Viola Wills R.I.P.

[the disco kid]

Another shining light from the disco-era has passed away.
God Bless you Viola, and thank you for your amazing musical memories that you left to us.

from her website: Viola Wills

It is with great sadness that Vi's family report Viola passed peacefully away after a long illness, May 6th 8.27am Pacific Time. Viola leaves behind six children - Vincent, Christopher, Regina, La Donna, David and Rejal, 21 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Viola's favourite saying to her family was always "Aim for the sky and always dare to dream" Vi's service will be held at the Angeles Memorial Park, 1515 E Compton Blvd, Compton, Ca, 90221 at 11.30 on May 15 2009 - all are welcome. On Viola's behalf her family wish a special heartfelt thanks to all of Vi's fans over the years, whom, Vi always said, allowed her dreams to come true.

[needlefingers]

How very sad.

One of my very favorites.







Goodbye dear girl. Your voice saved me many a night.


http://www.violawills.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Wills

[drlove]

How truly sad ! Her outstanding 1980 disco cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" was, in my opinion, one of the best ballad-to-disco transformations ever (ranking up there with Donna Summer's re-working of "MacArthur Park").

The 1998 "three divas" success of the newly-recorded version for the film 54 wouldn't have been possible if Viola hadn't paved the way.

Incredible beauty, stellar voice . . . you will be missed, Ms. Wills

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

:icon_cry: heartbroken and speechless...

[discokicks]

Very sad news....I'm certain that Viola Wills and her music plays an important part in many of our lives here.

I was introduced to her music after I came out in the early 80s. She seemed to be a special favourite of gay guys and this opened up a whole new world that I'd been missing. I remember being a bit overwhelmed when I heard her cover of Gonna Get Along Without You Now. I knew the song from an old Skeeter Davis 45rpm that my sister had (didn't think anyone else knew it) and Viola just made it all the more special!

Then there was the particular Viola Wills favourite of the owner of the club where I first started djing. He had a separate bin of his 12" singles that I could dip into and mix in whenever I wanted so Ms. Wills' Always Something There To Remind Me became a club staple...many times being my closeout tune and many times seeing the club owner (R.I.P.) and his partner dancing.



A suitable song title for special times...her songs and her voice will always be honoured. Interestingly enough, a few months ago I discovered the recent 7th Heaven club mix of a Wills song called Enjoy Yourself which I think she had recorded in the last few years....a great song by the way!

R.I.P. Viola.....thanks for the great tunes.

[thommy2458]

"If You Could Read My Mind" could bring me to tears on the dancefloor-
what a loss.


Thom

[SandraDee]

I remember watching Viola on daytime TV in '79 performing 'Gonna Get Along Without You Now' which was a big pop hit here & thinking how fab she was. Viola appeared here in Manchester a couple of years ago at a gay pride weekend; I only went to see her & she came on very late & unfortunately I had to go home as I was too tired to stay.:icon_sad: Now I'll never see her...:icon_cry:

[Charlie Windle]

Very sad, love her album(every track) and stll play it often.:icon_cry: R.I.P.

[Zef]

Oh my god thats so sad I did not know she was ill. I happened to have lunch with her about 3-4 years ago when believe it or not she was living in Brighton England. I first met her because she used the library I was working in (strange but true). She had a Jazz residency here for a while and was excited about some new material she was working on and her new website. She was also amused that 'If you could read my mind' was going through a major revival at a couple of hip clubs in London. After we had lunch she did something that maybe a Diva should not have done which I won't divulge but I thought it was funny.

R.I.P
Viola.
:icon_cry:

[Dayna]

So sad..
Such a beautiful and talented lady that was full of life..
We will miss You Vi...........
Rest in Peace and sing with the rest of the Disco Angels..

[Videoskooter]

Viola always looked so sweet! And of course her great Music will stay with us.

R.I.P., Miss Wills.

[Andy Farley]

Sad news indeed , RIP thank you for the music

[Summerlover]

I happened to have lunch with her about 3-4 years ago when believe it or not she was living in Brighton England.

R.I.P
Viola.
:icon_cry:

That figures then, because around that time she seemed to be popping up all over London doing p.a's. I saw her at an after-hours club Beyond belting out "If you could.." & she had all the clubkids who probably didn't know who she was roaring with appreciation.
My partner saw her entertaining at a lush party he went to around that time & was similarly impressed..

What a sad loss
:0(

[rhessel]

:icon_cry:

[Disco Funk]

Her website said she was 69 years of age when she passed! That would have made her around 40 when she hit it big in the late 70s/early 80s. She must have been a late bloomer. I guess, as they say, better late than never.

RIP.

Disco Funk

[pepper1dancer]

Thank God for Disco, Thank God for the beautiful Viola Woods.........Sing with the other Angels now.

[remicks]

*****

Makes me recall fondly the hootin' and a hollerin' on a crammed dance floor 3:oo AM or so at the Troc:

STORMY WEATHER

It had a special sound to it ... an exotic elegance ..... enhanced by Viola's steamy vocals

produced by
Aristides Jacobs (?)
who did nothing prior (??) and nothing since (??)

