CeCe Winans passed rejected the opportunity to appear in Whitney Houston’s video for her 1993 hit single “I’m Every Woman” because she thought the lyrics were “demonic.”
Winans mentioned the song when speaking about how to be right with God at the Highland College Chapel in a November 2021 video that has since gone viral. In reference to the lyrics of “I’m Every Woman,” the performer went on to say some terrible things.
“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.’”
Chaka Khan first performed “I’m Every Woman” in 1978. Winans did not perform the song with her late friend Houston, although she did work with her on the track “Count On Me.”
Houston, known for her stunning vocals and great songs, had a long and successful career, selling over 200 million records worldwide, including albums, singles, and videos. Houston smashed several records and, without a doubt, was an influence to up-and-coming female and black musicians throughout her prime.
