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"The Downing Supremacy"
| The Downing Supremacy - Sounds like a new Matt Damon thriller. Your pulse quickens; adrenaline surges, anticipating fast paced action and deadly moves by Jason Bourne, an expert in the martial arts, stealth and a host of other skills that keep him alive and kicking, sequel after sequel. The Downing Supremacy, however, is not about a rogue government agent; it’s the story of another man who has mastered the arts of his trade and manages to come out on top time after time. It’s the story of his first Billboard #1 R&B album – After Tonight. The man’s name - Downing... Will Downing.  The story begins in Brooklyn, New York.He graduated Erasmus Hall High School joining the ranks of other luminary Erasmus Hall alumni; Barbara Streisand, Stephanie Mills and music industry execs Kedar Massenburg and Clive Davis. After attending Virginia Union University, Downing returns to New York City and hits the ground running working with Kool and the Gang, Jennifer Holiday, Regina Belle, Billy Ocean and others, grooming his skills for what was sure to come – his own record deal. Predictably, it wasn’t long before he was signed to 4th & Broadway Records for his first solo album - Will Downing. Will has since, distinguished himself by producing one superior collection after another. A Dream Fulfilled, one of his favorites, caught my attention and convinced me that the bar had been raised and a new standard of excellence was set for the R&B/Jazz genre. I asked him if there was a formula he could credit for his success. His reply was modest and simple; “I just do what I do... I do what I do best.” What he seems to do best is select the perfect song, only the best musicians, craft great rhythm arrangements adding just the right production elements, and then the final touch – that inimitable Will Downing sound – the voice. Superior quality requires a superior vision and an expectation of capturing nothing less. Will mastered photography by shear determination and exhaustive trial and error. He recalls, after offering a few comments and suggestions on a photo shoot for his own CD he was challenged by the photographer to get behind the lens if he wanted to try out some of his ideas. He purchased a camera and proceeded to shoot roll after disappointing roll of film until he began to see his vision developing, one print at a time. Today Will is an accomplished photographer, promising to become as successful behind the lens as he is behind the microphone. It’s a standard of excellence that over time propels a name into the pantheon of greats. It’s a consistency of superior performance that sets the champion apart from the common. It’s the demonstration of sheer will and perseverance in overcoming odds and obstacles, well past a point where lesser men might fall. Will has more than demonstrated these qualities. He is currently engaged in a battle with a debilitating muscle condition called Polymyositis which rendered him unable to walk and care for himself as he normally would. By the grace of God, the love of his family and close friends and his own heart of a lion, he is winning. It was while engaged in this battle that Will Downing produced his first Billboard #1 album – After Tonight. From his wheel chair or from his hospital bed, from the very first note to the very last, this man of God, this man of faith, drew upon the power and the heart of his ancestors and emerged not just a superior artist but a new man and without a doubt - a true warrior. This is the story of the Downing Supremacy. Visit: www.willdowning.com |
