Provided By: Bill Carpenter

carpenterbill@mac.com

Photo courtesty of Jeff Cross

THE HARDEST WORKING WOMAN IN GOSPEL VICKIE WINANS LAUNCHES HER OWN RECORDING LABEL DESTINY JOY RECORDS AND SECURES CENTRAL SOUTH DISTRIBUTION

Grammy nominated gospel music legend Vickie Winans’ new Detroit-based Destiny Joy Records label has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Central South Distribution in Nashville. The charismatic singer who asked for and was recently released from a long term recording agreement with Verity Records, is now free to chart her own career path on her own terms. “I am sooo excited about my new distribution deal with Central South,” says Winans. “It is a mega deal and I am ecstatic. Destiny Joy Records is on its way now!”

“Vickie Winans is a premiere artist who we are thrilled to partner with,” says Terry Woods, Central South’s Director of Distribution. “Her creativity and knowledge of the industry will continue to place her as a trailblazer and pioneer for many of today’s artists.” Among the releases that Winans will be releasing over the next year will include the DVDs “Laugh While You Lose” fitness video, a stand-up comedy video, Winans’ 20th Anniversary Video, and the “Classic Gold Video Collection” which features 17 videos ranging from her current hits such as “The Rainbow” and “It’s Alright” to her 1991 duet of “Just When” with Marvin Winans. This fall, Winans will also release her first ever Christmas CD. In the near future, Winans will also release CD projects by the two artists signed to her label, veteran gospel artist Denise Tichenor and newcomer, Datisha Pickett.

The new label’s name is very personal to Winans. “Right after I had my son, Coconut (Marvin Winans Jr.), I got pregnant with a little girl,” she recalls. “We were planning to name her Destiny Joy Winans.

Unfortunately, However, I miscarried during my fifth month and lost my baby who only weighed one pound. I named that baby Marvlyn Loreal Winans after her father Marvin Lawrence Winans Sr. and kept the name Destiny Joy alive – not knowing one day that I would start this label and name it after her. My son Mario Winans’ beautiful daughter is also named Skyler Destiny Joy.”

Winans is one of the best-known artists in gospel music with signature songs such as “Shake Yourself Loose,” “As Long As I Got King Jesus” and “We Shall Behold Him” to her credit. Her cd “Bringing It All Together” spent nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard gospel album sales chart in 2003 and a full year in the Top Ten. The CD also won a Grammy nomination and five Stellar Awards. Her latest CD “Woman to Woman: Songs of Life” has also topped Billboard’s gospel chart and continues to gain momentum. Winans has been profiled in Ebony magazine, USA Today and the Associated Press. Her profile on BET’s Sunday morning TV series “Lift Every Voice” remains the most watched episode in that program’s history with over 800,000 viewers.

www.vickiewinans.com