Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams followed in the tradition of robust soul vocalists such as Teddy Pendergrass, Jeffrey Osborne, and James "D Train" Williams. The Virginia native, not only a singer but an arranger and producer as well, surfaced during the tail-end of the ’80s, around the middle of the new jack swing era. “Talk to Myself” and “Promises, Promises,” a pair of Billboard Top Ten R&B singles made with Timmy Gatling and Alton Wokie Stewart, marked his arrival. Those hits drove parent album Adventures in Paradise (1989), Williams’ full-length debut for Geffen, to number 23 on the R&B album chart. His acting career began with New Jack City (1991), for which he was cast as an assistant to Wesley Snipes’ lead character. Just as notably, Williams contributed “I’m Dreamin’,” a number one R&B hit, to the film’s certified platinum soundtrack. The singer moved to the Uptown label for Changes (1992), an album that generated another Top Ten R&B hit in “Every Little Thing U Do.” Despite collaborations with DeVante Swing and Puff Daddy, the set didn’t fully capitalize upon the success that preceded it. Williams changed labels once again for Not a Perfect Man (Giant, 1995). No major hits came from it, and Williams responded by concentrating on stage and small screen acting roles for the long term. On occasion, he recorded as an independent artist, as heard on Real Men Do (2001) and “Too Late” (2015). ~ Andy Kellman