CeCe Winston

CeCe Winston is a singer from London who has endured a number of image and musical style changes. As one of the most eclectic and innovative artists in Urapopstar's history, she is considered a legendary figure in the game.

In November 2004, CeCe broke the record for longest time before her first top 5/10 single with "Til Death Do Us Disco", and two months later broke the record for longest time before first her first #1 single with "Shiny Disco Balls". Winston retired from music in June 2005.

Debut single era

CeCe started her time in URAPS in April 2001, she was a "portly" black gospel singer from Sarrf London desperate for her big break - she recorded a dance track "Never Again" independently, which got featured on Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems show by accident, the public reaction was great and a release soon followed - CeCe released Never Again independently through her own record label Kushty Records - despite the single reaching number 11 and still being her biggest hit to date (Although the charts were far easier back then!) the release bankrupted CeCe and she began work in her local Londis three weeks after Never Again charted!

Return to music

It all looked rather bleak for CeCe and she remained in the pop Wilderness for three years...but bizarrely returned in April 2003 with a second self-financed release - "Never Ever Again" (NO relation to "Never Again" whatsoever!) The track was huge up North and charted at number 16...however this random smash hit got CeCe noticed, and she signed to Spin records soon after -

CeCe's life was relatively normal until this point, however after the release of "Never Ever Again" the CeCe Winston monster was born that we all know and love today...

Various singles followed "Never Ever Again" - The gorgeous Double AA side "So In Love With Yourself/Nervous" (#29), her electro-ballad "Who Will Love Me?" (#27), a remix of Never Again (2003 HYPERmix) (#36) and "Shame", a track which got to #31 without a single post of promo...most odd!

The single "Who Will Love Me?" was a huge American hit bizarrely after being featured in a US teen show - "Lets Look up Dawson's Creek" It was a number one at Adult Contempoary Radio, and reached #23 in the Billboard chart.

CeCe also released her debut album "I AM" at this point, which sadly confused many as she was mistakenly labeled an R&B artist, despite clearly being dance. "I AM" stormed into the album top 40 at a modest #35.

Black/white CeCe scandal

The first CeCe scandal erupted at this point, a white lady found her way into the press claiming that she was the real CeCe Winston..and the current (black) CeCe had stolen her identity and locked her in an attic..rather like Craig in Bo' Selecta - A search by the Police revealed this correct and the black CeCe was revealed to be an imposter by the name of Elisha Laverne...shocked by this Elisha was locked in an attic as punishment and the real CeCe (white) was given Elisha's showbiz life (and child Sandra Winston) as a reward

Bizarrely the white CeCe Winston carried on all promotional duties...basically as CeCe Winston but a different person. The album "I AM" was re-released, and re-recorded with the "new" CeCe on vocals - the end product was far rockier than the original...

Spin records however were getting impatient for a hit, and after "new" rock track "Shame" from the second release of "I AM" flopped, CeCe was rushed into the studio to record a new "sex based" album

The end result was the quite frankly VILE album "Hot and Wet" often seen as one of the lowest points in CeCe's career, and indeed URAPS - the lead single "Read Between My Lines (One Track Mind)" was a subtle and rather lovely dance track, however the second "Lubed Up (Sex Song)" was the most vulgar, explicit thing CeCe recorded. Despite a shocking promo campaign, and a rather unforgettable CD sleeve for "Lubed Up" (Spermy face!) the whole project flopped, with only the album charting at number 40.

Spin soon realised white CeCe Winston wasn't working, and sent her to have plastic surgery. White CeCe emerged looking rather Chinese, but sadly it wasn't enough, and the original (fake) CeCe Elisha Laverne was drafted back in to be the face of what she originally started.

CeCe/Elisha had made her living (having escaped from the attic) writing erotic fiction and being a high class escort. Spin were not pleased about this and the two soon parted. She set up her own record label FILTHY/GORGEOUS which is her home to today. She decided to round off her career so far by releasing her Greatest Hits album SURRENDER!

The album was released with a brand new track promoting it "Where Does My Heart Beat Now?" Which was CeCe's biggest hit literally in years reaching number 18 on a tough week - CeCe was back, and CeCe was black! CeCe/Elisha had also given birth to a second child (father unknown) during her time away - Tracey Winston. However she was given away at birth.