RIP Viola Wills
thanks for the memories

*****

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

So sad..
Such a beautiful and talented lady that was full of life..
We will miss You Vi...........
Rest in Peace and sing with the rest of the Disco Angels..

I believe Dayna will concur that, from '79 thru to '90, Vi was considered an Honorary South-Floridian.
Between Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Tampa, Vi spent a couple months, about twice-a-year, workin' up & down the state. And wherever she played (Copa, Backstreet, The Seagull, Uncle Charlie's, etc,...) she played at least twice a year. And that's not counting every Benefit show, Charity Event, Fundraiser, etc... that Vi made it to. (I've honestly never heard of Vi turning-down a request for help in raising money.) So, by being around her so often, you got to feel like you knew her. But actually, you didn't know any more than the next person. She just made you feel like you were her buddy.

She was one of few entertainers who preferred the company of Bar people. And being away from home for long stretches,
in every city, Vi had people she always counted on.

I can't remember Vi having a backing-track of "Stormy Weather", to perform with. (I think the 12" instrumental didn't match the phrasing & structure of the vocal) So, wherever she performed, she'd sing over the DJ's copy of the song. And most DJs used the DiscoNet version of it. So they'd start it in her show, without her knowing which version it was.

A few times, she'd come-in too early. Then she'd stop singing, point at the DJ booth and say something really catty, to get the crowd all worked-up. Then come-in with the vocal, where it dose on the DiscoNet. She was always a good sport about it. And learned the entire DiscoNet version, so she wouldn't be fooled.

I guess my memories are a bit obscur, at the moment.
I was lucky enough to have been, even if only for a short time, someone Vi counted on.:icon_sad:

[Dayna]

I believe Dayna will concur that, from '79 thru to '90, Vi was considered an Honorary South-Floridian.
Between Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Tampa, Vi spent a couple months, about twice-a-year, workin' up & down the state. And wherever she played (Copa, Backstreet, The Seagull, Uncle Charlie's, etc,...) she played at least twice a year. And that's not counting every Benefit show, Charity Event, Fundraiser, etc... that Vi made it to. (I've honestly never heard of Vi turning-down a request for help in raising money.) So, by being around her so often, you got to feel like you knew her. But actually, you didn't know any more than the next person. She just made you feel like you were her buddy.

She was one of few entertainers who preferred the company of Bar people. And being away from home for long stretches,
in every city, Vi had people she always counted on.

I can't remember Vi having a backing-track of "Stormy Weather", to perform with. (I think the 12" instrumental didn't match the phrasing & structure of the vocal) So, wherever she performed, she'd sing over the DJ's copy of the song. And most DJs used the DiscoNet version of it. So they'd start it in her show, without her knowing which version it was.

A few times, she'd come-in too early. Then she'd stop singing, point at the DJ booth and say something really catty, to get the crowd all worked-up. Then come-in with the vocal, where it dose on the DiscoNet. She was always a good sport about it. And learned the entire DiscoNet version, so she wouldn't be fooled.

I guess my memories are a bit obscur, at the moment.
I was lucky enough to have been, even if only for a short time, someone Vi counted on.:icon_sad:

Yes I certainly will~!!
We always Loved her at The Copa..and i'm sure every where else in S.Fla she performed she was loved too.She would work the Poop Deck as well..The Children LIVED~!!.OMG The SeaGull..I haven't thought about that VERY interesting place in 4ever~!!..what a cruisey joint that was:icon_razz:I can see how she would and could count on you Moose~!!
How the seagull looks today..

[disco1999]

thanks for the disco heritage you've left us, rip Viola

[drh]

Another loss for soul music, there are so many great performers, who passed away too early. I mean 69 nowadays is not very old. Violas tunes "Gonna get along" und "If you could read my mind" are timeless classics. I love her singing the line "You told everybody that we are friends, but this is where our friendship ends" (Aha Oohoo Gonna get along without you now).

[garrybcoston]

Memories of dancing to her music many a year ago brings back memories of the late 70's and early 80's. Disco was on the way out, but there were a few artists that hung on into the mid 80's and Viola Wills was one of them. "If you could read my mind" was one of my favorites; didn't really like the arrangement of Stormy Weather but Viola's voice could make a trash arrangment sound astounding. We'll miss you Viola and hope you made it back home.

Garry

[Cdnbob]

OMG! I just read this news. How sad. One of my fave disco singers. She'll be missed.

[srg]

I am so so sad about her loss...and ours!!

The lyrics she sang in "If You Could..." seem to have a new meaning for me...

"And when you reach the part
Where the heartaches come
The heroine would be me

But heroines often fail...:icon_cry::icon_cry:"

Rest In Peace, Vi.

[Voyage]

Just found out about Viola's passing, and it's very sad news! "If You Could Read My Mind" (her version) is one of my all time favorites and a song that brings back lots of memories to me...one of the first songs I listened to when I discovered disco. "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" is another favorite.

May she rest in peace and she'll always be alive thanks to her music, thanks Viola for the music and memories!

I'm sure she's in heaven's Studio 54 singing with the other gone Disco legends and partying with Steve & company.