 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
CHRIS WILLIS BIOGRAPHY The soaring sounds of talented singer/songwriter CHRIS WILLIS are a testament to his longevity in the music industry. Drawing inspiration from a wealth of sources namely Off The Wall / Thriller era Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, James Ingram and Donny Hathaway, Willis first gained notoriety in 1996 with the release of his spiritually-minded self-titled debut (on indie gospel imprint Star Song). An inspirational collection of supple, r&b-inflected contemporary gospel songs, the album failed to receive commercial success. However, it did establish Chris as a bright newcomer whose unmistakably evident proficiency with the gospel, soul and pop idioms would prove to be invaluable. "Much of my experience and exposure in the music industry has been in Gospel," he explains. "I've always had an undying obsession with melody. My parents exposed me to all kinds of music when I was young...everything from gospel, soul, Top 40 and even oldies. Growing up, I discovered other musical genres that I was passionate about as well like classical, r&b, Rock and Roll and just about everything else. It's no wonder my appreciation and tastes are so broad! My musical heroes are the obvious: Stevie, Michael, Jefferey Osbourne, James Ingram. Thankfully these are the ones people say they hear in my voice. But my favorite of all time is Donny Hathaway. He had an amazing blend passion, pain, joy and reverence in his voice and songs that was so evocative and inspiring to me." It was only a matter of time before several well-known artists and producers began to take notice of the fledgling artist's dynamic vocal abilities and vast musical scope. And before long, the young studio novice established himself as an in-demand session singer and songwriter. From 1996 to the present, Chris performed vocal duties for an impressive list of artists ranging from: American Idol sensations' Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson; gospel notables' CeCe Winans and Take Six; country veterans' Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton; and influential pop legends like Quincy Jones, Desmond Child and Dusty Springfield. Willis' work with Desmond Child from 1998 to 2004, which includes backing vocals on Ricky Martin's multi-platinum Sound Loaded set (Columbia/Sony, 2000), also earned the budding star his first production credit co-producing Parisian Pop Superstars' 2BE3's last album Excuse My French (Edel). His work with the group would lead to an introduction to pioneering French electro-house DJ/producer David Guetta. In 2002, the charismatic NYC-based newcomer burst into the international spotlight as a featured vocalist/collaborator on Guetta's acclaimed debut Just A Little More Love. The album, which included 7 collaborations with Willis, yielded two worldwide club and radio smash singles, 'Just A Little More Love' and 'Love Don't Let Me Go' (which was heralded as an innovative scorcher marrying Moroder's techno-disco style with Depeche Mode's haunting new-wave sound) along with "Distortion" and the underground favorite "People Come, People Go' (which is only included on the European release). The songs announced a resoundingly fresh new voice well-versed in the traditions of classic r&b, gospel and pop, as well as, fluent in the mechanics of contemporary dance and electronic music. Check out the artist's website: http://www.chrisworldentertainment.com Track List: 1. He's Mine 2. You Raise Me Up Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
|