This is intended to be a homage to very many musicians I've loved since I started listening to music. My intention is to tell what I know about them, hoping that those people who like them too, will help me fill numerous gaps, which I may have in their careers and discographies. Sorry, but there are no MP3 audio files here at all, just info (and love for the musicians).


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Wednesday 16 December 2009

Viola Wills (vocals)


BANDS:
  • Gonzalez
  • Joe Cocker Band
  • Barry White Band
  • Viola Wills Band

BIOGRAPHY:

Great vocalist, she was born on December 30th, 1939.


BARRY WHITE BAND


She started working for Barry White (before he was so famous).


JOE COCKER


Around 1972, this was the Chris Stainton Band that backed Joe Cocker:
JOE COCKER BAND #
Joe Cocker
vocals
Neil Hubbard
guitar
Alan Spenner
bass
Chris Stainton
keyboards
Jim Price
trumpet
Bobby Keys
sax
Jim Horn
sax
Felix Flaco Falcon
percussion
Jim Keltner
drums
Jim Karstein
drums
Viola Wills
backing vocals
Virginia Ayers
backing vocals
Beverley Gardner
backing vocals
And I don´t have more details, so any info would be very appreciated.
This was the Chris Stainton Band that backed Joe Cocker in the tour of 1972:

JOE COCKER BAND #?
1972
Joe Cocker
vocals
Neil Hubbard
guitar
Alan Spenner
bass
Chris Stainton
keyboards
Rick Alfonso
trumpet
Fred Scerbo
sax
Felix Flaco Falcon
percussion
Jim Keltner
drums
Alan White
drums
Viola Wills
backing vocals
Gloria Jones
backing vocals
Virginia Ayers
backing vocals
Beverley Gardner
backing vocals


VIOLA WILLS BAND


From 1974 to 1976, Steve York backed Viola Wills several times. This was the usual lineup:
VIOLA WILLS BAND #
Viola Wills
(vocals, keyboards)
Jackie McAuley
(guitar)
Steve York
(bass)
Dave Wilkinson
(keyboards)
Rick Parnell
(drums)


GONZALEZ


This is the lineup for Gonzalez in August 1974:
GONZALEZ #
Viola Wills
(vocals)
Gordon Hunte
(guitar)
DeLisle Harper
(bass)
Roy Davies
(keyboards)
Ron Carthy
(trumpet)
Chris Mercer
(sax)
Steve Gregory
(sax, flute)
Mick Eve
(sax)
Bud Beadle
(horn)
Allan Sharpe
(percussion)
Steve Ferrone
(drums)
This is the lineup for Gonzalez in October 1975:
GONZALEZ #
George Chandler
(vocals)
Viola Wills
(vocals)
Gordon Hunte
(guitar)
Robert Ahwai
(guitar)
Larry Steele
(bass)
Roy Davies
(keyboards)
Ron Carthy
(trumpet)
Chris Mercer
(sax)
Mick Eve
(sax)
Malcolm Griffiths
(trombone)
Bobby Stignac
(percussion)
Glen LeFleur
(drums)
Richard Bailey
(drums)


And then...


She sadly passed away on May 6th, 2009, after a long illness.

DISCOGRAPHY: (16 albums known to me - Status: In progress)

OWN ALBUMS (5 credits)
  • Soft centers - Viola Wills (1974)

    • Members: (RIP: Viola Wills)
    • Guests: Virginia Ayers, Beverley Gardner, Tim Hinkley, Jim Horn, Neil Hubbard, Jim Karstein, Bobby Keys, Henry McCullough, Jim Price (RIP: Alan Spenner)
  • Without you - Viola Wills (1979)

  • Gonna get along with you - Viola Wills (04/1995)

  • Enjoy yourself - Viola Wills (02/2007)

  • Dare to dream - Viola Wills (04/2008)

OWN COMPILATIONS (2 credits)
  • Gonna get along with you now - the best of Viola Wills - Viola Wills (11/1995)

  • The Essential Viola Wills - Viola Wills (04/2006)

ALBUMS AS A BAND MEMBER (3 credits)
  • Something to say - Joe Cocker (12/1972)

    • Members: Rick Alfonso, Virginia Ayers, Joe Cocker, Beverley Gardner, Jim Horn, Neil Hubbard, Conrad Isidore, Gloria Jones, Jim Keltner, Fred Scerbo, Chris Stainton, Alan White (RIP: Felix Flaco Falcon, Alan Spenner, Viola Wills)
    • Guests: (RIP: Rebop Kwaku Baah)
    • Producer: (RIP: Denny Cordell)
  • Our only weapon is our music - Gonzalez (1975)

    • Members: Robert Ahwai, Bud Beadle, Lance Dixon, Mick Eve, Ken Freeman, Steve Gregory, Malcolm Griffiths, Preston Heyman, Gordon Hunte, Glen LeFleur, Godfrey McLean, Chris Mercer, Allan Sharpe, Larry Steele, Bobby Stignac, Lenny Zakatek (RIP: Ron Carthy, Roy Davies, Viola Wills)
  • Live in LA - Joe Cocker (12/1976)

    • Members: Virginia Ayers, Glenn ´Ross´ Campbell, Joe Cocker, Beverley Gardner, Jim Horn, Neil Hubbard, Conrad Isidore, Jim Karstein, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Jim Price, Chris Stainton (RIP: Felix Flaco Falcon, Alan Spenner, Viola Wills)
    • Technical: Steve Nye
COMPILATIONS AS A BAND MEMBER (3 credits)
  • Greatest hits - Joe Cocker (1978)

