Nearly 70 years into his remarkable career, unsung soul hero Charles “Wigg” Walker may finally be getting his due. 

“I feel more appreciated now than ever,” Walker reflects. “There’s something different about this album. It just feels right.”

That unflagging faith and dedication forms the bedrock of Walker’s thrilling new record, This Love Is Gonna Last, which marks the 84-year-old journeyman’s first new release in well over a decade. Recorded with longtime organist and creative partner Charles Treadway, the collection is a masterclass in old-school R&B, shifting seamlessly between styles and eras as it bounces from Philly and Detroit to Memphis and Oakland to New York and LA with preternatural ease. Despite the record’s joyful presentation, there’s a melancholy that flows beneath the surface, a recognition of time’s inexorable march and the lessons and losses that come with it. The album is dedicated to Walker’s late wife, who passed away in 2024, and the couple’s relationship looms large here in songs about love, trust, and commitment. The result is the kind of record Walker’s been building towards for his entire career, a showcase not only for his unforgettable vocals, but also for the unparalleled sonic and emotional range that’s defined his work for more than half a century.

“As a singer, ‘Wigg’ is capable of so many things,” says Treadway, who co-produced the record alongside Gary Gold (Smokey Robinson, Ivan Neville). “He can be a soul shouter with the best of them, but he can also sing ballads and jazz standards, and I wanted to make sure that versatility shines through here.”