Viola Wills

Viola Mae Wilkerson (December 30, 1939 – May 6, 2009), She started her career at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and, over the following years, in addition to working with White, also performed with Joe Cocker, Smokey Robinson and many other established recording artists of the era. While working in London as one of Cocker's backing vocalists (dubbed the "Sanctified Sisters"), she worked on and released her solo debut album of self-penned originals, titled Soft Centers, backed by Cocker's session players.

Later career Wills' first major break into the mainstream came in 1979 with her cover version of "Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now" (the song's release date was May 14, 1979), which started a string of dance hits. Her vocals also featured on My Friend Sam's 1992 house track "It's My Pleasure", which later appeared on Renaissance: The Mix Collection (1994).

Personal life and death On February 21, 1982, in Hennepin County, Minnesota, she married Robert Chappell Ashmun. This was her second marriage. In 1983, the new husband and wife formed the record label RVA (Robert Viola Ashmun).

Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009, in Phoenix, Arizona. Her funeral was held at the Macedonia Abbey Baptist Church in Los Angeles on May 15, 2009.

Soft Centers

If You Could Read My Mind

Space

Dare to Dream

Compilations Year Title Label AUS UK AUS NLD BEL FRA 1966 "I Got Love" / "Lost Without the Love of My Guy" — — — — — — — 1967 "Don't Kiss Me Hello and Mean Goodbye" / "Together Forever" — — — — — — — 1969 "I've Got News For You" / "Sweetback" — — — — — — — 1974 "Day in the Life of a Woman" / "Some Other Day" — — — — — — — 1977 "Let's Love Now" / "Let's Love Now" (Disco Version) — — — — — — — 1979 "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" / "Your Love" 52 8 37 3 7 2 38 From the album If You Could Read My Mind; label: Hansa Certification: BPI: Silver 1980 "If You Could Read My Mind" / "Up on the Roof" 2 — 80 — 5 23 — From the album If You Could Read My Mind; label: Hansa 1980 "Love Letters" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Charly Records 1981 "I Can't Stay Away From You" / "If You Leave Me Now" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Hansa 1982 "Stormy Weather" 4 — — — — — — non-album single; label: Sunergy 1982 "The More I See You" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Perfect 1983 "Space" — — — — — — — from the album Space; label RVA Records 1984 "If These Walls Could Speak" — — — — — — — from the album Space; label: Wide Angle 1985 "Both Sides Now" / "Dare to Dream" — 35 — — — — — from the album Dare to Dream; label: Wide Angle 1985 "Tune In For Lovin'" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: RCA 1986 "Hot for You" / "Love Transfusion" — — — — — — — from the album Dare to Dream; label: Wide Angle 1987 "These Things Happen" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Wide Angle 1987 "Reggae High" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Island 1989 "Love Pains" — — — — — 27 — non-album single; label: Music Man Records 1989 "Don't Stop the Train" (b/w Phyllis Nelson version) — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Public/CBS 1992 "It's My Pleasure" (My Friend Sam feat Viola Wills) — 77 — — — — — non-album single; label: Ex-It/IRS 1993 "I Can See Clearly Now" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: MFS Records 1994 "No News Is News" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: XYZ Music 1994 "A House Is Not a Home" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: XYZ Music 1994 "Something Always There to Remind Me (remix)" — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Radio Wave Records/BMG 2012 "Chemical Attraction" (with Wayne Numan) — — — — — — — non-album single; label: Lybra Records "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.