Will Downing

Will Downing (born Wilfred Downing, November 29, 1963, Brooklyn, New York), is an American singer, songwriter and 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 back-up singer and was previously a member of the short lived R&B group Unlimited Touch.

Downing enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York. Alumni of the school include record label executives Clive Davis ( who founded Arista Records) and Kedar Massenburg (who later became president of Motown), as well as Academy Award actress and Grammy Award winning singer Barbra Streisand. 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 albums by Jennifer Holiday, Kool & the Gang, Gerald Albright, Billy Ocean, Regina Belle and Mica Paris. Later he sang with 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 No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. 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 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. 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. The album included "When You Need Me", a duet single with Chante Moore. In 2002, Downing received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award.

In December 2006, Downing suffered from polymyositis. Despite the debilitating aspects of the disease, he worked towards releasing a new album in 2010. 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, he 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. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He has been married twice. He is currently married to his second wife. He has three children.

Discography:
1988 - Will Downing
1989 - Come Together as One
1991 - A Dream Fulfilled
1993 - Love's the Place to Be
1994 - Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This with Rachelle Ferrell
1995 - Moods
1997 - Invitation Only
1998 - Pleasures of the Night with Gerald Albright
2000 - All the Man You Need
2002 - Sensual Journey
2002 - Greatest Love Songs
2003 - Emotions
2003 - Collection
2003 - A Million Ways (Remix)
2004 - Christmas, Love and You
2005 - Soul Symphony
2006 - The Best Of Will Downing: The Millennium Collection
2007 - After Tonight
2009 - Classique
2010 - Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel
2011 - Yesterday
2012 - Tomorrow
2012 - Today
2013 - Silver
2014 - Euphoria
2015 - Chocolate Drops
2015 - Black Pearls
2017 - Soul Survivor
2018 - The Promise

Will Downing in the news

	Multi-Platinum Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Smokie Norful Releases Visuals To His Latest #1 Gospel Billboard Chart-Topping Single "I Still Have You" (28/07/2023)
	Legendary Bassist Mark A. Walker Featuring 8X Grammy Winner Trumpeter Phillip Lassiter Collabs In Smooth Jazz Genre (12/07/2022)
	Soulful Sounds International Records Announces New Romantic Release "Together" By Ashley Scott (13/01/2022)
	Philly Soul Singer Ashley Scott Releases New Single "The Thought Of You" On July 30, 2021 (08/07/2021)
	Philly Soul Singer Ashley Scott To Release 'Don't Throw Our Love Away' On April 23, 2021 (30/03/2021)
	Give The Gift Of Great Music: The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre 2020 Jazzy Nights Season Tickets And Seat Licenses On Sale Starting November 29th (27/11/2019)
	Will Downing Releases The First Of Two EP Tributes (23/10/2019)
	Will Downing & William Becton Sing Of An "Amazing" Woman! (01/03/2019)
	Music Means Business In Columbus (14/02/2019)
	Maurissa Rose Announces Live Tribute To Phyllis Hyman (08/11/2018)

More songs by Will Downing

Look At Yourself (In The Mirror) (24|2|80) play video