CeCe also charted with "My Name Is Not Susan" (#32) and "Inner City Momma/The CeCe Slide" (#31) - The CeCe Slide was a huge American hit and reached #5 in the Billboard charts.

The Lip Service era: more scandals

CeCe made headlines after losing her right arm in a horrific food blender, then had it sewn back on despite the arm being "dead" - Her arm was amputated after catching a horrible fungal infection.

While promoting her single "Stay Another Summer", the first from her album "Lip Service", CeCe got a replacement arm after having it amputated - a robotic arm. With such interesting promo stunts as becoming a vegan and buying milk, "Stay Another Summer" charted at #11 - CeCe's biggest hit since her first entry "Never Again".

After spending a month in rehab to curb her addiction to calcium, she released the single "Shine On". The week it was released, CeCe got married to a man named Stavros Kehab, and after 26 hours married, CeCe killed him and she was sent to prison. After Mandy Aguilera and Janet Llorenna killed themselves in protest, CeCe escaped from prison.

The promo helped "Shine On" debut at #14 on the singles charts and the album "Lip Service" at #26 on the albums charts. When beginning promo for "Til Death Do Us Disco" she admitted her career was a sham and her robotic arm was false in a live TV interview, and admitted she suffered from Vitiligo, saying "I've been hiding it for a while with copious amounts of fake tan and permanent marker pen, but I feel its now time to stop the charade...I am now white, I have managed to lose all my skin pigment because of the illness"

"Til Death Do Us Disco" surprisingly hit #2 after being released in November 2004, mostly thanks to her "Get Me Top Ten Now" campaign. The success kept coming after her single "Shiny Disco Balls" and remix album "Nightclubbing: CeCe Remixed & Rare" debuted at #1 in January 2005.

Retirement

After continuing to make a name for herself after featuring on CJ Romero's #10 hit "Dirty Videos (Boy On Girl Remix)" and the huge collaboration "Midweek Sex" with Kandi and Alesha which debuted and peaked at #3, she announced her next single, "Nothing Good About This Goodbye/Alone Again" would be her last.

During promo for the single, she won a MOBO Award, launched her own line of poppers (which later were revealed to be toxic, after 700 gays died from using them), launched a campaign to stop junk mail, and hosted the infamous Shit Awards show where Amy Marshall suffered a heart attack. "Nothing Good About This Goodbye/Alone Again" debuted at #9 in February 2005, facing tough competition from Jamie Ashton and Jon Farley, but the next week it rose up to #5.

Backing out on original plans to quit music, CeCe planned to release the single "Disco Detention" on April 4. The single ended up getting canceled, but it was rescheduled for April 18, and then pushed back again to May 2. It debuted at #6 on the charts despite poor promotion; then CeCe announced once again she would quit music and released her final single "discohurts" on June 13 and the greatest hits album "Dance Commander! - The Very Best of CeCe Winston".

It's taken a long time for CeCe Winston's innovation to be recognized, and her recent success has been much deserved. But what would Urapopstar be like today if CeCe had never, ever been around?

Discography

Albums

2003: I Am (#35)
2004: Hot and Wet (#40)
2004: Surrender! The Very Best Of (#24)
2004: Lip Service (#5)
2005: Nightclubbing - CeCe Remixed & Rare (#1)
2005: Dance Commander! - The Very Best of CeCe Winston (#4)

Singles

2001: Never Again (#11)
2003: Never Ever Again (#16)
2003: So In Love With Yourself/Nervous (#29)
2003: Who Will Love Me? (#27)
2003: Never Again (2003 Hyper Mix) (#36)
2003: Shame (#31)
2003: Read Between The Lines (One Track Mind) (DNC)
2004: Lubed Up (Sex Song) (DNC)
2004: Where Does My Heart Beat Now? (#18)
2004: My Name Is Not Susan (#32)
2004: Inner City Momma/The CeCe Slide (#29)
2004: Every Loser Wins (with Kate Given) (#21)
2004: Stay Another Summer (#11)
2004: Shine On (#14)
2004: Til Death Do Us Disco (#2)
2005: Shiny Disco Balls (#1)
2005: Midweek Sex (with Kandi and Alesha) (#3)
2005: Nothing Good About This Goodbye/Alone Again (#5)
2005: Disco Detention (#6)
2005: Discohurts (#8)