William King (singer)

William King
Born (1949-01-30) January 30, 1949 (age 75)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Other namesWak
Years active1968–present
Spouses
Shirley Hanna-King
​
(m. 1976)​
Deborah Walker-King
​
(m. 2020)​
Children4
Musical career
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • Composer
  • Multi-instrumentalist
  • Choreographer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • trumpet
  • guitar
  • synthesizer
  • flute
  • percussion
Labels

William King (born January 30, 1949)[1] is an American singer, musician and choreographer. He is a founding member of the Commodores, where he plays trumpet, guitar, synthesizer, flute, and congas/percussion and is the group's choreographer.

Background

King was born in Birmingham, Alabama. After attending Tuskegee University, where he received all-conference selections in the SIAC,[2] he considered playing tennis professionally but decided to continue his career with the Commodores.[1] King was also hired by a digital computer company to write software but gave that up as well to join the band.[3]

King's compositions include "Lady" and "I'm In Love", both of which he co-composed with Harold Hudson and his wife Shirley Hanna-King. The latter was the B side to their single "Janet" which was released in 1985.[4]

Personal life

King married his songwriting partner and fellow Grammy Award nominee, Shirley Hanna-King in 1976 and they have four children. King is an avid tennis player, inducted to the SIAC Hall of Fame in 2024,[2] and has participated in many tournaments. King married Deborah Walker-King in 2020.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b "William King". Commodoreslive.com. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  2. ^ a b "SIAC to induct 7 into Hall of Fame". www.triangletribune.com. The Triangle Tribune. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024. King was a standout from 1968-71 and '74. The versatile athlete also fostered his passion for music as a founding member of The Commodores while balancing his collegiate tennis career. King received all-conference selections for his tennis performance, and experienced continued musical success with a Grammy award and numerous nominations.
  3. ^ Inlander, January 09, 2020 - Music News, The Commodores' William King talks about the early years on the road, basketball with Marvin Gaye and the magic of Motown By Sean Mcalindin
  4. ^ 45Cat - Commodores - Discography, USA


Stub icon

This biographical article related to R&B/Soul music is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.