Will Downing
New York-born Will Downing was an in-demand session singer during the late '70s, appearing on recordings by artists including Rose Royce, Billy Ocean, Jennifer Holliday and Nona Hendryx. The soul singers’ career was really launched when he met producer/performer Arthur Baker (b. Boston, Massachusetts, USA) in the mid-80s. This led to him joining Baker's group Wally Jump Jnr. And The Criminal Element, whose other members included Brooklyn-bred Wally Jump, Craig Derry (ex- Moments and Sugarhill Gang), Donny Calvin and Dwight Hawkes (both ex-Rockers Revenge), Rick Sher (ex-Warp 9), Jeff Smith, and the toasting pair Michigan and Smiley. After a spell with Wally Jump Jnr. recording for Baker's Criminal Records label, Downing secured a solo deal with Island and recorded his debut album in 1988 with Baker producing. The first release under Downing's own name was A Love Supreme (4th & Broadway 1987) which set lyrics to one of John Coltrane's most famous compositions. The single reached number 1 in the UK, while his first album, produced by Baker, was a Top 20 hit. He had further hits with In My Dreams and a re-make of the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway duet Where Is The Love, on which he partnered Mica Paris. Downing himself produced the second album, co-writing tracks with Brian Jackson, Gil Scott-Heron's collaborator. Neither this nor A DREAM FULFILLED, on which Barry J. Eastmond and Wayne Braithwaite co-produced, was able to approach the popularity of his debut.