Saturday Night worthy remix of a popular dance track:
Chris Willis – Love Is Gone (Joachim Garraud Remix)
Bio on Chris Willis:
With the flash of Thriller-era Michael Jackson, the smooth quality of James Ingram, the pop sensibility of Stevie Wonder and the soulful sound of Donny Hathaway, Chris Willis is a bright reflection of his influences.“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 and Rock and Roll,” says Willis. He first gained notoriety in 1996 with the release of his self-titled gospel debut album, but it was his proficiency with gospel, soul AND pop idioms that would prove to be invaluable.
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. Taken under the wing of Bob Bailey, Vicki Hampton and Donna McElroy -vocalists that performed on his album — Willis learned the finer points of enhancing the performances of others with carefully crafted background vocal work. 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 to gospel notables CeCe Winans and Take Six to country veterans Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton to influential pop legends like Quincy Jones, Desmond Child and Dusty Springfield.
Willis’ work with Desmond Child from 1998 to 2004 included backing vocals on Ricky Martins multi-platinum Sound Loaded set and earned Willis his first production credit co-producing Parisian Pop Superstars 2BE3’s last album Excuse My French. 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” (used on the Victoria’s Secret TV special) and “Love Don’t Let Me Go.” Just A Little More Love went on to sell over 250,000 copies worldwide introducing Willis to a welcoming dance music community that was starving for a commanding new male voice.
This was most evident when Guetta and Willis embarked on an extensive club tour in support of the album. Chris proved to be a force to reckon with; a confident live performer possessing a powerful voice and an electrifying stage presence that captivated audiences across the globe. Of his work with Guetta, Willis says “David encourages me to explore all of the different sides of myself under the blanket of dance music. I can be the gospel singer, the pop singer, the Rock and Roll singer all at once!”
In 2004, Willis once again teamed up with Guetta for the artists sophomore set Guetta Blaster. Willis eagerly arose to the challenge of adapting Guettas new musical environment. Against a backdrop of sweltering, state-of-the-art dancefloor grooves, the natural vocal powerhouse delivers some of his most infectious, poignant and formidable tunes such as the reflective “Used To Be The One,” “Stay” and the contagious single “Money.” Lightning struck a third time with Willis’ work on Guetta’s Pop Life.
Pop Life’s smash hit single “Love Is Gone” won a 2007 World Music Award and is currently racing up the radio charts in the USA after a successful run in Europe. More hits are coming from Guetta and Willis — “Love Don’t Let Me Go (walking away),” “Everytime We Touch” and the next European single “Tomorrow Can Wait” are on deck and will reach dance floors everywhere soon. The duo have made a video for “Tomorrow Can Wait” that will debut soon.
WEBSITE: www.chrisworldentertainment.com
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/chriswillismusic
