OK, I was gonna post this shit in the Faith thread, but fuck it, it deserves it's own thread.

You know, I have been saying this for years, and motherfuckers don't pay heed, but I will continue to say it: CeCe Peniston. Definitely born in the wrong time and place. She could have been one of the world's greatest gospel singers in another era. But, man, it's tough when wack groups like Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary are getting over today. Check out the two tracks she did on the "Sisters of Glory" compilation which came out back in 1996. As well, for some reason, CCP has this thing for really, really awful ballads that completely hide how fucking amazing she is. Go figure. She is supremely talented vocally - and utterly clueless in terms of direction. The stuff she did with Steve Hurley was incredible, on her own I don't think she has the first damn clue how to bring out the best in herself. After house had it's pop moment in the sun in the early 90s, she tried doing bullshit radio R&B, which immediately killed her mainstream dance music/R&B career. Since then she has put out the occasional house 12", which at times were off the chain - see "He Loves Me 2" on Silk Records from 1999. Supposedly around 2000, she was going to release a FULL LP of dance shit with Steve Hurley, but from what I heard it never materialized. Now, career-wise she is just very barely hanging on the radar as a C-list gay icon. What a shame. Such a huge talent, she deserved far better. There's just simply no place in today's black music landscape for someone like her. Not even in gospel music! I really believe when she was at her best, she was up there in Chaka Khan terroritory - and you need only the fingers on one hand to count the number of singers that can honestly be said about.

I like CeCe. I really do, but honestly? I never thought her voice was that great. When she first hit with Finally, I thought it was a new song by Tevin Campbell. She sounded like a teenage boy. She made some great music, but for me it was never her voice that made it great.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Tevin Campbell?

LOL.

That's hilarious.

Don't hear it myself, but that is funny.

Like I said, most people don't agree with me.

nah...not up there with chaka...

but she is much better then the current pop/dance divas.

I liked CeCe Penniston. They used to play her on Fade To Black quite a bit. I think she was kinda stuck between two formats, R&B and Club/Dance Music, and she didn't really completely fit into either, perhaps more towards the later. She did have a great voice, I can't imagine "Finally" or "Keep On Walkin" being sung by anyone else. She ripped through those songs effortlessly.

sosgemini said:

True LOL - but she has got the for-real fire in her. And she should have done greater things than *just* be remembered as a way above-average dance diva, IMO.