Born: April 23, 1952 Primary Instrument: Drums
Narada Michael Walden (born Michael Walden on April 23, 1952 in Kalamazoo, Michigan) is an [American] [producer] , [drummer] , [singer] , and [songwriter] . He was given the name [Narada] by guru [Sri Chinmoy] in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and [multi-platinum] awards. Walden has also owned and operated Tarpan Studios, a well-known [recording studio] in [San Rafael] , [California] , since the mid-1980s.
Performing career His stage career included appearances with [John McLaughlin] and the [Mahavishnu Orchestra] (where he replaced legendary drummer [Billy Cobham] ), and [Jeff Beck] (on Beck's album [Wired] ).
His first album, Garden of Love Light , was released in 1976 and included the track “Delightful”. The lone single released from the album, it charted at #81 on the R&B charts in the spring of 1977.
His 1979 album Awakening peaked at #15 on the R&B charts, spawning a Top 10 hit with “I Don't Want Nobody Else (To Dance With You )”. Later that year, his album The Dance of Life yielded the Top 5 single “I Shoulda Loved Ya”, which also made the UK Top 10 in 1980. “Gimme Gimme Gimme”, his 1985 duet with [Patti Austin] , reached #1 in Sweden. In 1988, he scored another UK top 10 hit and a #1 US Dance hit, with “ [Divine Emotions] “ under the name [Narada] .
