Biography
Sweet Pea Atkinson spent the late 1970s grinding through Detroit’s soul scene, an effort that caught the ear of Don and David Was for their art-R&B outfit Was (Not Was). Throughout the following decade the group cultivated a dedicated underground audience until the 1988 release What Up, Dog? brought mainstream attention, powered largely by the tongue-in-cheek single “Walk the Dinosaur.” Atkinson traded lead vocals with Harry Bowens on that track, a pattern that defined his role in the band, yet Was (Not Was) also backed him on his own 1982 effort, Don’t Walk Away. Thirty-five years passed before he issued another solo record; Blue Note, then led by Don Was, released Get What You Deserve in 2017. In the interim he sustained a career through session singing and a partnership with guitarist Randy Jacobs in the Boneshakers.
Born in 1945, Atkinson first entered studios toward the end of the 1970s, contributing to George Jones’s 1979 album My Very Special Guests. Once Don and David Was recruited him as co-lead singer, his professional path sharpened. He appeared prominently on the band’s self-titled 1981 debut, and the following year the group again supported him on Don’t Walk Away. Session opportunities continued alongside his Was (Not Was) commitments throughout the 1980s.
The success of “Walk the Dinosaur” briefly elevated the band to widespread recognition, even as Don Was ascended to superstar-producer status while Atkinson remained without a new solo contract. Still, Don Was continued to employ him on high-profile sessions for Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and Iggy Pop, which in turn generated further backup work across the 1980s and 1990s. Late in the decade Atkinson and Jacobs formed the Boneshakers, issuing Book of Spells in 1997 and Shake the Planet in 1999 before the group disbanded.
Additional studio work kept Atkinson active until Don Was signed him to Blue Note in 2017. That label released Get What You Deserve the same year, with Don Was producing three tracks and Keb’ Mo’ handling the remainder. Sweet Pea Atkinson suffered a fatal heart attack in Los Angeles on May 4, 2020, at the age of 74.
Born in 1945, Atkinson first entered studios toward the end of the 1970s, contributing to George Jones’s 1979 album My Very Special Guests. Once Don and David Was recruited him as co-lead singer, his professional path sharpened. He appeared prominently on the band’s self-titled 1981 debut, and the following year the group again supported him on Don’t Walk Away. Session opportunities continued alongside his Was (Not Was) commitments throughout the 1980s.
The success of “Walk the Dinosaur” briefly elevated the band to widespread recognition, even as Don Was ascended to superstar-producer status while Atkinson remained without a new solo contract. Still, Don Was continued to employ him on high-profile sessions for Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and Iggy Pop, which in turn generated further backup work across the 1980s and 1990s. Late in the decade Atkinson and Jacobs formed the Boneshakers, issuing Book of Spells in 1997 and Shake the Planet in 1999 before the group disbanded.
Additional studio work kept Atkinson active until Don Was signed him to Blue Note in 2017. That label released Get What You Deserve the same year, with Don Was producing three tracks and Keb’ Mo’ handling the remainder. Sweet Pea Atkinson suffered a fatal heart attack in Los Angeles on May 4, 2020, at the age of 74.
Albums
