Will Downing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Downing
Downing in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Wilfred Downing
Born	(1963-11-29) November 29, 1963 (age 61) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B, soul, neo soul, jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Peak, Hip-O, GRP, Mercury, Motown, PolyGram, Island

Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and jazz singer and songwriter. He is famous for his smooth voice and has released many albums. So far, he has put out 22 studio albums.

About Will Downing

His Early Life

Will Downing was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His family worked hard. His dad was a skycap at an airport, and his mom was a schoolteacher.

When Will was a teenager, he sang in his school choir. At 16, he started singing short songs called demos for other songwriters. This helped him earn $50 for each song. He went to Erasmus Hall High School and later to Virginia Union University. But he left college after one year to follow his dream of becoming a singer. His parents were not happy at first because his brothers and sisters all had professional jobs.

His Music Career

After college, Will Downing moved back to New York City. In 1983, he became the lead singer for a house music group. He then worked as a backing vocalist for many famous artists. These included Jennifer Holliday, Kool & the Gang, Mariah Carey, and Billy Ocean.

In 1988, Will Downing signed his first recording contract. He released his first solo album, also called Will Downing. This album featured his cover of "A Love Supreme" by John Coltrane. This song became very popular and reached number 4 on the Billboard dance charts.

He later signed with Island Records for his second album, Come Together as One (1989). In 1991, he released “A Dream Fulfilled,” which became his first big success. It included his version of Angela Bofill’s song “I Try.”

Will Downing continued to release albums with different record labels. His album All the Man You Need, released in 2000, was nominated for a Grammy Award. This is a very important music award! In 2002, he received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award for his contributions to music.

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

His Singing Style

Will Downing has a deep, rich singing voice, known as a baritone. Many people have compared his smooth style to that of another famous singer, Luther Vandross.

His Personal Life

Will Downing was married to Revonda Mills from 1987 to 1992. In 2002, he married singer Audrey Wheeler. She was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch.

In 2006, Will Downing was diagnosed with polymyositis. This is a rare disease that causes muscles to become weak. He spent three months in the hospital and used a wheelchair for a while. He also lost a lot of weight. Despite this, he recovered and continued his music career.

Will Downing is a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association. He helps raise money and awareness for this cause. He even holds a charity bowling event called "Strike Against Stroke." This event helps educate the African American community about strokes. The American Heart Association has also recognized him as a celebrity ambassador.

Besides music, Will Downing is also a talented photographer. He published a photography book called Unveiled Series I in 2005. He is also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

• 2021: The Song Garden

Compilations

Singles