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It's been a while since we've seen Alyson Williams. In the early 1990s, she had major success with “Just Call My Name”, a smash hit that spent an amazing 67 weeks on the Billboard charts. Back then, she was known for her stylish presentation and her soulful sound. Though almost a decade has passed, she hasn't changed at all. Alyson continues to bring stylish soul to her fans, some of whom have been with her through the storm and back, while others are just beginning to discover her. But, all are satisfied that she's back!
Alyson was born in Harlem , NY , to a swing band leader and a dancer turned nurse. Headstrong and boisterous, from an early age Alyson's personality foretold the story of an entertainer. Though her voice is phenomenal, Alyson actually began her career by showcasing a different talent. She began dancing at four years old and her lithe movements and ability to work rhythms won her a dance scholarship to Marymount Manhattan College .
While enrolled at Marymount, she realized another talent and began to fervently pursue musical theater with a hope that, one day, she'd land on Broadway. In time, she would perform in over 12 hit musicals, including a Broadway run of “Rollin' on the TOBA One Mo' Time” and the 25 th Anniversary Revival of the “Wiz” with George Faison, the first African American choreographer to earn a Tony award.
After her days at Marymount, Alyson spent time at the Aaron Davis Center for Performing Arts at City College of New York and then at the Institute of Cinema Artists (INCA). She spent days learning about the arts from her college professors, and nights learning about the real world of music from the mouths of jazz legends like John Lewis, of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
At 20 years old, Alyson landed a once in a lifetime internship as the receptionist for the legendary Commodores, which led to a job as the personal assistant to the band's celebrated manager, Benny Ashburn. While in this position, she did session work for the Commodores as well as R&B diva Melba Moore, Whodini and Eveylyn “Champagne” King. She also teamed up with rap pioneer Kurtis Blow, singing sultry background behind Kurtis' rap classics. As a result of her collaboration with Kurtis, Alyson gained further industry experience when Kurtis entrusted her to recruit R&B acts like Audrey Wheeler and Jocelyn Brown for his harmonies.
Alyson then played out her dreams of a career in the forefront of R&B when she was featured on two full-length albums as one-third of High Fashion, an R&B group recording on Capitol Records. Naturally, this led Alyson to desire a solo career and she made history, becoming the first R&B artist to be signed by Russell Simmons' label, Def Jam. Hitting the mainstream hard, Alyson released two albums on Def Jam. Her debut album, Raw , recorded in the same studios where LL Cool J and Public Enemy were birthed, featured her hit single, “Just Call My Name”. This album was met with critical acclaim, went gold in the U.K. and only Madonna matched her weeks spent on the Billboard charts that year.
Despite these remarkable achievements, creative differences caused Alyson to drift from Def Jam and on to another creative outlet. She turned her attention to urban theater, singing and acting in R&B, gospel and comedy plays, traveling to New York , Detroit and L.A. with many stops in between. She starred in feature roles, including a role as R&B legend Phyllis Hyman in a play called “Thank God the Beat Goes On.” Alyson even took a successful stab at stand-up comedy, landing a gig at New York Caroline's on Broadway, one of the country's most renowned comedy clubs. This turn back to theater and toward comedy allowed Alyson to hold out until the right label came calling.
And come calling it did! In the late 1990s, Alyson met jazz pianist Marcus Johnson when he came to one of her shows at Nell's, a New York entertainment industry hot spot. The Alyson/Marcus partnership first started when he invited her to perform with him on Black Entertainment Television's (BET) BET on Jazz channel. Their collaboration on Marcus' single, “Morning Light” got major play on smooth jazz radio stations nationwide. The Marcus/Alyson creative partnership allowed her the opportunity to be the featured vocalist on three of Marcus' albums. Their partnership has finally progressed to the completion of Alyson's latest solo album, It's About Time , to be released on Marcus' Three Keys Music label on April 20. It all comes full circle.
It's About Time is a collection of songs that tell a love story. A mix of R&B and jazz, the album offers something for everyone and the lyrics are universal. Alyson, who co-wrote five of the songs progresses down the manic path of a passionate relationship, opening with boy-meets-girl, moving on to the moment the wedding is called off, to making it from day-to-day in the wake of a breakup, to eventually and painfully moving on. Her fans have been waiting for more Alyson and, with this release, she certainly doesn't disappoint.
Alyson's path up to this point hasn't been a straight one. Her quest to find herself musically has taken her all over the place. She's traveled from the “Chittlin' Circuit” to the Broadway stage. From the royal palace of the king of Morocco to the top of the Billboard charts. But, despite the ups and downs of her journey, she has finally arrived – and It's About Time ! |