[1] At age 16, Downing sang demos for publishing houses for songwriters who couldn't sing well, earning $50 each.

[2] Downing attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York,[1] graduating in 1981 along with future Motown Records president Kedar Massenburg.

[2] He was then a backing vocalist on albums by Jennifer Holliday, Kool & the Gang, Mariah Carey, Gerald Albright, Billy Ocean, Regina Belle and Mica Paris and later sang with Wally "Jump" Junior.

[1] All the Man You Need, released on Motown Records, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album in 2000.

In 2002, Downing married singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch.

[10] In December 2006, Downing was diagnosed with polymyositis, a rare disease occurring most often in black males, in which inflammation causes debilitating muscle weakness.

On tour, he conducts the charity bowling event, Strike Against Stroke, to raise funds towards awareness and education in the African American community.