5 questions for: Will Downing

His silky voice glides over audiences like fine chocolate melted over plump fruit. Will Downing--the man whose smooth vocals can ease your loneliness or inspire romance--has released a delicious new CD called Soul Symphony. Like his idol, Luther Vandross, who Downing admits, "had a heavy, heavy influence on my sound," he stands apart as a ballad-belting enigma. Believe it or not, there's a lot more to the man than his melodic voice--even though that's more than enough for his fans.

1. Soul Symphony is your 12th CD. At what age did you discover your voice?

It was in junior high school. I wasn't the one to really discover it. I was in the chorus, and the teacher would walk up and down the aisle that I was in and she kept stopping next to me. She finally said, "I hear something in your voice that I really like.' I had hoop dreams. By the time I got home, she had called my house to talk to my parents.

2. "Will Still Loves You" is a single on the CD that you co-wrote and dedicated to hardworking, romance-deprived single mothers. Why? Lots of women come to my show. People feel that I am very approachable, and I am. When they talk to me, I hear the same story over and over again: 'I'm here by myself. I have a few kids at home and I don't get out much, but your songs really soothe me.' I hope the song empowers them and lets them know that I am still here, and they can make it.

3. Are love songs making a comeback?

I think artists are starting to realize that they don't go out of style. The key to my longevity--I won't say to my success, but my longevity--is that I know what I can do best--ballads and mid-tempo songs.

4. You have been married for three years. Are you as romantic in real life as your music would imply?

You'll have to ask my wife. In some ways I am very normal. I am more of a verbal person than a doer. My wife sings too. So many times we end up singing to each other. She is definitely my best friend. We have a 9-year-old child. So singing to [each other] satisfies the need [as parents] we have to find time for those special moments ... If you listen to "Heart of Mine" [on the new CD], that song is written for my wife.

5. In your new book, Unveiled, how do you blend your two interests--music and photography?

Basically, most of my subjects are musicians. For the last eight or nine years, whenever I do a show with someone, I do my set, change clothes, grab my camera and start shooting. The book, Unveiled, is basically the backstage settings and portrait settings of people like Chaka Khan, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright and Frankie Beverly.

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COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
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