William King | |
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Born | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | January 30, 1949
Other names | Wak |
Years active | 1968–present |
Spouses | Shirley Hanna-King (m. 1976) Deborah Walker-King (m. 2020) |
Children | 4 |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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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.
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]
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 ]
Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, is an American funk and soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer.
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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.