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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Will Downing| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Wilfred Downing| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1963|11|29| origin = Brooklyn , New York , United States | death_date =| genre = rhythm and blues|R& B , soul music|soul , neo soul , jazz | occupation = Singer-Songwriter , Record Producer|producer | years_active = 1988-present| Instruments = vocals| label = Peak Records|Peak , Hip-O Records|Hip-O , GRP Records|GRP , Mercury Records|Mercury , Motown Records|Motown , PolyGram Records , Island Records|Island | website = http://www.willdowning.com/ www.WillDowning.com Will Downing (born Wilfred Downing , November 29, 1963, Brooklyn , New York ), is an United States|American singer-songwriter and record producer|producer . Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R& B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R& B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s. Downing is married to singer Audrey Wheeler, who has collaborated with various musicians as a backing vocalist|back-up singer .
Biography
Downing enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York. Fellow scholars included the eventual record label executives Clive Davis , who founded Arista Records , and Kedar Massenburg , who later became president of Motown . http://www.blakeradio.com/html/video_lounge/vl_will.shtml Will Downing Bio Downing, who eventually recorded for Motown, graduated with Massenburg in the class of 1981. Downing then attended college at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia . In the mid-1980s he moved back to New York City, and worked on album s by Jennifer Holiday , Kool & the Gang , Gerald Albright , Billy Ocean , Regina Belle and Mica Paris . Later he sang with Arthur Baker (musician)|Arthur Baker 's group, Wally 'Jump' Junior. Downing then used Baker as a producer after he signed with Island Records .
In 1988, Downing signed a recording contract with 4th & Broadway Records, and his first solo album, Will Downing , was released that same year. His version of the John Coltrane piece, " A Love Supreme ", reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp? cfi=359& cfgn=Singles& cfn=Hot+Dance+Club+Play& ci=3007981& cdi=6397026& cid=01%2F07%2F1989 Hot Dance Club Play Downing stayed with 4th & Broadway for just one album and switched to Island Records for his second release, Come Together As One (1989).
Switching labels to Mercury Records|Mercury 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 United Kingdom|UK . http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/downing-will-biography eNotes: Will Downing He remained with Mercury for two more albums, Moods in 1995 and Invitation Only in 1997, both of which sold well. All the Man You Need received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R& B Album in 2000.
In 2002, Downing received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award. http://www.iaaam.com/IAAAMCelebrationPhotoGallery.html International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award
Since December 2006, Downing has suffered from polymyositis , that has left him unable to walk and confined to a wheel chair.Citation needed|date=January 2012 Despite the debilitating aspects of the disease, he worked towards releasing a new album in 2010. http://abilitymagazine.com/Will_Downing.html Will Downing -- Will Power, ABILITY Magazine Dec/Jan 2007-08 Issue Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel was released in September that year.
Beyond performing, Downing is a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association . On tour, Downing conducts the charity bowling event, Strike Against Stroke, to raise funds towards awareness and education in the African American community, which is disproportionately affected. The American Heart Association recognized Downing for his efforts, honoring him as a Celebrity Ambassador. He is also a keen photographer, and self-published the 2005 coffee table book Unveiled Series I .
Selective discography
Expand section|Chart singles|date=September 2008
Year
Title
Genre
Label
2011
Yesterday
R& B
Will Downing
2010
Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel
R& B, Jazz
Concord
2009
Classique
R& B, Jazz
Concord
2007
After Tonight
R& B
Peak
2006
The Best Of Will Downing: The Millennium Collection
http://www.willdowning.com/ Will Downing official Web site
http://www.wlatalent.com/roster/will_downing/artistprofile.htm Will Downing at http://www.wlatalent.com Wenig-LaMonica Associates
http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/590/wil_downing_still_supreme/ Will Downing interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2010
http://www.jazzreview.com/articleprint.cfm? ID=748 Will Downing's Sensuality, Music, and Other Matters of Fact
http://abilitymagazine.com/Will_Downing.html Will Downing Interview with ABILITY Magazine
Persondata | NAME =Downing, Will | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = November 29, 1963 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Downing, Will Category:1963 births Category:People from Brooklyn Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American male singers Category:Smooth jazz musicians Category:Virginia Union University alumni Category:Living people Category:Island Records artists Category:Verve Records artists Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Motown artists
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