How does an artist or his work withstand the test of time?
A famous designer once said: “I love things that age well – things that don’t date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best” – Giorgio Armani
While he was most likely referring to his own sartorial prefer-ences, that quote is a perfect summation of one particular artist and his body of work…”The Prince of Sophisticated Soul” Mr. Will Downing. More than his considerable sales and accolades, this quote may hold the perfect key to best measure his ever growing legacy. Think about it…as in the quote…the music of Will Down-ing has aged well, doesn’t date, has stood the test of time and over the course of 32 years & 22 albums his career he has un-questionably become a living example of the absolute best that smooth R&B and Soul has to offer.
Indeed it is time to give this man his due, time to recognize his unique stature amongst today’s male vocalists. Time to fully ap-preciate…yes the very time and effort put into the process of consistently fusing classy romantic lyrical content with quality musical production. While we’re at it,…it’s even time we created new adjectives to describe the very voice that is Will Downing!
Downing has certainly put in his time! Before signing with Island Records in the 80’s, he received his first national exposure as a much sought after backing vocalist. He recorded two albums with modest success domestically before his self-titled Will Downing release spawned a major hit in the U.K. with a Top Ten charting cover of “A Love Supreme” catapulting the album to platinum sales there.
Downing’s big stateside breakout album, A Dream Fulfilled , in 1991 perfectly showcased his distinctive baritone vocals and be-gan to unveil his gift as a song interpreter with an array of diverse tracks such as War’s “The World Is A Ghetto”, Paul Davis’ “I Go Crazy” and a stunning version of Angela Bofill’s “I Try”. Both the “I Try” single and album hit the Urban Top 25 Charts with critical acclaim.
A Dream Fulfilled began a period of musical identity for Downing and led a string of successful albums that focused on smooth, ballad driven romantic music. While greatly influenced by his friend the late Luther Vandross, Downing was actually creating his own brand of love music that was less urban and more jazz influenced. Despite the stylistic comparisons and contrasts, he shared Luther’s sensibilities and flare for singing to women on a truly emotional and romantic level. Throughout the 90’s and early 00’s, Downing recorded frequently on multiple record labels and became a fixture at the top of the contemporary jazz charts, courtesy of a number of solid releases. Quite possibly the crown jewel of this era was a jazz infused album of duets with saxophonist Gerald Albright, Pleasures of the Night , while his lone album on Motown, All the Man You Need , garnered a 2001 Grammy Nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album .
Will Downing has persevered through the good times and the not so good times. In early 2007, he contracted the rare muscular disease Polymyositis, which sidelined him for most of the year. It was a devastating and debilitating condition which landed Down-ing in a wheelchair and caused him to lose nearly 100 pounds. Despite the setback, Will was determined to complete his debut album for Peak Records, After Tonight , for which he had already recorded four songs prior to his illness. 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 move from chair to bed to complete a vocal piece. But out of this situation came another five wonderful songs, including the album’s gem, “God Is So Amazing,” a simple, melodic testimony of unshakeable faith during truly difficult times. In June 2009, a fully recovered Downing returned with a creative vengeance with Classique , teaming with longtime collaborator Rex Rideout to rediscover their studio magic. Indirectly, the release made the emphatic statement that Will Downing was back! This was further cemented in 2010 when Downing conceived a unique “audio novel” concept entitled Lust, Love and Lies , which detailed a romantic relationship going through various stages, mixing spoken language and humorous interludes with a very strong collection of original songs (and one cover) to tie together an engaging storyline.
In more recent years, Will cleverly released a series of limited edition EPs across 2011- 2012 to feed his fan base a constant flow of great new music and then celebrated an amazing 25 year anniversary in the music business with 2013’s apply titled Silver . The album was an incredible musical milestone and included an instant wedding classic entitled “The Blessing”. Spring 2014 was ushered in with the release of Euphoria , which managed to dis-play a somewhat new Will Downing sound. Featuring a slightly stripped down “acoustic-lounge” production approach, the project pulled the listener in for an even more intimate experience, which was perfectly exemplified by the album’s first single, a fresh and unique take on the Teddy Pendergrass bedroom classic, “Turn Off The Lights”. This period formed a deep emotional connection with the listening public if online music resource SoulTracks Reader’s Choice Awards is any indication, as Will Downing was honored in 2012 for Song of the Year (“The Blessing), 2013 for Song of the Year (“You Were Meant Just For Me” feat. Avery Sunshine) and voted 2014 and 2019 Male Artist of the Year. His latest release ROMANTIQUE is a tribute to Baritone Vocalist (BARRY WHITE, ISAAC HAYES, Larry Graham, Jon Lucien etc….). There are very few vocalist in general maintaining the in-tegrity of R & B in its Classic form this gentleman is leading the way. He is truly ”The Prince of Sophisticated Soul”. WILL DOWN-ING!!!!
This is a standing show. Presented by Soulgigs.