Viola Wills
Viola Mae Wilkerson, a.k.a. Viola Wills, was born in the Watts section of Los Angeles. At age eight, after winning a scholarship in a talent contest, she enrolled in the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music where she studied piano under the auspices of Earl Vorhees.
Her first leap into the recording industry was with Barry White, who recorded her first single Lost without the love of my guy. During this time, she met James Gadson who noticed her songwriter abilities and encouraged her efforts. He later became her songwriter partner and introduced Viola to many aspects of and prospects in the music business. It was James' involvement that led to a meeting with Gloria Jones, a Motown artist and songwriter. Gloria invited Viola to join her singing group who were later to become the Sanctified Sisters. Their first tour was with Joe Cocker. After touring with Joe Cocker and the Sanctified Sisters, Viola was asked to do her first solo album, Soft Centers by Nigel Thomas, of Good Ear Records. The album consisted only of Viola's original songs.
She then toured Europe, via her agent/manager Stuart Lyon, promoting her album, building a following in the pop and jazz circuits. Viola debuted her first backing band at Ronnie Scott's, a jazz club in London. During this time Vi expanded her act to include her teenaged children. They were billed as Viola Wills and The Iveys. They toured Europe, South America, and opened for such acts as Smokey Robinson, George Benson, and The Moments. Then she toured on her own with The Crusaders.
Still waiting for her big original hit, she was introduced to Jerry McCabe, Dennis Bovil, Nick Straiker, Phil Towner and John Kpiaye. She reluctantly agreed to record a cover version of Gonna get along without you now. It went to the top of the charts all over the world. Right on the wheels of this hit came the album If you could read my mind, which sported the title single and a third single release, Up on the roof. Her productions company, Hansa records, licensed the album to Ariola/Arista records for worldwide distribution. Deciding it was time to base her recording company in the U.S., Viola returned to America to record a dance version of Stormy weather which became a major club hit of the 80s. She was now firmly established in the dance market as a Disco Diva.
Viola's love and respect for the disco audiences grew stronger and deeper with each release, but the ache to perform her own songs still persisted. This feeling led to the production of her next album release, Space. Space, mostly a collection of original compositions, was an extreme departure from the high energy remakes the disco audiences were accustomed to, but it gained a new audience for Viola. Then, a single from the album, Walls, was licensed to Wide Angle Records. Inspired by this new relationship, she wrote and produced her next Album Dare to dare. This proved a real breakthrough as the little song became a major chart topper in Europe.
You still can see Viola Wills touring the European circuit.
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