Christopher Williams (born Troy Christopher Williams on August 22, 1967 in The Bronx, New York, U.S.) is an American R&B singer and actor.
Williams, who emerged during the late 1980s as a recording artist for Geffen Records, has scored many hit singles, notably "Promises, Promises" (1989), "Talk to Myself" (1989), and "Every Little Thing U Do" (1993). The single "I'm Dreamin'" (1991), from the New Jack City soundtrack, became a #1 single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts. After a six-year hiatus from recording music, he returned to the music scene with Real Men Do on the indie label Renegade, in 2001. It received a glowing, flattering review in Ebony Magazine that summer.
In 2005, it was reported that Williams died of an unknown illness, but this ended up just an Internet hoax.
In between solo pursuits, he has been a contributor to Alex Bugnon's "As Promised," with a smooth jazz version of Mary J. Blige's "All That I Can Say", featured on "In Your World" with Twista & The Speedknot Mobstas, a very up-tempo track on the soundtrack of "Doctor Dolittle", and on the Cafe Soul All-Stars CD with a single entitled "Used To Be." Other soundtrack contributions include: "Tha 2 of Us" from the film "Bulletproof", "Superhero" from the film "Butter", "Boom and the Bang" (featuring R&B songstress Monifah) and "I'm Yours" from the soundtrack of the stage play "Men Cry in the Dark", and "Stranger In My Life" from the film "Gunmen". Additional collaborations throughout his career include: "Round and Round" and "No Sunshine" from the CD "Phuture Flava", "Love You More Than Words Can Say" from the CD "Soul Blitz Allstars", the duet with Mikki Howard, "I Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", the duet with Shae, "You Are So Fine", "Can't Wait To Be With You" from the DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince release "Code Red", "I Wanna B Ure Lover" from the F.S. Effect release "So Deep It's Bottomless", and "Sexual Healing", the duet with reggae dancehall queen Patra. Although he has been considered "out of the game" by some, there are countless artists from several genres who give full credit to him for writing lyrics, performing, producing, editing, collaborating, and simply "doing a favor for a friend." Even with this substantial body of work he has only sold just over 300,000 records in a 20+ year career.
Williams appeared in the successful motion picture film New Jack City in 1991. He portrayed the role of Kareem Akbar, one of Nino Brown's assistants. He also had a cameo appearance in the 1990s police drama, New York Undercover as "the singer," performing "Stranger In My Life," in the episode entitled "The Shooter." He had another cameo in Gunmen, starring Christopher Lambert and Mario Van Peebles, again doing what he does best, singing a song entitled "Stranger In My Life".
He has also starred or co-starred in several successful off Broadway theatre productions during the 2000s, including A Good Man is Hard to Find, A House is Not a Home, Men Cry in the Dark, and The Man He Used to Be. Recently, Williams played a main character in the stage play The Clean Up Woman, written by J D Lawrance , and played alongside actress Telma Hopkins and Jackee. Williams also appeared in plays Guilty Until Proven Innocent, starring K-Ci and JoJo, and The Man of Her Dreams, starring Shirley Murdock and Dave Hollister of Blackstreet fame.
He also played the role of "Ned" in the Reuben Rox 2002 B movie comedy/horror/thriller film "Revenge of the Unhappy Campers" (bootleg alternate title "Night of the Unhappy Campers"), with the tagline: "Tonight they get EVEN." Unfortunately, this particular work has not been released to DVD for sale, though it can be rented in some larger markets.
Williams is the god-son of legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. Williams has a son, Austin, who was born in 1991, with actress Stacey Dash
Williams is also the cousin of one time teen sensation and radio DJ Al B. Sure!
Labels:
Geffen (1989-1992)
Uptown (1992-1995)
Giant 1995-96
Renegade (2001)