A Native Floridian, Willa was the youngest child of four in her family, and with her big voice and even bigger personality, she was quite naturally the center of attention. "Ever since I could talk, I wanted to be a performer," she recalls. "I'd be in the middle of the living room, singing, and dancing, and doing somersaults." At 8, Willa began singing with the Tampa Bay Children's Choir and by the time she was 11, she had started her professional career, enlisting with the Tampa-based children's performing arts troupe, Entertainment Revue. The group, comprised of 20 girls, aged five to 16, would put on varity shows throughout the region, performing at fairs and conventions, as well as at Walt Disney World and Busch Gardens. "It was an amazing alternative to voice lessons and dancing lessons," Willa says. "I was able to learn my craft on stage, and now being on stage is just like being at home." "Remarkably, Willa maintained honor roll student status as she continued to work with Entertainment Revue, where she eventually moved from the chorus into the role of featured soloist. At age 15, she parted ways with the group to become one quarter of the short-lived vocal foursome called FLA. However, that outfit didn't last long and Willa was soon striking out on her own as a solo act. "I wanted it more than any of the other girls, I think" she says. "It was obvious that the only ones who were willing to sacrifice everything were going to make it." Ford made her way to Los Angeles, where she began her career in earnest. In 1999 she first garnered public attention via a tour with the Backstreet Boys, as well as with a track on the Atlantic's double-platinum "Pokemon The First Movie Soundtrack." For her Lava/Atlantic debut Willa teamed up with a diverse assortment of writers and producers, including labelmate DJ Skribble and his partner Anthony Acid. "It was great collaborating with these amazing people," Willa enthuses. "Like Desond, who's just incredible! He sits there at the piano and you go back and forth, writing and exchanging ideas. The things I picked up from him!" Unlike some of her contemporaries, Willa is determined to pen most of her own lyrics, many of which exemplify her outspoken attitude. "I mostly come up with stories from my own life," she says, "but I also think about stuff my friends are going through. And sometimes I just make up a character that I want to be, like 'I wanna Be Bad.'"

That song perfectly sums up Ford's tell it like it is worldview, though the songwriter is determined to insure that her words are not misunderstood. "People ask 'What kind of message are you sending?,'" Willa says, "and I'm only saying'Be who you are.' It's not, 'Go out and break things!' Willa's musical influences are as adventurous as she is, ranging from pop icons like Madonna and R&B favorites such as Boyz II Men, Jodeci, and Mary J. Blige, to jazz vocalists such as Basia. In addition, Willa credits a most unlikely source as an important inspiration for her own eclectic music. "I love Radiohead," she enthuses. "They've influenced me in the weirdest way. The craziness of their music, and being able to be so left-field and yet find an audience, that's so amazing." Willa- who recently served as the spokesperson for Pantene Pro-V's "Pro-Voice" campain, as well as appeared on the nationally-syndicated in-concert cable special, Teensation! alongside Atlantic labelmates Debelah Morgan, Plus One, M2M, and Ashley Ballard- is now poised to step up to the plate and fulfill her musical destiny. With "Willa Was Here," this exciting new star stakes her claim in a big, big way!