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Bio #1 | Bio #3 Fast Facts From: Sing365.com
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"You see a white, blonde girl who’s 18 years old and you think that I’m going to sing like you expect someone who looks like me to sing and that I’m going to say what the world wants a young girl to say only I’m flipping it on you," challenges Willa. "As one unity, we’ve all decided that any kind of person can sing any kind of music. I love R&B and I love pop. That’s where my heart is." Willa’s forthcoming Lava/Atlantic debut is truly a gift. It’s as provocative as it is relatable, showcasing her exceptional vocal talents and knack for penning lyrics that matter and grooves that inspire. "I believe in destiny. From the day I was born, this is what I was put on this earth to do," says Willa. "My family and friends all knew there was something kind of different about me." The youngest of four, Willa was born and raised in Ruskin, Fla., a southern suburb of Tampa. She grew up on a produce farm, racing four wheelers and go-carts across her family’s land and sailing the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico on her parents boat, the Mandy Lee. "I was the biggest tomboy. I refused to wear dresses," Willa laughs. "My kindergarten teacher used to make fun of me because my mom would send me in a cute little outfit and pigtails, but by the end of the day, I looked like a munchkin Tina Turner, my hair was everywhere, my face was dirty and I had stains all over my clothes." When she was just 5, Willa got the first taste of her future: A friend of the family started playing the piano and out of nowhere, the little girls with a big voice joined in and started singing a harmony. At 11, she turned pro. "My Grandmother knew how important singing was to me," Willa explains. "She cut out an article from the newspaper looking for girls to be a part of this group called Entertainment Review in Tampa. I auditioned, and I got in. I sang, danced, did everything I could." As Willa excelled as a performer her love of music grew. As a child, she was influenced by pop stars like Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and Duran Duran, but discovered R&B as a teen, embracing and learning from artists like Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, En Vogue, Destiny’s Child, Silk, Shai and Az Yet. But her biggest influences remain the same: "My mom [who is also a singer], and the people around me, the older girls in Entertainment Review. We fed off each other, " Willa says. The Southern girl also professes her intense love for old-school rock groups including Chicago and Air Supply. "I really want to remake the Air Supply song, ‘All Out of Love,’" Willa admits. At 16, the high-school honor student with a 4.25 gpa parted ways with Entertainment Review and decided to go after her dream of becoming a solo artist. She briefly considered perusing career as an opera singer (That’s Willa belting it out at the end of her song "Somebody Take the Pain Away"), but when a friend in the business convinced a scout from Los Angeles to see what the world was missing everything changed, literally overnight. The day after seeing Willa perform she was on a plane to LA. Willa has collaborated with a diverse group of writer and producers in crafting her debut album. While she writes most of her own lyrics, she’s found that working with talents such as Travon Potts (Monica’s "Angel of Mine"), Zomba Music’s K&S, Rhone and Haynes (Lil’ Kim) and DJ Skribble and Anthony Acid have made her voice sound even stronger. "When I talk and when I sing, I’m speaking the truth. I tell it like it is straight up, that’s me. And my lyrics always reflect that," Willa says. The tracks on Willa’s upcoming album are a new brand of urban meets pop perfection. Her voice is raw and raspy, yet refined. Her songs are all about real life. Like "It’s all About Me," for instance. "I’ll do what I want to do, I’ll say what I want to say, I’ll feel how I want to feel, ‘cause its not about what my mom wants, not about what the person I’m dating wants," says Willa of her motivation for writing it. "It’s my life. Their job is to run their lives and mine is to take care of me." Willa also sings about people who just can’t mind their own business on "Get a Life." "I’m a very outspoken person, so obviously, my music is going to reflect that as well," Willa offers. She hopes girls take notice of her tell-it-like-it-is attitude. "I don’t want them to be just like me," she explains. " Just want them to get the message: Do what you want to do, because if you don’t, you’ll never be happy and you’ll never be true to yourself. I believe that my getting out there and doing my thing is going to inspire someone else to keep going," Willa continues. "I want to get out there and show young girls that we don’t have to be manufactured. This strength of character, devotion to herself, her friends, family and fans as well as her dedication to keeping her music and its message real are what makes Willa different from all the rest. "I sincerely hope everyone likes this album, and I hope that they can find some inspiration from what they hear," she says. "I’ve always wanted to make a difference, and I will. You can count on that."
Steal not, young grasshopper. It's all © Kelly, Tyke and Rosy, 1999 - 2003 |
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She’s
no ordinary queen of teen. Princess of pop? Don’t dare go
there. Just try to pigeonhole Willa and you’ll come up wrong
every time. The 18-year-old knock out newcomer is a walking contradiction,
a talent whose emotionally mature lyrics and soulful sound transcend
her youth; a fresh face who puts the down to earth in diva; and
an artist who’s proving that the pop/R&B universe hasn’t
seen or heard anything like her ever before.