Sweet Pea Atkinson

Sweet Pea Atkinson grinded away on Detroit's soul circuit in the late 1970s, work that brought him to the attention of <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a>, the art-R&B project helmed by Don and David Was. During the '80s, <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a> slowly built a cult following before scoring a breakthrough in 1988 with What Up, Dog?, an album that became a hit on the strength of the pseudo-novelty "Walk the Dinosaur." Atkinson shared lead vocals on the song with Harry Bowens, as he usually did on <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a>, but the group also supported Atkinson on his solo album, Don't Walk Away. Atkinson didn't release another solo album for another 35 years, when <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blue+Note%22">Blue Note</a>, presided over by Don Was, put out Get What You Deserve in 2017, but he kept busy during those decades by singing on studio sessions and collaborating with <a href="spotify:artist:5myRaH2yxK9bfBkKv1e5uf">Randy Jacobs</a> in a band called <a href="spotify:artist:24riNM88j6XOrjc8c8D55m">the Boneshakers</a>.

Born in 1945, Atkinson began scoring studio work in the late '70s -- he appears on <a href="spotify:artist:2OpqcUtj10HHvGG6h9VYC5">George Jones</a>' 1979 LP My Very Special Guests -- but once Don and David Was hired him as a co-lead singer for <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a>, he began his professional career in earnest. He was showcased on their 1981 debut, and a year later, <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a> supported him on his solo album, Don't Walk Away, in 1982. He occasionally got studio work as he sang with <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a> during the '80s.

"Walk the Dinosaur" turned <a href="spotify:artist:7Jmod60ZpPG0tckhY0Ls0p">Was (Not Was)</a> into a household name, at least for a hot minute, and while Don Was turned into a superstar producer, Atkinson didn't get a solo deal. Nevertheless, Don Was hired him to sing on major projects by <a href="spotify:artist:4KDyYWR7IpxZ7xrdYbKrqY">Bonnie Raitt</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:74ASZWbe4lXaubB36ztrGX">Bob Dylan</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:33EUXrFKGjpUSGacqEHhU4">Iggy Pop</a>, which lead to other backup gigs in the '80s and '90s. He and guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:5myRaH2yxK9bfBkKv1e5uf">Randy Jacobs</a> formed <a href="spotify:artist:24riNM88j6XOrjc8c8D55m">the Boneshakers</a> in the late '90s, releasing two studio albums -- Book of Spells (1997) and Shake the Planet (1999) -- before splitting.

More studio supporting work followed, keeping Atkinson busy. In 2017, Don Was signed the singer to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blue+Note%22">Blue Note</a>, and produced three cuts on that year's Get What You Deserve; the rest of the album was produced by <a href="spotify:artist:6iDaoPZVgxrTkndDCisX8F">Keb' Mo'</a>. Sweet Pea Atkinson died in Los Angeles on May 4, 2020 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 74. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi