Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams carried forward the lineage of commanding soul singers such as Teddy Pendergrass, Jeffrey Osborne, and James "D Train" Williams. A native of Virginia who also arranged and produced, the vocalist arrived late in the 1980s amid the peak of the new jack swing period. Two Billboard Top Ten R&B singles, "Talk to Myself" and "Promises, Promises," which he recorded alongside Timmy Gatling and Alton Wokie Stewart, announced his presence. Those tracks propelled his Geffen debut, Adventures in Paradise (1989), to number 23 on the R&B album chart. His screen work started in New Jack City (1991), where he portrayed an assistant to Wesley Snipes' central character. He further supplied the number-one R&B single "I'm Dreamin'" to the film's platinum-certified soundtrack. Williams then signed with Uptown and issued Changes (1992), which yielded the additional Top Ten R&B entry "Every Little Thing U Do." Even with input from DeVante Swing and Puff Daddy, the album failed to build fully on earlier momentum. He switched imprints once more for Not a Perfect Man (Giant, 1995). With no substantial hits emerging, Williams shifted primary attention to stage and television acting for an extended stretch. He still released independent recordings from time to time, including Real Men Do (2001) and "Too Late" (2015).