CeCe Peniston

CeCe Peniston
Peniston in March 2012
Born
Cecilia Veronica Peniston

(1969-09-06) September 6, 1969 (age 55)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Alma materPhoenix College
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Years active1991–present
Spouses
Malik Byrd
​
​
(m. 1992; div. 1993)​
Frank Martin
​
​
(m. 2003; div. 2011)​
PartnerMarcus Matthews (2015–16)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websitececepeniston.com
Signature

Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (/siːˈsiː ˈpɛnɪstən/; born September 6, 1969)[1] is an American singer and former beauty queen.[2] In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song "Finally" reached the number 5 spot on the Hot 100[3] and number 2 in the UK Top 75.[4]

Peniston has performed at private engagements for Aretha Franklin's private birthday party in Detroit, Michigan, Pope John Paul II in Rome at the Vatican (as a member of the gospel band Sisters of Glory) and the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, during both of his inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C.[5] She was the first foreign female entertainer to perform in post-apartheid South Africa.[5][6] According to Peniston, her vocal range vacillates between "five to seven octaves".[7]

In February 2011, Peniston signed a record deal with West Swagg Music Group/Bungalo Records, with full distribution through Universal Music Group Distribution, and announced release of a new solo album 15 years after her last studio set (I'm Movin' On from 1996 on A&M Records).[8] By the end of the year, however, only three digital singles had been issued including a new song called "Stoopid!",[9] and two cover versions of her prior hits, "Keep On Walkin'" and "Finally".[10][11]

In December 2016, Billboard magazine listed her among the 100 Top Dance Club Artists of All Time (as the 52nd).[12]

  1. ^ Who's Who Among African Americans > Peniston, CeCe (22nd ed.). Detroit, Michigan, London: (Gale Research). 2008. p. 939. ISBN 9781414400204. Retrieved March 17, 2011. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul, Virgin Encyclopedias of Popular Music. (Random House). p. 259. ISBN 9780753502419. Retrieved March 17, 2011. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ "CeCe Peniston > Chart History". Billboard. (Nielsen Business Media). Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  4. ^ "The Official Charts Company > CeCe Peniston > Singles and Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  5. ^ a b "About Us > Female Vocalists > CeCe Peniston". First Class Entertainment. web.archive.org. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  6. ^ "On Air with Tony Sweet: Listen on Demand > Interviews with Lara Johnson, Tevin Campbell & CeCe Peniston". LA Talk Radio. (LA Talk Radio). September 4, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Iannacci, Elio (June 29, 2014). "Divine Diva Meter: CeCe Peniston". Xtra. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "Music > Notes: CeCe Peniston recently signed with West Swagg Music Group". InMag.com. (In! Communications). March 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  9. ^ "CeCe Peniston Doesn't Age: Presented by Red Planet Blue Moon". redplanetbluemoon.com. (Red Planet Blue Moon Productions, LLC). March 2, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference kof was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "CeCe Peniston featuring Joyriders > Finally: Remixes". iTunes. Apple. October 3, 2011. itunes.apple.com. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  12. ^ "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 1, 2016. billboard.com. Retrieved January 28, 2017.