American singer Viola Wills died last Wednesday, May 6, 2009, after a short illness.
Viola Wills was born Viola Mae Wilkerson on December 30, 1939, in the Watts area of south Los Angeles. She was discovered in 1965 by Barry White, who signed her to his Bronco Records label. Viola also attended the Los Angeles Conservatory, where she studied classical piano. She worked with Joe Cocker and Smokey Robinson, among others.
Her biggest breakthrough came in 1979 with the hit “Gonna Get Someone Without You Now”, a cover of Teresa Brewer’s version. The song reached number seven in the Dutch Top 40. Another big hit on the list was “If You Could Read My Mind”, a cover of Gordon Lightfoot. She also wrote her own songs, including “Dare To Dream”. She even made it into the Guinness Book of Records in the UK.
Viola is the mother of six children: Vincent, Christopher, Regina, Madonna, David and Rejal. She is the grandmother of 21 grandchildren and the great-grandmother of eight great-grandchildren.
Viola Wills’ funeral will take place next Friday, May 15, at Macedonia Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Viola Wills is 69 years old.
(08-05-2009)
“Falls down a lot. General tv buff. Incurable zombie fan. Subtly charming problem solver. Amateur explorer.”
