Marvin Winans was born the third of 10 children to David and Delores Winans.Marvin Winans sang in the 1980s and 1990s with his brothers Ronald, Carvin and Michael as a member of The Winans. The Winans, who were discovered by Andrae Crouch, released their first album, entitled Introducing The Winans, in 1981.

He also played keyboards, wrote songs, and produced for The Winans records, for solo projects from family members, and on other gospel releases. For his vocals on the 1985 song "Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay", Winans was awarded a Grammy for Best Male Soul Gospel Performance.

Winans, a pastor, founded The Perfecting Church in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1990s, and released an album with the church's choir in 1992 entitled Introducing Perfect Praise. A second album, Friends, appeared in 2001.

His 2007 release, Alone but Not Alone, was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.