Viola Mae Wilkerson (December 30, 1939 – May 6, 2009),[1][2] known professionally as Viola Wills, was an American pop and R&B singer, best known for her covers of classics and other standards such as Patience and Prudence's "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" (1979), Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" (1980), The Drifters' "Up on the Roof" (1980), "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David (1980), the Doris Day single "Secret Love" (1980), Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" (1981) and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (1986).
Born Viola Mae Wilkerson in the Watts district of South Los Angeles, Wills was married in her teens.
In 1965, she was discovered by Barry White, who signed her to Bronco Records and renamed her with the shorter stage surname of Wills, from her first marriage name of Lyons.
[2] 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.
[3] 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.
Wills had a residency at Joogleberry Playhouse in Brighton,[3] backed on occasion by Brighton-based pianist Tom Phelan and jazz guitarist Shane Hill.