Will Downing

Wilfred " Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is a Grammy Nominated American singer and songwriter with a distinctive rich baritone voice, that has fueled an incredibly accomplished and durable career. Known affectionately as "The Prince of Sophisticated Soul", Downing has released an incredible 25 albums over parts of the last 5 decades.^[1][2][1]

Biography[]

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Downing's vocal gifts caught the early attention of faculty while enrolled at local Erasmus Hall High School,well known for producing some of the music industry's top performers and executives. Alumni of the school include record label executives Clive Davis (founder of Arista Records), Kedar Massenburg (past president of Motown Records), singers Stephanie Mills, Shaggy, James “D-Train” Williams and Barbra Streisand to name a few. Downing graduated along with Massenburg in the class of 1981 and as fate would have it, the two would ironically be reunited on the Motown label years later as artist and executive. Together on the Motown label in 2000 they released the album “All the Man You Need” which received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album.

Downing attended college at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia before choosing to move back to New York City to attend Brooklyn College while pursuing his music career. He received his first national exposure as a much sought after backing vocalist with the likes of Mariah Carey,The O'Jay's, Billy Joel, Gerald Albright, Billy Ocean, Regina Belle, Rachelle Ferrell, Mica Paris and a host of other artists (see AllMusic.com for complete discography). Downing also served as a ghost lead vocalist on many dance recordings such as Pilot “You Are The One” on Prelude Records, N.V. "Let Me Do You" on Sire Records , R.T & the Rockmen Unlimited "I Want To Go To Chicago and with The Goon Squad for the movie The Goonies before signing with Arthur Baker's group, Wally 'Jump' Junior and the Criminal Element on Criminal Records. After only modest success with Baker, Downing signed his first solo deal in 1988 with Island Records and their U.K. sister label 4th and Broadway, where his self-titled first release, Will Downing spawned a major Top Ten hit in the U.K. with a cover of “A Love Supreme” (co-produced with Arthur Baker) catapulting the album to platinum sales there while reaching No.4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart stateside. However, the singles "Free" from the same album and "Wishing On A Star" from his second album Come Together as One began to firmly establish Downing as a premiere balladeer and masterful song interpreter. As such, it was his turn on the Angela Bofill hit "I Try" on his third album, A Dream Fulfilled that paved the way for the recognition and fandom that he continues to enjoy to this day.

After switching labels to Mercury Records for his fourth outing,1993's Love's the Place to Be, Downing scored his best-selling album to date with about 235,000 copies sold in the United States and over 300,000 copies in the UK. After many years of great success and multiple label deals, Downing started his own Sophisticated Soul imprint which serves as his preset day creative hub.

In December 2006, Downing was diagnosed with the rare and crippling auto-immune disorder polymyositis. It was a devastating and debilitating condition which landed Downing in a wheelchair. Despite the setback, Will was determined to complete his debut album for Peak Records, After Tonight. Incredibly, during the Spring of 2007, he worked from his home, putting down vocals despite severe weakness and fatigue. He would later say “it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done”, as the effort required that he painstakingly be moved from wheelchair to hospital bed to complete a vocal piece. His efforts were rewarded divinely when After Tonight reached #1 on the Billboard Charts.

After being fully unable to record or perform for several years, Downing persevered through massive treatment and hospital care to walk again and make a triumphant return to the stage in 2009. While there remains no cure for the disorder, Downing manages the effects and is able to continue to do what he loves and does best.

Off stage, Downing has served as a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association. While on tour stops, he conducted an original charity bowling event, "Strike Against Stroke", to raise funds towards awareness and education of stroke and heart disease in the African American community, which is disproportionately affected. The American Heart Association recognized Downing for his efforts, honoring him as a Celebrity Ambassador. Downing is also an excellent photographer, and self-published the 2005 coffee table book Unveiled Series I . He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and for more than 10 years, has produced a weekly radio show entitled “The Wind Down” which has recently been picked up for broadcast in 25 markets worldwide. Downing is married to singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch and has three children (Will Jr., Aron Siobhan & Aja).

Discography[]

Albums[]

2021 The Song Garden Sophisticated Soul Records

Compilations[]

Singles[]

References[]

External links[]

• Will Downing official website
• Interview with Ability Magazine