    • Members: Rick Alfonso, Virginia Ayers, Nicole Barclay, Chuck Blackwell, Joe Cocker, Rita Coolidge, Cornell Dupree, Beverley Gardner, Jim Gordon, Neil Hubbard, Bobby Jones, Gloria Jones, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Sandy Konikoff, Claudia Lennear, Henry McCullough, Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore, Pamela Polland, Don Preston, Jim Price, Bruce Rowland, Leon Russell, Fred Scerbo, Chris Stainton, Bobby Torres, Donna Washburn, Donna Weiss, Alan White (RIP: Tommy Eyre, Felix Flaco Falcon, Nicky Hopkins, Carl Radle, Alan Spenner, Viola Wills, B J Wilson)
    • Guests: Madeline Bell, Ben Benay, Bonnie Bramlett, Merry Clayton, Joe Correro, Sunny Leslie, Shirley Matthews, Dave McDaniel, Jimmy Page, Sam Rivers, Sid Sharp (RIP: Milt Holland, Patrice Holloway, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Clarence White)
  • Boss soul - the genius of Barry White - Barry White (08/1998)

    • Members: (RIP: Barry White, Viola Wills)
    • Guests: (RIP: Johnny Wyatt)
    • Producer: (RIP: Bob Keane)
    • Technical: Charlie Watts
  • The Anthology - Joe Cocker (08/1999)

    • Members: Virginia Ayers, Nicole Barclay, Chuck Blackwell, Mitch Chakour, Rita Coolidge, Cornell Dupree, Gordon Edwards, Steve Gadd, Beverley Gardner, Cliff Goodwin, Jim Gordon, Howie Hersh, Jim Horn, Neil Hubbard, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Sandy Konikoff, Ann Lang, Albert Lee, Claudia Lennear, Henry McCullough, Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore, Pamela Polland, Don Preston, Jim Price, John Riley, Bruce Rowland, Leon Russell, Kenny Slade, Chris Stainton, Bobby Torres, Donna Washburn, Donna Weiss (RIP: Tommy Eyre, Felix Flaco Falcon, Eric Gale, Nicky Hopkins, Carl Radle, Alan Spenner, Richard Tee, Viola Wills, B J Wilson)
    • Guests: Wally Badarou, Adrian Belew, Madeline Bell, Ben Benay, Stu Blumberg, Bonnie Bramlett, Gary Brown, Ollie E Brown, Artie Butler, Clem Cattini, Mikey Chung, Merry Clayton, David Cohen, Joe Correro, Sly Dunbar, Wilton Felder, Venetta Fields, Matthew Fisher, Jay Graydon, Phil Guilbeau, Rosetta Hightower, Stix Hooper, Carol Kaye, Mike Kellie, Clydie King, Trevor Lawrence, Sunny Leslie, Steve Madaio, Shirley Matthews, Dave McDaniel, Jimmy Page, David Paich, Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Barry Reynolds, Sam Rivers, Joe Sample, Robbie Shakespeare, Sid Sharp, Big Jim Sullivan, Jennifer Warnes, Steve Winwood, Mona Lisa Young (RIP: Barry Beckett, Leroy Cooper, Hank Crawford, Milt Holland, Patrice Holloway, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, David ´Fathead´ Newman, Jeff Porcaro, Clarence White)
    • Producer: Chris Blackwell, Stewart Levine, Allen Toussaint (RIP: Denny Cordell, Mike Leander, Alex Sadkin)
    • Technical: Glyn Johns, Eddie Kramer, Tony Visconti (RIP: Henry Lewy)
SESSIONS (3 credits)
  • I never got - Tony Kelly (1975)

    • Members: Tony Kelly
    • Guests: Dyan Birch, Dave Brooks, Frank Collins, Mel Collins, Mick Cox, Neil Hubbard, Nick Judd, Paddy McHugh, Micky Moody, Terry Stannard, Chrissie Stewart, Mick Weaver (RIP: Jo Ann Kelly, Viola Wills)
    • Producer: Bruce Rowland
  • All funked up - Snafu (1975)

    • Members: Brian Chatton, Colin Gibson, Bobby Harrison, Tim Hinkley, Micky Moody, Terry Popple
    • Guests: Mel Collins, Liza Strike (RIP: Viola Wills)
  • Love on my mind - Brian Parrish (1976)

    • Members: Brian Parrish
    • Guests: Howie Casey, Brian Chatton, Mick Eve, Dick Parry, Jerome Rimson, Liza Strike, Peter Van Hooke, Pete Wingfield (RIP: Viola Wills)

RELATED MUSICIANS:

Viola Wills mostly worked with these musicians: (name + number of credits)
Neil Hubbard (6)
Virginia Ayers (5)
Beverley Gardner (5)
Alan Spenner (5)
Felix Flaco Falcon (4)
Jim Horn (4)
Jim Keltner (4)
Bobby Keys (4)
Jim Price (4)
Chris Stainton (4)

Page created by Miguel Terol on: 16/December/2009 - Last modified on: 25/January/2010. If you want to contribute with info, please write to: molympus1@gmail.com

1 comment:

  1. You can find out more about Bobby Torres (Joe Cocker) at his website: http://www.bobbytorres.com

    If you happen to be in Portland check out his band, the Bobby Torres Ensemble.

    ReplyDelete

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