His extended absence from the limelight can be understood in the context of going from life to death and then to life, again.  Ron Winans, as he puts it, ‘flat-lined’…died for five minutes before miraculously finding New Life in Him.  It’s a story best told by Ronald and best song by Ronald on his new album – Family & Friends 5: A Celebration (Entheos).  Ron Winans shared his miraculous story with BLACKGOSPEL this week.  It’s a story that will likely have you too celebrating about what God can do, even when it appears all is lost.

Christopher Heron:  The Ron Winans Family & Friends Series has become a mainstay in Gospel music.  I can think of only one other series that has run as long and garnered as much of a loyal following with each release, perhaps Walter Hawkins Love Alive series.  What inspired the launch of the Family & Friends recordings?

Ron Winans:  Coming up in a city like Detroit, you’re exposed to so many great singers and songwriters.  It’s a hotbed.  It started with Motown and continued on from there.  The Winans Family remembered the singers that could flat out sing, growing up among them.  We really wanted to capture the style and talent of so many of these artists we knew from our years in Detroit.  Back in the early years, we would have these Sing-along events in church.  There were so many wonderful artists who could sing and write. 

Some of them have gone on to have incredible careers in music, while others have chosen not to have careers in music.  Growing up in Detroit, we had friends and colleagues who chose music like the Clark Sisters, Fred Hammond, Commissioned, BeBe & CeCe Winans and others who you’ve never heard of and will probably never hear of again.  We wanted to capture our friends and family members singing together, maybe doing one song, in a friendly atmosphere.

CH:  When you ask artists in Detroit and across the country who were mentors and inspirational figures to their music ministry, you invariably get a reply that includes The Winans.  So then, who were inspirational figures to all the brothers and sisters in the Winans household?  Who inspired you and so many of your siblings to pursue music as a career?

RW:  Our biggest influence, as far as singing, writing, playing and performing probably came from our parents.  They were our first inspiration.  Then, there were others like the Rance Allen Group or Andrae Crouch or the Hawkins Family, folks from the late 70’s and early 80’s that put a whole new spin on Gospel music and actually made the music more palatable for the folks of our generation.  So we said, “Wow, we can still say what’s on our heart and what we’re feeling with a flare and up-tempo beat and still call it Gospel music.” 

CH:  Over the previous four Family & Friends album releases, you’ve introduced several artists that were on the verge of making individual names for themselves, like Pastor Donnie McClurkin and Dorinda Clark Cole and others that have remained, for the most part, anonymous to most fans of Gospel music.  Are there any unsigned or Independent artists you would have enjoyed featuring on Family & Friends but didn’t have the opportunity to?

RW:  Oh wow! We could actually go on for days with that one.  But for the most part, I’ve been blessed.  Actually, anyone I’ve approached for the recording, they’ve always obliged, whether they were recording in another genre of music or were busy doing their own thing.  Of course, there have been rare occasions when someone or something fell through the cracks.  But for the most part, we’ve been blessed.

CH:  In more recent years, you’ve been intimately involved in supporting your brother – Pastor Marvin Winans’ church ministry – The Perfecting Church.  Can you give a little insight on how your involvement with him has helped your spiritual walk with the Lord?

RW:  Pastor Marvin Winans has been the minister for our family.  He’s really multitalented.  Sometimes, I have to sit back and marvel that this anointed man is kin to me.  He is my younger brother but I look up to him because he’s all that and a bag of chips.  He amazes me with the creativity that God has blessed him with.  To whom much is given, much is required.  And I’ve actually seen his talent grow from writing songs, to performing songs, to ministering songs, to full blown ministry.  And we really don’t see any end in sight with regards to his talent.  I’m one of his biggest fans.  We’re like twins, even though Carvin (Winans) is the natural older twin.  But we’re very close. 

Whenever he’s in the studio recording, he’d always ask me to be present to critique his vocals and vice versa because we have each other’s back.  Siblings can get a point across to one another that perhaps a friend or an acquaintance couldn’t say without offending.  I’m here in Nashville in studio right now with him as we speak.  He’s recording his first solo album.  He’s a little nervous but I think it’s going to be phenomenal!  My album – Family & Friends: A Celebration – will be out shortly but it’s not going to be close.  My brother is just awesome.  So, I’m just trying to get my little project out real quick so I can make room for my brother. 

