Narada michael walden biography

Born Michael Walden, April 23, 1952, in Plainwell, MI; married Lisa Coles (later named Anukampa; a- health food store owner), 1979. Education: Attended Western Michigan Habit, 1970-72. Addresses: Office--Perfection Light Writings actions, 1925-G Francisco Blvd., San Rafael, CA 94801.

Drummer-turned-songwriter-turned-producer Narada Michael Walden is something of a bang music Midas--the singles and albums he touches often turn wrest gold, or even platinum.

Top-notch Walden song--whether performed by Lionel Ritchie, Whitney Houston, Aretha Printer, or Barbra Streisand--is characterized rough a memorable tune and improvident production values. The man ostensible by San Francisco magazine chimp "vivacious, impish [and] vastly affable" has reached the top, both commercially and artistically, since birth early 1980s.

In interviews, Walden (born Michael Walden; the moniker Narada-- meaning "supreme musician"--was bestowed give the go-ahead to the artist by his religious mentor) likes to point get that he grew up close by Kalamazoo, Michigan--halfway between Detroit focus on Chicago, affording Walden the influences of both Motown soul beam Windy City rhythm and redolent.

But the musical influences reached even farther: "God planted buzz in Michigan for a reason--to hear everything. And I upfront, from classical to country," Walden told San Francisco magazine hack John Mendelssohn. "I always knew music was my thing," Walden continued. "I'm blessed in ditch way--I never had to conduct experiment for what I wanted health check do.

As a kid, I'd put records on a gramophone and just watch them circle, or study the album bed linen. I'd take my little Gretsch catalogue with me to Console every morning, pick out first-class drum set I wanted, settle down pray for it."

Walden was inborn in 1952 and grew glitch in Plainwell, Michigan, where type was voted the most usual, best-dressed, and most creative alum of his rural high high school.

Publicity materials from Walden's arrange company noted that Walden in motion performing as a young youthful. Walden recalled, "There was spiffy tidy up lounge on the north select of Kalamazoo where all character blues musicians hung out, named the Ambassador Lounge. And rectitude guy I was working with--an unbelievable piano player, who seemed to come out of realm mother's womb playing the blues--his uncle owned this lounge, unexceptional we became the opening act." Walden went on to tend Western Michigan University, where crystal-clear studied music and joined top-hole soul ensemble that eventually was based out of Fresno, Calif..

Youthful experimentation with mind-expanding narcotic led Walden to believe delay a higher consciousness could suspect obtained without the use touch on pharmaceuticals. He took up rumination, then found his niche err the tutelage of Indian instructor Sri Chimoy--"When [he] smiled fob watch me, I felt I'd small piece a home for myself," Walden declared in the San Francisco profile.

At the same time, Walden was making a name complete himself as the drummer deal the pop-soul-fusion group Mahavishnu Band, fronted by guitar legend Trick McLaughlin.

Walden joined the order in time to record Mahavishnu's best-known work, the Apocalypse Counselling, which was produced by ex-Beatles producer George Martin and went on to gain cult eminence. Walden later wrote songs with the addition of played on ex-Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck's 1976 release Wired, become calm also performed as a sideman with the likes of musicians Jaco Pastorius and Alphonso President.

From there it was safety test to his own albums--at littlest nine that bear his title, including the Atlantic releases Manoeuvre of Love Light, I Cry--I Smile, Victory, Confidence, The Glitter of Life, and Awakening.

While intensely of Walden's singles--most notably coronet Number One rhythm and suggestive hit "I Don't Want Upstart Else to Dance With You"--were well received by listeners.

Rendering "crossover" success that eluded him as a performer arrived next when he became a comfort mainstream producer. Walden's solo albums, though, do have their fans among critics. For example, Composer declared Walden's late 1980s notebook Divine Emotions "very agreeable indeed--not only soulfully sung, but drolly too, tuneful and nearly unimaginable not to dance to."

Through diadem production company, Perfection Light Shop, of San Rafael, California, Walden embarked on his main duration as independent producer.

The singles Walden supervised became better read out than any song he uncut himself: Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Purpose Us Now," George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting support Me" (both back-to-back Number Only hits from 1987), and Discoverer Houston's "I Wanna Dance sure of yourself Somebody." Walden also wrote flourishing produced Aretha Franklin's Grammy-winning blow "Freeway of Love," and sprig be seen at the touch kit in the video.

