Will Downing

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American singer and songwriter (born 1963)

title: "Will Downing" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1963-births", "20th-century-african-american-male-singers", "20th-century-american-male-singers", "20th-century-american-singers", "21st-century-african-american-male-singers", "21st-century-american-male-singers", "american-baritones", "american-contemporary-r&b-singers", "american-male-jazz-musicians", "american-neo-soul-singers", "american-ballad-musicians", "erasmus-hall-high-school-alumni", "island-records-artists", "living-people", "mercury-records-artists", "motown-artists", "singers-from-brooklyn", "smooth-jazz-singers", "verve-records-artists", "virginia-union-university-alumni"] description: "American singer and songwriter (born 1963)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Downing" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American singer and songwriter (born 1963) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameWill Downing
imageWill Downing 2019.png
captionDowning in 2019
backgroundsolo_singer
birth_nameWilfred Downing
birth_date
birth_placeBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
genreR&B, soul, neo soul, jazz
occupationSinger, songwriter
instrumentVocals
years_active1986–present
labelPeak, Hip-O, GRP, Mercury, Motown, PolyGram, Island
website
::

| name = Will Downing | image = Will Downing 2019.png | caption = Downing in 2019 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Wilfred Downing | birth_date = | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | genre = R&B, soul, neo soul, jazz | occupation = Singer, songwriter | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 1986–present | label = Peak, Hip-O, GRP, Mercury, Motown, PolyGram, Island | website =

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

Biography

Early life

Downing was born and raised to a working-class family in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Downing attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York, Downing then attended college at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia for one year but dropped out to pursue a music career. His parents were not happy with his decision to leave school; all of his siblings had professional jobs.

Career

After college, Downing moved back to New York City. In 1983, he was the vocalist for a house music group. 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.

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", Downing switched to Island Records for his second release, Come Together as One (1989). 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). In 2002, Downing received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award.

He released Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel in 2010.

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

Artistry

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Discography

Studio albums

::data[format=table] | Year | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications / Notes | US | US R&B | US Jazz | US Con. Jazz | UK | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1988 | Will Downing | — | — | — | — | 20 | | | | 1989 | Come Together as One | — | 62 | — | — | 36 | | | | 1991 | A Dream Fulfilled | — | 22 | — | — | 43 | | | | 1993 | Love's the Place to Be | 166 | 24 | — | — | — | | | | 1995 | Moods | 139 | 23 | — | 3 | — | | | | 1997 | Invitation Only | 127 | 30 | — | — | — | | | | 1998 | Pleasures of the Night (with Gerald Albright) | 169 | 36 | — | 1 | — | | | | 2000 | All the Man You Need | 100 | 25 | — | — | — | | | | 2002 | Sensual Journey | 90 | 11 | — | 2 | — | | | | 2003 | Emotions | 92 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | | | | 2004 | Christmas, Love and You | — | 40 | 4 | 3 | — | | | | 2005 | Soul Symphony | 85 | 18 | — | — | — | | | | 2007 | After Tonight | 37 | 1 | — | — | — | | | | 2009 | Classique | 22 | 3 | — | — | — | | | | 2010 | Love, Lust, & Lies: An Audio Novel | 42 | 11 | — | — | — | | | | 2013 | Silver | — | 62 | — | — | — | | | | 2014 | Euphoria | — | 40 | 3 | 2 | — | | | | 2015 | Chocolate Drops | — | — | 9 | 2 | — | | | | 2016 | Black Pearls | — | 10 | — | — | — | | | | 2017 | Soul Survivor | — | 19 | — | — | — | | | | 2018 | Promise | — | — | — | — | — | | | | 2021 | Sophisticated Soul | — | — | — | — | — | | | | "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | | | | | | | | | ::

EPs

  • 2021: The Song Garden

Compilations

::data[format=table] | Year | Album details | Chart positions | Note | US R&B | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2002 | Greatest Love Songs | 78 | | | | A Love Supreme – The Collection | — | | | | | 2006 | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Will Downing | 32 | | | | 2014 | Collection | — | | | | "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table] | Year | Single | Peak chart positions | US Dance | US R&B | UK | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 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

References

  1. Wynn, Ron. "Will Downing". [[AllMusic]].
  2. (July 14, 1996). "Q AND A BROOKLYN-BORN R&B SINGER WILL DOWNING". [[New York Daily News]].
  3. Davis, Chanel. (October 25, 2023). "Will Downing: The Prince of Sophisticated Soul". [[Yes! Weekly]].
  4. Fingerman, Sara Anne. (December 4, 2014). "Patti Labelle Wows NYCB Theatre at Westbury With Soulful, Endearing Performance [Review]". [[Long Island Press]].
  5. Linden, Amy. (September 26, 1993). "POP BRIEFS". [[The New York Times]].
  6. (October 30, 2020). "Will Downing's Family and Celebrity Friends". [[Essence (magazine).
  7. Armonaitis, Dan. (November 22, 2017). "Will Downing brings 'Soulful Sounds of Christmas' to Greenville". [[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]].
  8. Roeback, Tacuma. (July 7, 2023). "Will Downing on His Daughter's Tragic Death and Mental Health Awareness". [[The Chicago Defender]].
  9. Mogeni, Rodah. (November 29, 2023). "Tragic death of Will Downing's daughter, Aron Siobhan: The untold story". [[Briefly.co.za]].
  10. "Will Downing - BILLBOARD 200".
  11. {{cite certification
  12. "Will Downing Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF.
  13. "WILL DOWNING - full Official Chart History". [[Official Charts Company]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1963-births20th-century-african-american-male-singers20th-century-american-male-singers20th-century-american-singers21st-century-african-american-male-singers21st-century-american-male-singersamerican-baritonesamerican-contemporary-r&b-singersamerican-male-jazz-musiciansamerican-neo-soul-singersamerican-ballad-musicianserasmus-hall-high-school-alumniisland-records-artistsliving-peoplemercury-records-artistsmotown-artistssingers-from-brooklynsmooth-jazz-singersverve-records-artistsvirginia-union-university-alumni