Article By Rebecca Johnson // EEW Magazine // Death

Thrice-married gospel singer and comedian, Vickie Winans, who brings joy and laughter to audiences through her songs and comedy, is now sharing her personal grief and sadness with the world.

The 65-year-old GRAMMY® Award-nominated recording artist announced on social media that her “latest husband,” Joe McLemore, passed away on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 24 while golfing.

“I spent 10 years of my life with the sweetest man I have ever met,” said Winans, captioning the pair’s wedding photograph. “We were still the best of friends and we loved each other beyond what the word divorce means. Joe, I will always love you and my soul is gripping in grief! You were so happy for me and the wind beneath my wings! You were never egotistical, narcissistic, nor mean, just a pure sweetheart!”

Though Winans did not specifically share McLemore’s cause of death, she hinted that he had serious health problems, writing, “No more amputations baby, no more pain, no more false hope or anything else.”

Though losing the Detroit-based businessman is painful for one of the hardest-working women in gospel, she is reflecting on some private things McLemore shared weeks before passing on. “I’m hurting so hard, but I know what you told me 3 weeks ago and I’m going to go with that,” she said.

Back in 2011, at a much happier time in her life, the self-described “Lucille Ball” of Christian comedy sat down for a one-on-one exclusive with EEW Magazine’s president, Dianna Hobbs, at Kleinhan’s Music Hall in Buffalo, NY. At the time, she opened up about going through more than her fair share of heartaches but taking it all in stride.

Now she has another emotional storm to weather while reflecting on all the things she will miss.

“I won’t get to dance with you anymore,” wrote a shattered Winans. “We danced so much in our beautiful home! I will always love you.”

Through overwhelming sorrow and “lots of tears,” Winans is still able to find joy in the fact that the great love of her life “passed in a moment’s time doing what he loved most of all in sports,” which is, “playing 18 holes of golf.”

May he rest in peace.