Gospel legend CeCe Winans had the chance to be a part of Whitney Houston’s video for her 1993 hit single “I’m Every Woman” but Winans turned it down because she felt the lyrics to the song were “demonic.”
In a November 2021 video that has now gone viral, Winans spoke about the song while preaching at the Highland College Chapel about how one can be right with God. The singer went ahead to mention things that are ungodly, referring to the lyrics of “I’m Every Woman”.
“I remember she was about to do one of her big videos. It was, ‘I’m Every Woman’ It’s a great video, right? Really nice… When you think about how it was written, it’s a great song, right?” Winans said. “But the lyrics don’t line up with the word of God, right? So, she knew, she said, ‘CeCe, I want you to be in this video, but I know you not gonna be in it’ and I said, ‘You’re absolutely right’ ‘cuz it started off with ‘I can cast a spell.’ I’m not singing that!”
“Y’all get hooked on to these beats, and it’s like demonic. You’re listening to demonic stuff, and you wonder why you don’t know what’s going on. You can’t listen and look at everything. God says, ‘You’re either for me or against me. You’re either for me, or you’re not.’”
“I’m Every Woman” was originally performed in 1978 by Chaka Khan. Winans did not join her late friend Houston for the cover of the song but she collaborated with her for the track “Count On Me.”
Known for her breathtaking voice and hit songs, Houston enjoyed a very successful career spanning several decades, selling over 200 million records, including albums, singles and videos worldwide. With seven albums to her name, Houston broke several records and, undoubtedly, was an inspiration to up-and-coming female and colored musicians during her prime.
Some of her notable feats include being the first musician to receive the most Billboard awards in one night when she took home 11 in 1993, as well as, being the first female artist to have two certified 10× platinum albums with her debut eponymous album and The Bodyguard Soundtrack.
