Ce Ce Peniston

Ce Ce Peniston

Ce Ce Peniston is an American singer and songwriter from Dayton, Ohio, whose work spans dance, pop and soul, with a strong association with house music. Born Cecelia Peniston in 1969, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of nine and later attends Trevor Browne High School and South Mountain High School there. She also enters beauty pageants and is crowned Miss Black Arizona in 1989.

Career

Peniston begins her recording career in 1990 when she signs to A&M Records. Her first wider exposure comes through guest vocals on female rapper Overweight Pooch’s 1991 single “I Like It”. She then achieves international success in 1991 with her debut single “Finally”, which becomes one of the best-known dance singles of the period and sells three million copies worldwide.

She goes on to become one of the most successful dance club artists of her era, with multiple number-one entries on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Her studio albums are Finally (1992), Thought Ya Knew (1994) and Movin’ On (1996). A fourth studio album with a gospel focus is planned for 1998, but the deal does not happen.

Later releases

During the 2000s, Peniston continues to release singles with mixed chart results. Among her more successful releases are “Lifetime To Love”, which reaches number two on the U.S. dance chart in 2001, “Deeper Love”, which reaches number 14 in 2005, and “Shame Shame Shame”, which reaches number 23 in 2007. In 2010 she releases the songs “Above Horizons” and “In Love with a DJ”, followed in 2011 by the pop/R&B track “Stoopid”.

In 2011, “Finally” is reissued with remixes to mark its 20th anniversary. In 2012, she returns with the single “Celebrate”.

Associated act

Peniston is also a member of Sisters of Glory.