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The great Viola Wills will never be forgotten, thanks to her last recordings, including a new version of her first classic dance hit produced by Paul Mark Tams in 2002.

Paul says of the sessions: "Viola moved to the UK in 2002 and we were introduced via a DJ friend and we set about a series of new recordings, she rerecorded this version of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" numerous times until she was happy with it, and we ended up using the original first take! Viola was feisty and never told anyone she was suffering from ill health or that this set of recordings were to be her final legacy."

I am so proud to have this as part of the CD FIRST LADIES OF DISCO - RICK GIANATOS PRESENTS THE MUSIC. GRANT SMITH has melded together several performances of Viola to match this 12" version included on the album.

One stop shopping for the great book and the music at the official website, http://www.FirstLadiesofDisco.com.

Viola Wills was an international recording artiste who started her career off at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She later worked with Barry White, Joe Cocker, Smokey Robinson and many other established recording artistes until she recorded her first album of her own original songs "Soft Centers" in London England.

Her first major break into the mainstream came with her version of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" which started a string of dance hits and Viola's subsequent title of a "disco diva."

Determined to have a career writing and singing her own songs, Viola recorded and charted her first original hit "Dare To Dream", followed by her version of "Both Sides Now". All three of the songs would land Viola in the Guiness Book of Records for the UK.

Eventually Viola took a break and returned to America to work on a college degree in music therapy. During this period she wrote and produced her one-woman show "Willspower."

A demand for 80's music brought Viola back to Europe where she firmly committed herself to promote herself and her classic catalog. She made her home in Brighton where she recorded this new version of her first great hit as well as a number of other wonderful new and classic tracks that became THE ESSENTIAL VIOLA WILLS.

Some of the UK venues Viola has appeared on or at are Top of The Pops, Pebble Mill, Soul Train, Jules Holland, Ronnie Scott's, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and a residency at Joogleberry's Playhouse in Brighton.

Viola eventually returned to the USA. On May 6 2009 Viola passed peacefully away after a short illness. She is missed, but not forgotten, as can be seen in this wonderful video edited by genius Grant Smith.