Will Downing

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Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and jazz singer and songwriter.[1] He has released 22 studio albums.

Biography

Early life

Downing was born and raised to a working-class family in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.[1] His father was a skycap at a local airport and his mother was a schoolteacher.[1] As a teenager, Downing was a member of a school choir.[1] At age 16, Downing sang demos for publishing houses for songwriters who couldn't sing well, earning $50 each.[2] Downing attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York,[1] graduating in 1981 along with future Motown Records president Kedar Massenburg.[3] Downing then attended college at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia for one year but dropped out to pursue a music career.[1] His parents were not happy with his decision to leave school; all of his siblings had professional jobs.[2]

Career

After college, Downing moved back to New York City. In 1983, he was the vocalist for a house music group.[2] He was then a backing vocalist on albums by Jennifer Holliday, Kool & the Gang, Mariah Carey, Gerald Albright, Billy Ocean, Regina Belle and Mica Paris and later sang with Wally "Jump" Junior.[3][1]

In 1988, Downing signed a recording contract with 4th & B'way Records, and released his first solo album, Will Downing. It included a cover version of the John Coltrane piece, "A Love Supreme",[1] which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs record chart.[4] Downing switched to Island Records for his second release, Come Together as One (1989).[1] In 1991, he then released “ A Dream Fulfilled “, which was his first commercial success, and included his rendition of Angela Bofils “ I Try “.

He switched labels to Mercury Records for his fourth outing, Love's the Place to Be (1993).[1] He remained with Mercury for two more albums, Moods (1995) and Invitation Only (1997), both of which sold well.[1] All the Man You Need, released on Motown Records, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album in 2000. The album included "When You Need Me", a duet single with Chante Moore.[5] In 2002, Downing received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award.[6]

He released Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel in 2010.[1][7]

In 2014, he was the opening act for Patti LaBelle.[8]

Artistry

Downing is a baritone. He has often been compared to Luther Vandross.[9]

Personal life

From 1987 to 1992, Downing was married to Revonda Mills. In 2002, Downing married singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch.[10]

In December 2006, Downing was diagnosed with polymyositis, a rare disease occurring most often in black males, in which inflammation causes debilitating muscle weakness. He was hospitalized for three months, used a wheelchair, and lost 100 pounds.[3][1]

Downing is a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association. On tour, he conducts the charity bowling event, Strike Against Stroke, to raise funds towards awareness and education in the African American community. The American Heart Association recognized Downing as a celebrity ambassador.[11]

Downing is also a keen photographer, and self-published the coffee table book Unveiled Series I in 2005.[6]

Downing is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Downing's daughter, Aron Siobhan Downing, died by suicide on January 11, 2023, at the age of 31. She had suffered from bipolar disorder, had depression and some schizophrenia.[12][13]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details Chart positions Certifications / Notes
US
[14] 		US R&B
[4] 		US Jazz
 US Con. Jazz
[4] 		UK
[15]
1988 Will Downing
  • Released: March 1988Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: IslandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — — — — 20
1989 Come Together as One
  • Released: October 24, 1989Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: IslandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 62 — — 36
1991 A Dream Fulfilled
  • Released: March 5, 1991Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: IslandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 22 — — 43
1993 Love's the Place to Be
  • Released: August 3, 1993Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: MercuryScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 166 24 — — —
1995 Moods
  • Released: November 7, 1995Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: MercuryScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 139 23 — 3 —
1997 Invitation Only
  • Released: October 28, 1997Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: MercuryScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 127 30 — — —
1998 Pleasures of the Night
(with Gerald Albright)
  • Released: September 29, 1998Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Verve ForecastScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 169 36 — 1 —
2000 All the Man You Need
  • Released: July 18, 2000Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: MotownScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 100 25 — — —
2002 Sensual Journey
  • Released: May 7, 2002Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: GRPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 90 11 — 2 —
2003 Emotions
  • Released: October 14, 2003Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: GRPScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 92 9 2 2 —
2004 Christmas, Love and You
  • Released: November 9, 2004Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2005 Soul Symphony
  • Released: October 5, 2005Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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 85 18 — — —
2007 After Tonight
  • Released: October 30, 2007Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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 37 1 — — —
2009 Classique
  • Released: June 16, 2009Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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 22 3 — — —
2010 Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel
  • Released: September 14, 2010Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: PeakScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 42 11 — — —
2013 Silver
  • Released: February 8, 2013Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Sophisticated Soul / WD ProductionsScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 62 — — —
2014 Euphoria
  • Released: March 11, 2014Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Sophisticated Soul / WD ProductionsScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 40 3 2 —
2015 Chocolate Drops
  • Released: March 31, 2015Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Sophisticated Soul / WD ProductionsScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — — 9 2 —
  • R&B #22
2016 Black Pearls
  • Released: July 8, 2016Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: ShanachieScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 10 — — —
2017 Soul Survivor
  • Released: September 22, 2017Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: ShanachieScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — 19 — — —
  • R&B #8, Indie #33
2018 Promise
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  • Label: ShanachieScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — — — — —
2021 Sophisticated Soul
  • Released: November 1, 2021Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Sophisticated SoulScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 — — — — —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

EPs

  • 2021: The Song Garden

Compilations

Year Album details Chart positions Note
US R&B
[4]
2002 Greatest Love Songs
  • Released: January 15, 2002Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Hip-O / IslandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 78
A Love Supreme – The Collection
  • Released: September 2, 2002 (UK)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: SpectrumScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 —
2006 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Will Downing
  • Released: June 6, 2006Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: Hip-O / UMeScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 32
2014 Collection
  • Released: November 24, 2014Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Label: ConcordScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
 —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US Dance
[17] 		US R&B
[17] 		UK
[15]
1988 "A Love Supreme" 4 77 14
"Sending Out an S.O.S" ― 45 ―
"In My Dreams" ― ― 34
"Free" ― 48 58
1989 "Where Is the Love" (with Mica Paris) ― ― 19
"Test of Time" ― 35 67
1990 "Come Together as One" 40 50 48
"Sometimes I Cry" ― ― ―
"Wishing on a Star" ― ― ―
1991 "I Try" ― 13 ―
"The World Is a Ghetto" ― ― 83
"I Go Crazy" ― 37 ―
"Something's Going On" ― ― ―
"Don't Make Me Wait" ― ― ―
1993 "There's No Living Without You" ― 57 67
1994 "Love's the Place to Be" ― ― ―
"Break Up to Make Up" ― 66 ―
1995 "Just to Be with You" ― ― 98
"Sorry, I" ― 45 ―
1997 "I Do Believe" (from Cats Don't Dance Soundtrack) ― ― ―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

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External links

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