CH:  After an eight year absence, I believe the public is anxious to hear the Gospel group which started the Contemporary Gospel wave back in the early eighties.  Is it likely that Marvin, Carvin, Ron and Michael (Winans) will come together again and record something new for The Winans?

RW:  Oh definitely!  That’s all ready in the works.  That will be sometime in the near future.  We thought it would have been sooner that now but we’re going to work with the timing of the Lord.  The Lord’s timing might not be right now.  It seems as though everyone wants it and we certainly want it.  And we’re trying to hone in to the right time.  When it happens, it will be wonderful.  Until then, we have to keep moving forward.  But that’s something that’s definitely going to happen real soon.

CH:  In 1997, you experienced a life-changing ordeal, suffering a debilitating heart attack.  How did this tragic experience affect your career and spiritual life?  And what has the road to recovery been like these past few years?

RW:  I wish I could call my experience something as simple as a heart attack.  I do know that heart attacks can be deadly and often terminal.  But what I suffered through was a torn aorta, which should have immediately killed me.  I carried around my condition for months and did not know.  I suffered a heart attack and still did not know it.  How all of this happened?  My doctors are still baffled.  The only thing I can say, because of what I know and who I know, is that this was all a plan of God.  He would use this experience to bring glory and honor to His name. 

My ordeal went from bad to worse and from worse to as bad as it could get.  I actually flat-lined.  I died for about four to five minutes.  I don’t think it can get any worse than that.  But through the healing and resurrection power of Jesus Christ, I’m alive today!  He not only raised me from the dead but he healed my body.  He not only healed my body but he gave me the activity of my limbs.  I’m able to walk, talk and think.  Except for maybe a week through this experience, I suffer no memory lost.  I speak clearly and I know who Jesus is and I know Him in a better way. 

Paul said it like this, “…that I might know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death.” (Phillipians 3: 10)  That word ‘know’ means exponential knowledge.  Before this experience, I had a belief and I knew Him through His word.  But now, I know Him not only through His word but also through experience, that He is life and that He is all there is to life.  The doctors thought there was too much damage done to my lungs and that I would never be able to sing again.  So, I invited my surgeon to the Family & Friends live recording.  He was astounded at what I was able to do. 

So, if the question is, “Did this experience change my life?  Did it make me more of a believer?”  Sure!  I always believed that God was able to perform miracles.  I’ve never been a sickly person.  I don’t ever remember staying at a hospital overnight.  But now, I know without a shadow of a doubt that He’s a healer, He can raise people from the dead like He said in His word.  I am so enriched by my experience.  I never thought there would be a time I could say, “I’m glad”.  But you know what?  I’m glad for everything I went through because it caused me to know God in a better way.

CH:  Let’s close on a lighter note.  We’re on the eve of the anticipated release – Family & Friends: A Celebration.  Gospel fans have waited for over seven years since your last Family & Friends recording.  What can we expect from your latest release that extends this successful series from Detroit?

RW:  I’m really excited about it because it’s the first release since my experience and I just want to be able to share with listeners through my song – I Shall Not Die But Live - which comes from the scriptures which says, “I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord.” (Psalms 118:17)  I know what my purpose is, which is to declare his works.  I could have been gone.  There is no reason God would have to explain to anyone why I checked out.  He, in His infinite mercy, allowed me to be here today.  Purpose outweighs death.  And when you have purpose, you don’t have to fear death.  If God says that certain things are going to happen in your life, they’re going to happen, irregardless of circumstances. 

We have a wonderful array of guests on this album.  One of my dear friends and business partners – Gladys Knight – is featured.  We have a couple of restaurants called Gladys Knight Chicken & Waffles in both Atlanta and Washington D.C. together where you can enjoy some good home cooking.  There are so many wonderful artists on the album.  Marvin (Winans) is singing, CeCe (Winans) is singing a duet with me, BeBe Winans is also on the album.  We also have Rance Allen, Marcus Cole and so many others.  It’s a real celebration!

For more information, visit his official web site at www.ronwinans.com.  For booking information or to send well-wishes, email Ron Winans at dstramler@msn.com.