*In January, Will Downing suffered a life-shattering blow when his daughter, Aron Siobhan Downing, committed suicide at the age of 31.
The R&B powerhouse and his family knew that she’d been exhibiting dramatic mood swings and bouts of unpredictable behavior since her teenage years, but had always downplayed it as something temporary that an extended rest or vacation would heal.
The family had no idea that Siobhan was dealing with real mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, depression, and touches of schizophrenia that were diagnosed when her family eventually got her professional help.
“That’s something that I find, especially with people of color, that we just skirt away. Like it’ll fix itself. ‘She/he/they’ll be fine, don’t worry about it. Give it some time.’ But in this case, it wasn’t [fine],” Downing tells EURWEB.com founder Lee Bailey in our For the Record podcast.
In hindsight, Downing said he would’ve sought professional help for his daughter sooner, but added: “I think so much damage had been done with her trying to deal with it in her way, by unfortunately drinking, and we as a family kind of saying, ‘She’ll be fine,’ or not even listening in some cases.”
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In this episode of For the Record, Downing implores parents of children suffering from mental illness to seek professional help as soon as signs become apparent. The singer also talks about his new song, “Till We Meet Again,” written in honor of Siobhan, and gives Lee a hilarious lesson on how to pronounce his daughter’s name.
And speaking of embarrassing situations, Lee also reveals how old he was upon learning the truth about Santa Claus, much to Will’s amusement. And find out how the southern term “ice taters” warmly underscores Will’s message to Black folks about not being afraid to seek professional help.
“Till We Meet Again,” available for streaming and download on all major platforms today (May 1st), features artwork by Siobhan on the single cover. In addition to its release, Downing is partnering with several suicide prevention organizations to raise awareness and funds for mental health support services. A portion of the proceeds from the song’s sales will be donated to these organizations.
You can watch the video and purchase “Till We Meet Again” here, and listen to the song below.
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