Fans... put "Team 360" in subject area

William Elijah, known to many as Big Will was taught from a very early age that "All music has its soul". This seed was planted in his earliest memories growing up on Detroit's west side where every Saturday morning was cleaning time. Music filled the air as William, his brother and his mom danced, sang and cleaned their apartment to the sounds of Motown, humming melodies of Jazz standards and even on occasion rocking out to the Rolling Stones. "I just remember how good music made me feel even as a child" says the now seasoned Detroit music veteran, who for over 3 decades has worked his way up the ranks starting out in local jazz big bands to entering his 24th year of lead singing and playing trumpet in the popular cover band The Sun Messengers. Today Big Will is known for wowing his ever growing fan base with his dynamic energy, infectious smile and unique stage presence. The singing, dancing, rapping, trumpet spinning entertainer has re-invented himself along the way by adding songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist to the mix not to mention losing a staggering 3oo lbs. January 1, 2008 was a turning point personally and musically for William. The questions he asked himself were 1. Where do you go after having a successful 24 year realtionship with Detroit's most popular band? 2. How do you translate who you are and what you love about music to your fans? The answer came to him in the form of a mission statement. "I am going to live my life a full 360 Degrees. If I can choose to live that way in other areas of my life, why not do that musically?". With that William came up with the working title for his new CD "Big Will 360 Degrees". Also paving the way for him to craft a stage show to support his vision. The concept for the CD was to write songs that celebrate my vast influences from jazz greats like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie to soul and pop icons like James Brown, Michael Jackson, Prince and Justin Timberlake. Others are singer/songwriters like Sting, Maroon 5 and Joni Mitchell to Hip hop legends Run DMC, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Kanye West. "The greats in this business became great because they never limited themselves". Says William. Many industry people and fans alike say what sets these artists apart is that they have that "IT" factor, they are amazing to watch as well as listen to. Their passion for what they do shines thru. For many fans, Big Will has "IT"! "People like to be entertained, they like a show". Says William. "I saw him in a club one night and he stopped me cold. He's a dynamite talent and a wonderful human being". Toni Basil- (writer,performer of the iconic eighties hit "Hey Mickey!" and choreographer for Bette Midler) This concept would stretch William in a couple of ways... First as a musician, William wrote, performed, produced 11 tracks and arranged the 3 remaining cover tracks. Second, William had to resist listening to the prevailing winds that try to define what an artist is. "As artists we are told you have to be this kind of artist to sell CDs or this kind of artist to get air play on this or that radio station. The internet has been the great equalizer as far as being exactly the kind of artist I want to be". Says William. His myspace page (www.myspace.com/bigwillonline) has many page hits, videos and song downloads to be proud of. The next phase of the 360 Degrees project was to bring part of it to the stage. William tested his theory by doing a successful teaser show live to a packed house at Greektown Casino in downtown Detroit. Using a scaled down version of the show Big Will armed with lights, smoke, two dancers and a video montage rocked the house with a rendition of a Teddy Riley cover called HER as well as premiering a song from the CD, his Miles Davis tribute song "Clouds For Miles". The full show packs a punch! Big Will is backed by a 5 piece band, 2 dancers (when booked) and all the multi-media flash of a major concert event. Other songs on the CD include: The Raw Rap/Rock driven anthem "Cant Break Me", The Bluesy/funk groove "There You Go Again", The Hot Latin dance track "GO!" also a Freddy Hubbard cover "Red Clay". Just to name a few. Other 360 Degree productions projects that are in the works include a web based interview show called "Big Will" Behind the Scenes. Big Will interviews entertainment news makers from both the local and national scene. So stay tuned. Many fans that have watched Big Will's career would delightfully say his life and his music have come full circle. A full 360 degrees.