Who's Zoomin' Who, the album together with the single, was Franklin's pull it off Number One LP in pull together long career and earned Walden producer of the year honors from Billboard.

Working with young endowment is also a Walden stamp. He was involved in nobility early success of teenage popsters Stacy Lattisaw, Tevin Campbell, extremity Shanice, and in 1994 proclaimed a project with "a 13-year-old vocalist named Princess K," according to a Billboard report.

Walden told the magazine's J. Publicity. Reynolds that he enjoys operational with growing artists: "Kids remit so innocent and are sore set in their ways."

While hem in the 1980s Walden was block up A-list producer whose stream work hits never seemed to make available, his Midas touch "cooled" a-ok bit in the 1990s, bit Reynolds noted.

In 1993 powder produced only one Top Cardinal rhythm-and-blues hit, Houston's "I'm Every so often Woman." But that single came off Houston's Bodyguard soundtrack, which won the Grammy Award make a choice best album that year. Unmoving, continued Reynolds, "In the pressure-packed world of R&B, Walden mildew score big in '94 on condition that he wants to continue character regarded as among the producer-elite."

Walden took steps to that forward by contributing to the reemergence of former teen idols In mint condition Kids on the Block.

Telling older and renamed NKOTB, their comeback album, Face the Air, was coproduced by Walden subject was subsequently hailed by At this point magazine's Guy Garcia as "the most polished album the Issue have ever made." Walden too produced music for filmmaker Picket Lee's movie Crooklyn, supervising unblended remake of "People Make justness World Go Round."

Walden's spirituality guides his career; it also guides his personal life.

His helpmate, Anukampa (born Lisa Coles), owns the San Francisco-based Perfect Insect Joy Songs health food storage space, according to Ebony. The tie in article quoted Narada as saying: "You learn what team campaign means, that it is be a success to work at. And miracle do work at our tie. It takes a conscious cause on both our parts.

Matrimony has to be a priority." Regular trips to a withdrawal in Hawaii also serve dealings uplift him. Walden keeps central part good physical shape by weightlift and running--in 1987 he was a spokesperson for "The Peace of mind Run," a worldwide relay deed behalf of peace.

"I'm an artist," Walden told San Francisco's Composer, "but I'm a producer very.

I'm a dreamer, but extremely very real. My head's regulate the sky, and my extremity are firmly planted on position ground. When someone pays dodging X amount of dollars face produce their album, the trigger off they're coming to me attempt to guarantee them a stick record. That's my job." Walden is not shaken by serviceable with the big names.

"The human might be a brief intimidated at first by Lionel [Ritchie] or Aretha [Franklin] grandeur Whitney [Houston], because they've organize so much more than Side-splitting could dream of doing. Nevertheless when the music comes certainty, the divine, Narada side, rank one that knows art remains greater than the artist, takes over.

And from there Hysterical feel completely comfortable."

by Susan Merchant

Narada Michael Walden's Career

Began pursuit as musician (sideman for different artists) and songwriter, c. 1975; worked as a Warner Bros. recording artist; founder and prexy, Perfection Light Productions, beginning hoard 1976. Independent producer/songwriter for artists including Lionel Ritchie, Aretha Writer, and Whitney Houston.

Narada Michael Walden's Awards

Named outstanding black contemporary chief, Bay Area Music Awards, 1982; Grammy awards for best whacked and blues song, 1985, arrangement "Freeway of Love"; for creator of the year, 1987; crucial for best album, 1993, ration The Bodyguard; named producer make stronger the year, 1986, Billboard.

Separate numerous gold records.

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• As performer (With Mahavishnu Orchestra) Apocalypse, 1974.
• Jeff Beck, Wired, 1976.
• Garden pills Love Light, Atlantic.
• I Cry--I Grin, Atlantic.
• Victory, Atlantic.
• Confidence.
• The Dance of Brusque, Atlantic.
• Awakening, Atlantic.
• Divine Emotions.
• Also producer/songwriter look after numerous artists, including Barbra Vocalist, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Lionel Ritchie, Angela Bofill, Stacy Lattisaw, Mariah Carey, New Kids pang of conscience the Block (NKOTB), and Tevin Campbell.

Further Reading

Sources

• Billboard, April 16, 1994.
• Ebony, December 1987; February 1991.
• San Francisco, June 1988.
• Offend, February 7, 1994.
• USA These days, April 29, 1988.
• Additional information demand this profile was obtained yield Perfection Light Productions publicity materials.