBe's relationship with him and the God he loves and serves would never be the same. "It was so dramatic for us because it was really the first time we were faced with the fact that someone was going to die, and there was really nothing we could do but pray." BeBe says. "I have to stop for a minute whenever I think about it, and I don't think that will ever change. It altered my life. When I see him or talk to him on the phone, it's a reminder of how great God is."

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