BUFFALO, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall and Soul of Buffalo are pleased to present Will Downing on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
Celebrating an insane 35 years in the “bizness” and with 27 records to his credit, Grammy-nominated R&B | Smooth Jazz singer Will Downing will not be stopped! Flexing on his international appeal, lead single “What Part of My Love” from his new record Soul Rising shot to the top of the UK Soul Chart Top 30 and parked there. With recordings for Island, Mercury, Verve, Motown, Sophisticated Soul and Shanachie Records, Downing is an industry veteran whose silky baritone has been compared to Luther Vandross and Brian McKnight.
Career highlights include the #1 R&B chart-topping album After Tonight (2007) and Classique (2009), which peaked at #22 on the Billboard 100. Downing’s collaborators include a Who’s Who of R&B | Soul | Jazz headliners: Jennifer Holliday, Kool & the Gang, Gerald Albright, Billy Ocean, Regina Belle, and Maysa, among others.
Will Downing was born and raised to a working-class family in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. His father was a skycap at a local airport and his mother was a schoolteacher. As a teen, Downing was a member of a school choir. At age 16, he sang publishing house demos for songwriters who couldn’t sing well, earning $50 each.
In 1988, he 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 classic, “A Love Supreme,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs record chart. Downing switched to Island Records for his second release, Come Together as One (1989).
Downing moved to Mercury Records for his fourth outing, Love’s the Place to Be (1993). All the Man You Need, released on Motown Records, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album in 2000. It included “When You Need Me,” a duet with Chante Moore. In 2002, Downing received the International Association of African-American Music Diamond Award.
In 2023, Will suffered a soul-crushing loss, with the unexpected passing of his daughter Aron Siobhan Downing in January. As a father, he was devastated…heartbroken. As an artist, he sought solace and comfort through his craft, facing the hurt head-on, and exploring multiple themes of love to begin healing. Persevering through the pain, Downing’s soul is rising…literally! The Prince of Sophisticated Soul is proud to share his 7- song masterclass of triumph over tragedy, Soul Rising! Although not a “concept” album, the pieces of Soul Rising fit together beautifully as a single statement in honor and celebration of his eternal love for Siobhan.
Tickets start at $49.50 and go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 12th at 10 AM. Click here for more information.